back to article That's right, MICROSOFT is an ANDROID vendor after Nokia gobble

Nokia won't be changing its strategy now that it's been gobbled up by Microsoft, its former CEO Stephen Elop has said. Elop, who has returned to Redmond after almost a four-year absence to head up the software giant's new Devices Group, said in a blog post on Friday that we'll continue to see the same mix of Nokia-branded …

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  1. MrMur

    Microsoft finally distributing the Linux Kernel, and obliged to abide by all that GPL goodness. That's got to hurt,

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I knew they'd concede.

      The Windows fanbois will be here in a bit, telling us how great Linux/Android is.

    2. eulampios

      they got the cancer

      it metastasized... Well, I'd praise Microsoft if they have admitted the win of Google and and how Linux, GNU and the free software are good.

      No, Microsoft have always been as hypocritical as Putin is right now. Bad for both Putin and Microsoft. Elop has been honest compared to those two...

    3. h4rm0ny

      You've been able to purchase GNU/Linux from MS for ages as it's one of the options in Azure.

      Microsoft have always wanted one thing and one thing only: your money. They're Old School like that.

      1. P. Lee
        Joke

        MS also have a history of buying non-windows tech - Xenix, Hotmail, CPM, VMS^H^H^H...

        Of course, then they mess them up. ;)

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        And Windows has 'Services for UNIX' that can be installed if you need to run legacy / OSS stuff.

    4. Stephen Channell
      Happy

      nothing new

      Microsoft might not be a top 20 Linux contributor anymore but the story has changed, as have the economics.. for very surprising reasons. Microsoft's "beef" with Linux was about the desktop, which was set to be decided with the 64-bit migration, which Microsoft has won with Windows 7.

      on the devices front Android has won because every SoC/component developer builds for Linux first: performance/cost advantages have been institutionalized, and that can only change if Linus Torvalds goes soft and Linux kernel gets big and flabby for cloud coverage.

      the next big story with android is going to be the unexpected decision for Obama and the rest of the US government to get Windows phones

      1. illiad

        Re: nothing new

        'Microsoft has won with Windows 7' ??? that it no longer publicizes... win8 is all it *sells* now... you can get legal win7 discs from everyone else, though... unless they are stoopid/ being bribed by MS/ think HUGE blocky GUI is great... :/

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: nothing new

          You realise you can set Windows 8 to boot straight to the desktop? And it just becomes a better and faster Windows 7?

          Faux News are the only corporate I know who are using Modern UI as the primary desktop mode.

      2. Ian Easson

        Re: nothing new

        No, Microsoft's beef about Linux has always been about its GNU license, not about the software, and not about it being open source. That was the basis of Ballmer's famous comment that software distributed under the GNU license, like Linux, was a "cancer".

        Of course, Linux or open software fanbois would have you believe otherwise.

        1. Richard Plinston

          Re: nothing new

          > Of course, Linux or open software fanbois would have you believe otherwise.

          I am not sure what the 'otherwise' would be, perhaps you could explain.

    5. Sander van der Wal
      Angel

      I'm sure they are crying all the way to the bank.

    6. jonathanb Silver badge

      They are one of the bigger contributors to the Linux kernel, mainly for the stuff that makes it work on Hyper-V.

      1. Richard Plinston

        > They are one of the bigger contributors to the Linux kernel, mainly for the stuff that makes it work on Hyper-V.

        They _were_ 'one of the bigger contributors' for _one_ month and only for Hyper-V stuff.

    7. pacman7de
      Facepalm

      Microsoft distributing Android ..

      @MrMur: "Microsoft finally distributing the Linux Kernel, and obliged to abide by all that GPL goodness. That's got to hurt"

      Now that Microsoft is distributing Android, it would be a good time for Google to sue them for violating the Android terms of service, as in Microsoft is extorting revenue out of the other Android phone makers, under threats of litigation ..

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Microsoft distributing Android ..

        "Now that Microsoft is distributing Android, it would be a good time for Google to sue them for violating the Android terms of service"

        Microsoft never signed up to the Android Terms of Service. They don't distribute any of the Google spyware with their build.

    8. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Hurt what? They have to abide to the GPL only for the GPL related stuff. And probably the will abide far better than many "Linux developers" who ignore the GPL as much as they like.

    9. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      non other choice

      Windows phones is selling badly what else could they do?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: non other choice

        "Windows phones is selling badly"

        Relative to other platforms (except Blackberry!) it is right now, but it is growing by more than any other OS year on year.

        1. Richard Plinston

          Re: non other choice

          > but it is growing by more than any other OS year on year.

          In 2007 Microsoft had 40% of the market in what are now called smartphones. Currently they have less than 4%.

        2. Richard Plinston

          Re: non other choice

          > but it is growing by more than any other OS year on year.

          According to Nokia itself their sales of Windows Phone for 2014Q1 was less than 2013Q1 and less than 2013Q4.

          """Nokia writes in the Q1 2014 results:

          The year-on-year and sequential declines in discontinued operations net sales in the first quarter 2014 were primarily due to lower Mobile Phones net sales and, to a lesser extent, lower Smart Devices net sales. """

          http://communities-dominate.blogs.com/

          But _you_ certainly don't want facts to get in the way of your fanaticism.

          1. h4rm0ny

            Re: non other choice

            >> but it is growing by more than any other OS year on year.

            >According to Nokia itself their sales of Windows Phone for 2014Q1 was less than 2013Q1 and less than 2013Q4.

            They didn't say that the amount sold each quarter was growing. It's quite possible to sell ten million one quarter and nine million the next quarter and still be growing faster than others. What you provided doesn't invalidate the claim at all.

            1. Richard Plinston

              Re: non other choice

              >>> but it is growing by more than any other OS year on year.

              >>According to Nokia itself their sales of Windows Phone for 2014Q1 was less than 2013Q1 and less than 2013Q4.

              >They didn't say that the amount sold each quarter was growing. It's quite possible to sell ten million one quarter and nine million the next quarter and still be growing faster than others. What you provided doesn't invalidate the claim at all.

              In what way is selling _less_ than the previous quarter (or year on year) represent _growing_ ? Even Nokia acknowledge it as a decline.

              While 2013Q4 units may have been more than 2012Q4 and thus growth, that has not continued and there is decline (negative growth) in 2014Q1 compared to 2013Q1 (year on year) and also compared to 2013Q4.

              Also FirefoxOS and Jolla's SailfishOS are showing _huge_ growth is sales since last year (when it was zero), far greater growth than WP, so the claim 'more than any other OS' is simply wrong.

              In any case the sales of WP increased last year because most were sold at a loss - even taking into account the $billion dollar subsidy from MS. Some people just want a phone, don't care what the OS is, and buy the cheap one. That works for Android too.

    10. h3

      Microsoft is a better contributor to Linux and Open Source than e.g certainly Amazon and maybe even Google. (At least all the stuff Microsoft contributed went into the main kernel). Amazon almost certainly has loads of stuff that could be in Xen. Google's Android kernel was a total mess I think they are trying to contribute a bit but its just dumped out there lots of their OSS stuff.

      Android might as well be closed in lots of ways due to the fact that the Google Play Services malware is the bulk of the OS. (I have a Google experience device with a set of apps that works perfectly until the play services update is forced onto it which happens constantly). Battery lasts about 3/4 days with play services 3.2 with any 4 or above then it loses about 10% in a 15 min drive.

      1. eulampios

        @h3

        Microsoft is a better contributor to Linux and Open Source contributor to Linux and Open Source than e.g certainly Amazon and maybe even Google

        Not sure about the former, it is certainly not true about the latter. One can easily ascertain this fact by seeing what each of them use and develop. For Google it's mostly open platforms on the Linux kernel, for MS it's their own proprietary kernels and platforms.

        As far as the Linux kernel contribution is concerned, look in the .config file for yourself and grep it with-i 'microsof\|hyper'

        grep -i 'microsof\|hyper' /boot/config-$(uname -r)

        CONFIG_HYPERVISOR_GUEST=y

        # CONFIG_SYS_HYPERVISOR is not set

        CONFIG_HID_MICROSOFT=m

        # Microsoft Hyper-V guest support

        # CONFIG_HYPERV is not set

        Right, it's the hyper-v modules and some drivers for touch devices, like mice and keyboards. Nothing more.

        Google's Android kernel was a total mess

        It's not only the Google's development, you seem to be unaware, it's the OEMs and ARM system manufacturers'. The chip man's have been creating this despicable mess, rather than Google. BTW, originally, Microsoft had to clean up the mess of their own with HYPER-V, otherwise the modules would be ousted from the main Linux kernel tree.

        1. eulampios

          Microsoft's contribution to the Linux kernel

          git grep -i 'cop.*microsoft' in my local git kernel build directory, MS' copyright is present in the following:

          Documentation/usb/linux-cdc-acm.inf:; Copyright (c) 2000 Microsoft Corporati

          Documentation/usb/linux.inf:; Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation

          drivers/hid/hid-hyperv.c: * Copyright (c) 2010, Microsoft Corporation.

          drivers/hv/channel.c: * Copyright (c) 2009, Microsoft Corporation.

          drivers/hv/channel_mgmt.c: * Copyright (c) 2009, Microsoft Corporation.

          drivers/hv/connection.c: * Copyright (c) 2009, Microsoft Corporation.

          drivers/hv/hv.c: * Copyright (c) 2009, Microsoft Corporation.

          drivers/hv/hv_balloon.c: * Copyright (c) 2012, Microsoft Corporation.

          drivers/hv/hv_snapshot.c: * Copyright (C) 2013, Microsoft, Inc.

          drivers/hv/hv_util.c: * Copyright (c) 2010, Microsoft Corporation.

          drivers/hv/hyperv_vmbus.h: * Copyright (c) 2011, Microsoft Corporation.

          drivers/hv/ring_buffer.c: * Copyright (c) 2009, Microsoft Corporation.

          drivers/hv/vmbus_drv.c: * Copyright (c) 2009, Microsoft Corporation.

          drivers/net/hyperv/hyperv_net.h: * Copyright (c) 2011, Microsoft Corporation.

          drivers/net/hyperv/netvsc.c: * Copyright (c) 2009, Microsoft Corporation.

          drivers/net/hyperv/netvsc_drv.c: * Copyright (c) 2009, Microsoft Corporation.

          drivers/net/hyperv/rndis_filter.c: * Copyright (c) 2009, Microsoft Corporation.

          drivers/scsi/storvsc_drv.c: * Copyright (c) 2009, Microsoft Corporation.

          drivers/video/hyperv_fb.c: * Copyright (c) 2012, Microsoft Corporation.

          include/acpi/actbl2.h: * Copyright 2006 Microsoft Corporation.

          include/linux/hyperv.h: * Copyright (c) 2011, Microsoft Corporation.

          tools/hv/hv_vss_daemon.c: * Copyright (C) 2013, Microsoft, Inc.

    11. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "That's got to hurt"

      Yep - all those Linux security patches and vulnerabilities must be a nightmare for them...

  2. Mage Silver badge
    Trollface

    Or maybe

    They could swallow their ego, snuff out Windows 8 and Windows phone, sell android phones and a new hybrid NT-Linux with 100% Win API compatibility!

    1. illiad

      Re: Or maybe

      but still LOADS of people out there who have no clue, *only* go to facebook, have their nose firmly connected to MS... :)

    2. Michael Habel

      Re: Or maybe

      They could swallow their ego, snuff out Windows 8 and Windows phone, sell android phones and a new hybrid NT-Linux with 100% Win API compatibility!

      And Pigs will fly!!

      1. Immenseness
        Coat

        Re: Or maybe

        "And pigs will fly"

        Price of bacon is rising.

  3. Cirdan
    Linux

    Tee hee hee hee hee...

    :-)

    That is all.

    ...Cirdan...

    1. keithpeter Silver badge
      Windows

      Re: Tee hee hee hee hee...

      Just waiting for the first photo of a Microsoft branded Android phone to hit flickr, twitter or whatever. Will need to go outside and check that the sky is still up then.

      1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

        Re: Tee hee hee hee hee...

        "Microsoft branded Android phone"

        Not likely since they purchased the rights to the Nokia brand for mobile devices.

        1. Jordan Davenport

          Re: Tee hee hee hee hee...

          "Not likely since they purchased the rights to the Nokia brand for mobile devices."

          For two or three years only, if I recall correctly. By then though, they'll probably snuff out the Nokia X line.

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Tee hee hee hee hee...

          "Not likely since they purchased the rights to the Nokia brand for mobile devices"

          No they didn't. They purchased rights to the Lumia name, not Nokia.

          1. Richard Plinston

            Re: Tee hee hee hee hee...

            > No they didn't. They purchased rights to the Lumia name, not Nokia.

            No. You are quite wrong, again. Microsoft have purchased a license to the Nokia name but not Lumia.

            """Microsoft will license the Nokia brand for existing products, and will retain Nokia's Asha brand - used for low-cost devices in emerging markets – although the licensing deal doesn't include the Lumia brand."""

            http://www.stuff.tv/microsoft/hello-micro-kia-microsoft-buys-nokias-device-arm/news

            """ ... Microsoft announced that it had obtained a 10-year license to use the Nokia name in smartphones as part of its $7.2 billion purchase,"""

            http://www.mobileburn.com/22785/news/microsoft-set-to-phase-out-nokia-brand-in-favor-of-yet-to-be-chosen-name

  4. Bartholomew

    history is always repeated.

    Hotmail was UNIX only at the back-end before M$ bought it. Then they replaced each UNIX server with 10-20 windows servers to try and handle the load. They had to roll back a few times, the same thing will happen with Nokia's Android phones. Leave things as they are for now, but within 5 years time there will no no such thing as an Nokia Android phone, they will all be Microsoft windows phones sold under the M$ sub-brand name of Nokia for now. But in time that will migrate to Microsoft.

    They want to be Apple, and they think that being in peoples pockets and being a brand that they see many times a day will help move them to this position.

    1. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

      Not convinced

      Elop ended Symbian, restricted Meego to small markets and made Nokia into a Microsoft Partner. The results were so devastating that it looked like Microsoft would not buy Nokia and Elop would not get his $25million bonus (with his specially reduced tax rate). I thought Nokia's Android phones were released to hit Microsoft on the head with until they bought Nokia. If Microsoft wanted to end the X family, Elop would have released another 'Burning Platforms' memo as it worked so fast the last time.

      Microsoft Android remains in existence for a reason. My guess is that Microsoft know the carriers will not tolerate Windows Phone being successful on their networks. The carriers understand that being locked into Microsoft technology leads to becoming a Microsoft Partner (then it's bend over and trouser down while Microsoft empties your pockets).

      Personal computers are now called smartphones, so to stay in the computer business, Microsoft needs a presence on smartphones. That is why we have Office for iPhone and Nokia X (Android without Google Play). Microsoft started Linux distribution when Novell became a Microsoft Partner (where are Novell's trousers now?). All that remains is Linux on Azure.

      Microsoft Linux is here to stay - the OS for those who cannot afford the ever-rising Windows lock-in costs. The most obvious threat to the Nokia X family is a re-release the N9.

      1. Arctic fox
        Trollface

        Mmm.......that's interesting.

        "My guess is that Microsoft know the carriers will not tolerate Windows Phone being successful on their networks. The carriers understand that being locked into Microsoft technology leads to becoming a Microsoft Partner (then it's bend over and trouser down while Microsoft empties your pockets)."

        Given that the US carriers have bent over to take up the back passage from Cupertino ever since the first iPhone was released one would assume that having to reach for the vaseline was something they were entirely used to.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Mmm.......that's interesting.

          The carriers might get screwed by Apple but they probably feel its the best sex they have ever had,

    2. Don Jefe

      Re: history is always repeated.

      Microsoft does not want to be Apple. They would like to have Apple margins I'm sure, but to 'be Apple', no.

      Nobody but Apple actually wants to be Apple. Sure, the money right now is fabulous, but the way Apple operates is the most stressful and precarious way to operate a business in any industry. I know some of the CEO's who run the largest tech companies on Earth and nobody envies anything but the money Apple makes and regardless of what the proles believe, even most debilitatingly greedy business professionals will only go so far to make their money.

      Apple is the paragon of micromanagement gone mad and it's a company only a parent could actually love, and it killed its father (stress being more of a growth accelerant for cancer than smoking and boozing combined). At the staff level there's no flexibility, no creativity (which is hilarious), no individuality and no thinking about anything other than right now.

      At the executive level there's nothing. As close to the Void as you can get in this dimension. The only individuality ever expressed by any Apple executive was Steve Jobs wearing a turtleneck, but that was like a king wearing a crown or carrying a scepter, simply an identifier for the public. He took it off when he wasn't speaking in his official capacity. I never once saw him outside of an official Apple function wearing one. It was top grade marketing, not an eclectic fashion choice.

      Apple has perfectly good products, leadership marketing efforts, great accounting and gloriously effective manufacturing capacity built into their designs and the company is completely lifeless and moving into a glass donut that will only make it worse.

      Nobody wants to be Apple. Besides, they've got no business presence, so it's just too far to go to emulate Apple. Why bother. You can still make more money than you can spend in a lifetime and you actually get to enjoy the yacht you commission before you die just by hammering the business market.

      1. Arctic fox
        Headmaster

        @Don Jefe A very interesting perspective.

        I will admit that the possibility that at least some of the senior managements within the industry might not think that game was worth the candle is a thought that had not occurred to me.

        1. Don Jefe

          @Arctic Fox

          Big time executives are people too (except for the Lizard People) and lots gets made out of a few extreme cases, but overall it's about the same mix of people types you find anywhere else. The absolute loons are somewhat over represented once you pass the $1B point, but again, that entire level of individual wealth is extreme fringe.

          When it's just a bunch of people with similar jobs and levels of wealth the desires, actions, conversations and everything else are no different than you'll find in any expat pub on Earth. The giant table everyone is seated may have cost $400k, but the Heineken from the 7-11 everybody is drinking cost the same, and still tastes like shit :)

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: history is always repeated.

      Good point. Once upon a time Hotmail was the No.1 *free* mail service. MS got hold of it, tried to change it (as you stated, MS servers couldn't do it for ages) and now, basically, it's gone.

      The same was with ICQ. MS bought it, tried to change it to run on their stuff... now it's gone.

      Nokia? *poof* in a few years.

      1. jaywin

        Re: history is always repeated.

        Microsoft bought ICQ?

        Was that before or after AOL bought it?

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: history is always repeated.

        Is that what happenedto ICQ?

        WHo knew?

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: history is always repeated.

        "Once upon a time Hotmail was the No.1 *free* mail service"

        It still is the best - just as Outlook.com now.

        It's now even easier to move over if you are still being spied on by Google with Gmail:

        http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/11/5199720/microsoft-outlook-gmail-import-tool

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: history is always repeated.

      Yes, but it was UNIX - Solaris, IIRC, not Linux. Back them MS server operating systems suffered from the lack of 64 bit versions and lack of Intel 64 bit hardware to run on... things changed a bit since then, didn't they?

      Even Linux then was a little operating system with several limits.... IIRC Hotmail was acquired in 1997, about the same time Linux released kernel 2.0, IIRC 1.0 could handle only one CPU... and probably only an Intel one too.

      It's funny how people repeat themselves stories twenty years old without understanding what's happened meanwhile....

      1. Jamie Jones Silver badge
        Thumb Up

        Re: history is always repeated.

        "Yes, but it was UNIX - Solaris, IIRC, not Linux. "

        I wondered if anyone would mention that.

        From what I gather, Sun Solaris run the backend mailservers and storage, whilst FreeBSD/apache the front end web servers and cgi's

      2. Richard Plinston

        Re: history is always repeated.

        > IIRC 1.0 could handle only one CPU... and probably only an Intel one too.

        Let us compare that to MS-DOS 1.0 and Windows 1.0 then ..

    5. Michael Habel
      Coat

      Re: history is always repeated.

      They want to be Apple, and they think that being in peoples pockets and being a brand that they see many times a day will help move them to this position.

      To bad its not a brand that I want to see outside of my Windows 7 Desktop, much less on my TV after having suffered though two dead 360s. The closest MicroSoft will ever get to my Pocket is the Coat with the USB Thumb Drive executable installer of Windows 7 in it.

    6. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: history is always repeated.

      "Then they replaced each UNIX server with 10-20 windows servers to try and handle the load"

      Actually they required less hardware per active user once the migration was completed (which did take years). But no need to spoil a nice story with facts...

  5. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    Burning platforms

    "We are committed to continuing our support for feature phones, the Asha family, and the Nokia X family of devices, announced at the Mobile World Congress in February," Elop wrote.

    Of course they are committed, last time they weren't Nokia burnt all their Symbian market...

  6. Zola
    Facepalm

    "contact centers and local Nokia Care points."

    I haven't seen a physical Nokia presence in any large UK city for many a year.

    Maybe they're talking about Finland, but I doubt they have a significant presence anywhere else - if you want service on a Nokia product you either mail it in or deal with a third party, that's the reality of Nokias "world class" support. Utterly laughable.

    1. illiad

      Re: "contact centers and local Nokia Care points."

      'Nokia Care points' bit early just yet... it will be like another 'care branding'... LOL

      -- {phone shop name}

      ----- help with your phone - Apple sir?? right this way $ )

      -------- android

      ------------- nokia care {soon with Microsoft!!! :E

      ------------------older phones

    2. JDX Gold badge

      Re: "contact centers and local Nokia Care points."

      Amazon have world-class service and they don't have much physical presence. The two are separate.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "contact centers and local Nokia Care points."

      That seems to have been part of ELOP's legacy at NOKIA.

      Eggs and omelettes

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "contact centers and local Nokia Care points."

      That's competely untrue. Nokia have the same awesome and in person service in the UK they have always had:

      http://www.nokia.com/gb-en/support/care-point/

  7. roger stillick
    Thumb Up

    the money is in the IP...

    IP to sue your enemies with... sure way to profit in the handset business...

    and mostly ignored by Samsung that simply sells better stuff at lower prices...

    Q= what could possibly go wrong ??...RS.

    1. Mage Silver badge

      Re: the money is in the IP...

      But MS only got a licence to use Nokia IP. It's all still Nokia's

      Possibly Nokia still has the toilet roll, Welly boot, Satellite Receiver and TV set IP too.

      Unlike most other Tech companies, Nokia has "re-invented" themselves many times. This time they really had to as the Bureaucracy and internal politics has been strangling making the right decisions for about the last 12 years. The take over of Siemens' Networks via NSN "merger" and Motorola Networks hasn't gone too well (Mobile Base Stations etc). Ericsson and Huewei may yet eat their lunch on that if they don't get sorted.

      Samsung has plenty of IP.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: the money is in the IP...

        "It's all still Nokia's"

        And Nokia is now free to sue the pants off Microsoft competitors that refuse to license Nokia's IP - without fear of retaliatory attacks!

  8. gautam

    Great

    Welcome to the Dark Side, M$.

  9. gary27
    Linux

    Skype Postgres

    Skype used to run completely on Postgres and Linux.

    I haven't heard of any changes, since takeover a few years ago.

    So I suspect still the case - does anyone know otherwise ?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Skype Postgres

      Skype has gotten progressively worse as a product since MS took over. Does that count?

    2. eulampios

      Re: Skype Postgres

      I haven't heard of any changes, since takeover a few years ago.

      Do you think that it is a normal situation to offer a product for 32bit version system only with certain architectures? There is no 64bit version of skype for Linux. I'd bet it's some messy coding to be responsible. Last time I checked linphone (a free analog of skype) is offered for almost every version of most architectures, 32 and 54 bit: GNU Linux, MS Windows, *BSD, Mac OS X, iOS, Android etc.

      1. h4rm0ny

        Re: Skype Postgres

        >>"Do you think that it is a normal situation to offer a product for 32bit version system only with certain architectures? There is no 64bit version of skype for Linux."

        64bit Linux can run a 32-bit program can it not? Are you saying you cannot run it on Linux?

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Skype Postgres

      "Skype used to run completely on Postgres and Linux."

      I expect they moved it to a proper database like SQL Server at least. I'm sure Microsoft wouldnt leave such a key product on such a poorly supported platform.

      1. Richard Plinston

        Re: Skype Postgres

        > I'm sure Microsoft wouldnt leave such a key product on such a poorly supported platform.

        """The new Skype backbone is composed of about 10,000 Linux servers."""

        http://www.geek.com/news/microsoft-updates-skype-to-use-secure-linux-servers-instead-of-p2p-supernodes-1487121/

        http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/skype-what-kind-of-infrastructure-changes-has-microsoft-made/12612

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    To redominate the world, all M$ needs to do..

    .. is offer the OS for free.

    1. Michael Habel

      Re: To redominate the world, all M$ needs to do..

      .. is offer the OS for free.

      Much like their Eye of Sauron Tech enabled Failbox One, I still wouldn't have a fecking use for Windows 8.x even if they had made it free... For the first hit!

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The Grand Plan

    Step 1 - Offer Android phone, set up ecosystem

    Step 2- Go to each company offering Google/Android and offer to waive the IP fees if they drop Google and switch to the MS ecosystem

    Step3 - (when they drive Google out of the market) announce there is no future in Android and they are dropping it , but hey you can start selling Windows Phone.

    MS is happy - back to the MS's "Good Old Days (aka MS GOD) when they owned everything.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: So what you're saying is....

      Embrace, extend, EXTERMINATE!!! EXTERMINATE!!! EXTERMINATE!!!!!!

      1. kain preacher

        Re: So what you're saying is....

        Wait are you saying MS are the daleks ?Cues up the Dr. who music

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: So what you're saying is....

        indeed, a toilet plunger gesticulating wildly comes to mind.

    2. Mage Silver badge
      Black Helicopters

      Re: The Grand Plan

      Google sells advertising space.

      MS Sells HW, SW and Services.

      They are not actually in the same market, though it might superficially appear so. Amazon is more likely to be the real direct competitor to Apple and MS in the long term as unlike Google they want to sell physical stuff and Services. Google's Services are all purely a means to the end of making money from selling advertising.

      Google would happily scrap Android and endorse WinPhone if it gave them 80% mobile market and MS let them have the info for their Advertising business. Google is loyal only to Google making money.

      I don't see WinPh displacing even iOS never mind Android any time soon.

    3. Bladeforce

      Re: The Grand Plan

      This made me chuckle...

      (When they drive Google out of the market)

      Going to be the other way my friend, once M$ cashcows are being bitten into you will see Redmond continually slide into the plodding copycat that they always have been

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: The Grand Plan

      "Step3 - (when they drive Google out of the market) announce there is no future in Android and they are dropping it , but hey you can start selling Windows Phone."

      If they can do that and replace the Android OS with the more efficent and secure Windows kernel but still keep the application comptibility layer working then they are onto a winner imo.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    May be a strategy with Android for MS ... Android is at is root open source however the version most people use is the version with the Goole services (google apps/play store etc) which, from recent revalations from someleaked contracts details comes with very severe restrictions from Google - if you sign up to use their services they require you to have them all, make them all default and even specify which are on home screen or one click away. Item on a guardian podcast on this comment that not many people would be able to provide an alternative as they'd have to duplicate all the services.

    Now, MS probably are one of the companies who could put together a competing set of apps to match the google services. So, if they develop the Android line to have the range of services currently provided by Google then

    1) they can direct everyone to MS based cloud services and tie people into an MS eco-system

    2) they can serve ads from an MS based ad-server

    3) they've already got a windows store that could be extended to sell apps for their variation on android

    4) MS/Nokia android variant apps can be designed with a Windows TIKFAM style so that moving to a windows based phone doesn't feel like an OS swicth

    .... and then they can spread wider by signing up other phone manufacturers to use their andoird variant + services as an alternative to them having to bow to Google's demands - may well be a case of "out of frying pan and into fire" but I'm sure MS will be perpared to offer a good deal to buy themselves (back) into this market.

  13. Don Jefe

    Crossing the Streams

    You'd be a fool not to sell Android devices if you could do so without scuttling your own products, and that's exactly the situation here. No different than when Chrysler owned Lamborghini (which is quite the fitting analogy. Android might not be Lamborghini, but MS is certainly Chrysler). The target market gap between WinPhone, Android and iOS is huge, you're just not going to get much core bleed over between any of those offerings.

    It's too bad Nokia had to be smothered, slowly, for Microsoft's benefit. But it's dead now, time to move on and that's exactly what's happening. They've resurrected Nokia, it'll be different sure. Resurrections never go perfectly well you know. Jesus couldn't even nail (Ha!) that one 100%.

    But the common consumer will quickly forget all that. They'll remember Nokia and see it has Android and everybody will be happy as pigs in shit. Even before Elop holed the good ship Nokia it would have been cheaper for MS to buy them than to build a new globe spanning company.

    1. Stuart Ball

      Re: Crossing the Streams

      Given that MS have decided to offer the WinPho 8 for free for smaller devices, and Nadella has said Cloud First, Mobile First, he didn't say "Windows first", and they are a devices and services company now, so they say.

      The OS is a means to that end, rather than the ending. Expect to see Office 365 on Android soon, and better integration to their cloud offerings, both public through 365, and private clouds and internally managed Sharepoint.

      We may be seeing a realisation that Windows is in a managed decline, and in order to protect core revenues of Office, and enterprise apps, cross-platform integration is essential. Microsoft won't care how you connect to their services, just that you do. Much like Googles approach.

      WinPho, and Windows desktop are there to offer the tightest supported integration model to their services.

    2. JDX Gold badge

      Re: Android might not be Lamborghini, but MS is certainly Chrysler

      You have that backwards. NS/Nokia use Android only on low-end phones while things like the 1020 are their attempt at a supercar.

  14. Jess

    Nokia won't be changing its strategy

    That could refer to the ongoing strategy of dropping operating systems and replacing them with ones incompatible with both hardware and software. Which is why I will never spend more than a throw-away amount of money on a Nokia phone ever again.

    (How many is it so far, 4 operating systems killed?)

  15. Vic

    Elop is wrong - Microsoft won't sell Android phones

    Android runs a Linux kernel, distributed under the GPLv2.

    Section 7 of that licence says, amongst other things, :-

    if a patent license would not permit royalty-free redistribution of the Program by all those who receive copies directly or indirectly through you, then the only way you could satisfy both it and this License would be to refrain entirely from distribution of the Program.

    IOW, to distribute the kernel legally, Microsoft would have to grant a licence to those 200+ patents they claim Linux infringes, which kills their FUD campaign stone dead.

    So I'm pretty sure Micrososft will kill this line rather than lose their rights to rattle a sabre...

    Vic.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Elop is wrong - Microsoft won't sell Android phones

      You should read the license carefully, especially about loadable kernel modules. There's a lot of proprietary non GPL software needed to run Linux (think about nVidia drivers...) and not everything needs to be under GPL. Sure, Torvalds may try to bring some company to court to try to enforce it, but losing support from nVidia and others I guess it's the last thing he wants...

      1. Vic

        Re: Elop is wrong - Microsoft won't sell Android phones

        You should read the license carefully

        One of us should...

        There's a lot of proprietary non GPL software needed to run Linux (think about nVidia drivers...) and not everything needs to be under GPL

        Indeed so. But that only has any relevance whatsoever if the code that allegedly infringes Microsoft's patents is in one of those modules that is not covered by GPL.

        And if that is so, that's proof positive that Linux does not infringe any of those patents, which puts an end to the FUD.

        Vic.

  16. IGnatius T Foobar
    FAIL

    Microsoft FAIL

    The only satisfactory outcome is for Microsoft to go out of business.

    1. dogged

      Re: Microsoft FAIL

      Thanks for your balanced and careful analysis.

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Looks like carrier support is diminshing

    "In a separate blog post, Nokia's Tiina Jaatinen said current customers can also expect the same level of support for their pre-acquisition Nokia devices as before."

    That, however is true only to end users. Seeping information from organizational change in Nokia predicts, that Microsoft is going to play cellphone carrier game totally different way to Nokia. It just have not got that boaa game and never will. This will be expensive journey to Microsoft.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Looks like carrier support is diminshing

      The "carriers" are very big and quite powerful concerns. They pretty much despise MS and all they stand for, and ELOP=MS in their eyes while he was at NOKIA.

      I have a sneaking suspicion that any goodwill that is left between NOKIA and the "carriers" resides at NOKIA headquarters, rather than in Redmond.

      I am also expecting a long, slow, painfull bleed of the former NOKIA devices until its ultimate death. I expect this first wound will be selling a large chunk to Lenovo or some other division of China Inc.

  18. Will Godfrey Silver badge
    Unhappy

    Don't take your eyes off this for an instant.

    I smell an exceedingly large and odoriferous rodent.

  19. saif

    Of course, Android could run on a windows kernel

    just like Gnome, KDE etc can run on Windows. It appears to be a way of getting the established android app ecosystem with a trajectory to have a windows internals in the future. Stage one of the good old Embrace, Enhance, Extinguish ideology

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Of course, Android could run on a windows kernel

      http://www.zdnet.com/blog/virtualization/i-hate-unity-i-hate-gnome-i-hate-windows-8-the-ultimate-desktop-search-continues/4089

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Of course, Android could run on a windows kernel

        At least then it might be more secure without requiring bolt ons like Knox and hopefully less laggy / poorly performing.

  20. Anonymous Coward
  21. PaulR79

    Microsoft going to sue themselves?

    I assume Microsoft are going to sue themselves for violating patents used by Linux until a settlement can be arranged. If not then surely they can be taken to rights for anti-competitive behaviour by suing only competing Linux-based phone manufacturers.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Microsoft going to sue themselves?

      Don't be daft. Owning a patent grants you the legal right to pursue violations. I suspect that you are not obliged to do that. It is probably not like trademarking (at least in the UK) where failure to quash violations is eventually tantamount to losing the trademark.

      Besides: MS can simply license those patents to Nokiadroid for nothing.

      Feel free to dismount at any time. It's business - nothing more.

      Cheers

      Jon

  22. AdamK

    Try Reading The Statement

    All they said is that they would offer support for X and Asha handsets. He did not say they would be selling new ones beyond what was currently on offer. They have millions of feature phones in the channel and a whole ecosytem of used phones. If they want to migrates them over to winphone then they have to taper off support over say 3 - 5 years. This is no big deal because outside of Afghanistan, Southern Ukraine and other places where consumer protection is not a priority at the moment, they are legally obliged to do it. With phones of course its meaningless they rarely last that long (apart from the nokia 3300 in my glovebox perhaps?)

  23. Magnus_Pym

    The way I see it ...

    ... Nokia executive could see that they had damaged the good ship Nokia and was it sinking fast. They could do one of two things. Make a last ditch, heroic, do or die attempt, applying all their business acumen, working all hours and risking everything they had to fix the mess they made and return Nokia to greatness OR sell out what little they had left for whatever they could get for it. Maybe they couldn't sell it outright but they could find someone gullible enough and desperate enough to tie themselves into a partnership that once made they can only go further in without admitting they made a mistake.

    It might be arguable that the Nokia board took the second option. If that is the case they did get a bloody good deal for what they sold.

  24. John Styles
    Coat

    Oh...

    ... I've had a brimful of Asha

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