“But last week, less than two months after the Kins arrived in stores, Microsoft said it would kill the products,” Vance reports. “The Kins’ flop adds to a long list of products — from watches to music players — that have plagued Microsoft’s consumer division, while its business group has suffered as well through less-than-successful offerings like Windows Vista and Windows for tablet computers.”
Vance reports, “In particular, the Kin debacle is a reflection of Microsoft’s struggle to deliver what the younger generation of technology-obsessed consumers wants. From hand-held products to business software, Microsoft seems behind the times… The list of Microsoft’s consumer product slip-ups grows each year. Its line of intelligent watches — come and gone — often ends up as the butt of jokes, as do its tablet PC software products, the poor-selling Windows Vista operating system and the ignored Zune music player. The company also canceled its Courier tablet PC project shortly after the Apple iPad tablet went into stores.
Full article here.
Well, like Ford, maybe they’ll come back in a few decades. Until then…
All MS had to do was ask a teen if they would buy a phone like that if he could get an iPhone for $100 more…MS are just a bunch of greedy morons.
All these writers using the same phrase: “young and hip.” I’ve been using Apple products for so long that I’m now old and in need of a young hip!
It must be tough toppling off.
Clearly they’re the Raytheon of the modern age, but you gotta feel for them a little. Part their prime, no clue how to get it back.
Lot of lowered heads passing in the halls. Up in Redmond.
This article is written in a tone that assumes Microsoft EVER had a worthwhile product. That’s being awful generous. Windows has ALWAYS been a PIG. In the middle (dark) ages of computing ignorant people flocked to it because…IT WAS CHEAP. Now the industry and many followers have woken up and realize the LAST thing they want is Microsoft (anything) inside.
It’s no longer Apple vs. Microsoft, it’s now Apple vs. Google. Although in my opinion, Google’s products will NEVER reach the high quality of Apple’s products.
Why is Microsoft still selling (or at least offering) the Zune?
MS is just pretending to “create” desirable products. It’s like they are sleepwalking! This company is the epitome of the rampant corporate welfare in the US. They gouged customers for years and now provide fake employment!
Sounds as though M$ should fire everyone except their OS, Word and Exchange groups. Please keep Ballmer!
@ The_Steve:
What else are they going to fill up their crappy, carbon-copied stores with, other than their crappy, carbon-copied music players?
That headline is a horrible insult to the Edsel, the Ford Motor Company, the Ford family, the memory of Edsel Ford, and probably a few other things Ford-related that I’m forgetting.
The problem with Microsoft is that they have no patience and no stamina to continue develop promising products, and to improve them. The Smart Watch, the Pocket PC platform, the Tablet PC, the Microsoft Reader, etc, etc, etc, all *could* have been further developed into solid, long-lasting consumer platforms. But it’s Microsoft’s corporate culture to quickly lose interest after such a release, and to leave their products buggy and in a half-developed state. The Zune is the only exception, but it came so late after the iPod that it was a joke out of the starting gate.
And who comes up with the names of these things, anyway? How inanely clueless can a company be?
Rob Enderle is saying that the death of Kin has now got Microsoft so focussed that it will destroy Apple.
http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-killing-the-kin-could-destroy-apple/
Is that guy batshit insane or what?
Microsoft’s strategy is to strategize… but they are forgetting why by the time the product reaches the marketplace.
Well, perhaps Microsoft meant to launch Kin 2 years ago, that might have helped, and it seems that the data plan requirement killed it. Should have been a $50 everything plan.
Kin was destined to fail, by design. How could Microsoft have an internal Window CE -based mobile phone that was seeing a successful launch competing against the Windows Phone 7 partner phones when that separate platform was supposed to launch a few months later? That would be unacceptable…
If Microsoft actually had any real “focus” and leadership discipline, they would have admitted that acquiring Danger (who made the somewhat successful Sidekick phones) and the subsequent “Project Pink” effort were costly mistakes, a waste of time, effort, and money. It should have been cancelled two years ago. Or, Microsoft should have let the Danger team continue independently with their established Sidekick platform and release new phones two years ago, instead of trying to redo everything based on Windows CE. Two years ago, it may have made a difference and there would not have been an overlap with Windows Phone 7 (at least not immediately).
Ultimately, due to internal corporate politics, they had to release something for their investment, so Kin was targeted at “young people.” It was an inevitable conclusion (product launch followed by quick cancellation). Kin had to launch before Windows Phone 7 and be out of the way and forgotten.
Ford.
F. O. R. D.
Fix Often, Repair Daily.
but wait, there’re more; http://www.all-acronyms.com/FORD)
Kinda like everything from Microsoft.
“Microsoft seems behind the times…”
Priceless… the New York Slimes must be hiring from Google lately.
microsh*t needs to focus on its core business. This splatter gun approach is clearly not working. They play catch up way too much only to find by the time they are getting closer to the original goal, the goal posts are now accelerating away even faster. Talk about behind the curve in some respects. I don’t think they are quite getting the paradigm shift that is underway: ubicomp is getting closer and rather reliving past delusions of trying to control everything, they should be working out ways to really capitalize on it. I wonder how many microsh*t apps run on the iphone…easy question: none! Idiots. Instead of trying to control the platform, they need to work on the more important thing: applications that people want. The OS is becoming increasingly lost in the background. Highly functional, robust, cheap apps are at the forefront of the cloud. Office is still a vast cash cow and windows on the desktop will be around for many years yet, but microsh*t are losing ground in the real future game: ubicomp. They seem to think it’s still 1995.
FORD= found on rubbish dumps
The company also canceled its Courier tablet PC project shortly after … it was exposed as a fraud.
There, I fixed it for you.
Advertising a 3D rendering of some gimmik without any hope of being able to produce it in the next 5 years, is NOT a project, but a fraud.
Bill named his phones after his kids. And Steve too……
Everybody knows Fords suck and Chevys rule.
@brulek
This is no catching up for Microslut. Ever.
Microsoft’s problem is that the company is run by morons. Simple.
Basic rule of business and marketing, ask the target audience what they want and make and promote a product that addresses that need that is different from the competition.
Point of difference!
Do the above right and a company’s product WILL SELL.
The issue that really made me think that Microsoft had begun to lose it was when they came out with the Zune. The image that really brought this to the fore were the colours…it was the brown one. I mean hello, who brings a hip n’ cool music player that’s brown???
Then someone threw it in the toilet, took a picture and posted it online. Everyone laughed and Microsoft cringed. Not exactly the type of viral advertising that the company wanted or needed.
Wow that’s a great news by microsoft, and i wanna congratulate to his all team and all staff,
http://choyungteatrial.org/where-to-buy-cho-yung-tea-in-uk
Wonder if Ballmer still likes his plan.
M$ should sell everything, quit and give the money back to its shares olders!
@R Eunson
Have you read the article’s conclusion?
I would like MS to bring back the trackball explorer, I’d buy a few of them, only decent thing they every made in my opinion.
I’ll be 70 in October and I’m looking for a Kin, not to use, but to put in a shadow box on my bedroom wall so that the first rays of the rising sun in the morning highlight the Kin and cause me to laugh my ass off, would really starts my day off right.
Enderle at his insane best.
Total delusion, absent from reality.
Up is now down, and down is up.
Time for the padded room and a nice drive to the eclectic funny farm.
“Right-O!”
Just read Rob Enderlie’s thoughts on what if killing Kin makes Microsoft just as focused as killing Google One made Google focused. Basically, two focused Apple rivals would force Steve Jobs to quit to save face and Apple would die a slow death.
I replied that, equally possible, terrorists could nuke both Microsoft and Google campuses and everyone on earth could switch to Apple products.
Ford, alone among US carmakers, did not take one dime of taxpayer money. BTW- check the JD Power stats on Ford- higher than Honda or Toyota in initial quality and downstream reliability surveys. They are gilding some of the best stuff out there and the pipeline is full.
You want to drive a Crapolet or a – go right ahead. Brought to you by Government Motors…
Flop One and Flop Two
“batshit insane”
Just shot milk out my nose. Thanks!
I still do not see why MS feels the need to chase every emerging market. When was the last time they ever CREATED anything original?
@Ankh oh great, now this thread will descend into an endless “Ford vs Chevy” argument when it should be an endless “Mac vs PC” argument : )
Just keep doing what your doing now MS. We have no problems that you keep wasting billions and billions trying to be innovative like Apple. Good job Microsoft! You guys rock!
Don’t dis the ’49 Ford, though…
Anyone at all familiar with Microsoft’s history knows exactly why Microsoft cannot make things consumers want.
Simply put, because Microsoft has never had to sell to consumers. With the exception of the Xbox ( as long as success is not measured by making money) Microsoft’s enormous cash flow comes form Windows and Office, products that the overwhelming majority of sales are made by the stroke of a bean counters pen. Microsoft’s monopoly control was wielded so effectively and so completely in that arena that the upgrade cycle is a given. Anyone under the illusion that they “choose” Windows or Office in business is simply deluded.
This is no more painfully evident than the last 5 years of Apple’s continued ascendancy. Even markets where Microsoft actually had a foothold (business “smartphones” and “PlayforSure” media players), once the competition got their shit together, Microsoft was unceremoniously removed from contention.
We don’t even have to revisit the iPod. While we celebrate the demolition of Microsoft by Apple in the consumer arenas that Apple entered, why are people so unwilling to admit that years before Apple came out with a phone, RIM’s Blackberry carved an empire right under Bill Gates nose? In business! Where Microsoft ruled with an iron fist! No one can diminish Apple’s accomplishments, but the fact is that when consumers are given a choice, Microsoft’s weakness is exposed for the world to see.
Which brings me another point. What is with all this talk of “lockin” from Apple bashers of all shapes ans sizes? In an age where Microsoft was your ONLY choice on store bought PCs for nearly 20 years, the fact that Apple charges for their software is now an evil malicious plot? But it’s not a plot when *literally* every single technology vendor on the planet does this?
MDN, perhaps remove spam comment from jassialita?
@his shadow & ken1w
excellent, thoughtful comments.
I agree, Microsoft should have allowed the Danger egineers to proceed with their OS and UI for the Kin, instead of sustituting WinCE frameworks.
Perhaps they were afraid of the threat Danger posed to their upcoming Win7 platform.
You know who’s giving Microsoft an earfull of, I told you so?
Microsoft Eats Its Kin!
Do you suppose everything at microsoft is designed by committe?
@His Shadow
Anyone with an ounce of brain matter also knows how MS was able to lock in that business PC from IBM.
Actually, Ford is looking pretty good these days, so don’t compare them to MS. If they’d only give us their European designed cars, which they may start doing over the next few years, they’ll be back strong.
Oh, yeah… the topic: Microsoft is a big, bloated mess, lying on it’s back and it can’t turn itself over. It’ll take awhile to die, but it’s not relevant to anything the modern consumer really wants. It won’t take long before the next generation of consumers will be saying, “Huh? Microsoft… who? What’s that?”
Would not it be better to compare MS to the Gulf of Mexico Oil Fiasco that is polluting the world? MS is the BP of the computing industry. It “products” are the hydrocarbons that destroy businesses with EULAs, and tech support fees. It is the cause of computer rage.
Apple products are the volunteers that clean up the fouled beaches, etc.
“The Edsel of the 21st century”
Hey hold it! Edsels still at least have a resale value in our day and age. Microsoft WON’T. Lame analogy.
But I’m having trouble coming up with something better.
The Elvis of the 21st Century? Appealed to many, appalled many. Ended up fat, addicted and dead. Nah. Microsoft will be joyfully forgotten after their funeral.