Windows Phone: Just as well Microsoft bought an Android maker, RIGHT?

Why

Why would anyone want a crippled android with a not-metro skin and no apps?

Because it's cheap? That's not going to give them their dream of a big pile of cash like Apple.

Even if it's a decent phone I expect it will get neglected, then dumped like the Zune.

This time Microsoft did not use their tried and tested strategy

1) A crap product bundled with every laptop and PC.

2) Wait for the competition to die.

3) Argue in court for a decade.

4) Pay a small fraction of the fine for illegally using a monopoly with one product to get a monopoly with another.

Anyone would think they do not have a monopoly any more.

World wide market share figures (here) look much worse Windows Phone than the selection presented in the article.

Usual pinch of salt

IDC are still keeping their monthly market share figures (based on shipments) behind a a paywall but they have been consistently below Kantar's finger in the wind numbers. I posted the figures for Germany from February which had Windows Phone below 5 %. Based on anecdotal evidence when I'm out and about I'd go for 2 - 3 % as I can still keep a count in my head of the people with Lumias.

I tried to help Nokia/Microsoft out last week. My daughter switched from Android to Windows Phone 8, going from a (well behaved and loyal) HTC Desire S to a Nokia Lumia 620.

After a day of faffing setting the thing up (like not really understanding how the whole Parental Control thing worked - because the MS account I thought I'd tied to the phone thought I was 12 and not 42 for historical reasons - I was confused as to why I needed to ask my parent to give me permission to give my daughter permission to download Windows Apps... However, I digress...) my daughter got five days use out of the 620 before it bricked itself. (What it actually did was freeze completely, not even responding to the physical on/off button, after 20 minutes of cursing at frozen phone I gave up and removed the battery. On replacing the battery, nothing happened. Plugging it into the charger, give me a red bar battery indicator and nothing else. A day of charging and still nothing. Nokia (via Twitter) suggested their Software Recovery Tool, but the SRT and indeed Windows 7 or 8 refused to acknowledge the phone was plugged in via USB other than to tell me that the device had been disconnected (without it seemingly "connecting" to start with).

So, the phone's going back to Amazon who offered a no quibble refund. Unfortunately my daughter still wants a WP8 phone and although I'm hoping the set up will be easier I'm loathe to try another Nokia...

(Any suggestions for an unlocked Sim-Free, sub-£200 WP8 based on personal experience, gratefully accepted!)

Microsoft

MS Aren't stupid. Neither are Apple, Google, Samsung, or anyone else in this field.

I recall a time when people said "Why have they launched the Xbox??? - Ridiculous!! Preposterous!!! - They know nothing about the Games Console Market and will fail!!!! - How can they hope to challenge Sony???" Which is weird because they'd been saying exactly the same about Sony a few years earlier,except that it was Nintendo and Sega that Sony couldn't challenge... "They make Ghetto Blasters, not Video Games Consoles... And they're on CD!!! - Everyone knows video games consoles use Cartridges!!! - Ridiculous!!!"

Windows Phone has a naff image because early versions were not so good. Now it's mature it's actually a pretty good O/S. What MS need to give it is a reason for the masses to adopt it (which shouldn't be impossible when then effectively own the desktop...). Okay, Geeks have already made their minds up. but since they represent 1 percent of the population, who cares?

I Seriously wouldn't bet against Microsoft eventually sorting it out and becoming a major player.