[dangero]

Right. It's totally too little too late. Getting a billion dollars from Microsoft and using their ecosystem may be their best option at this point to get in the game again. Otherwise, they have too much ground to catch up in too little time.

[Bud]

Why do you think that MS will help? Microsoft has no established "ecosystem"; not in the mobile phone world, at least. How does allying yourself with the aspirational #3 player in a two-player market help you catch up?

[kenjackson]

You look at their roadmap and look at yours.

While Android is doing well there are a LOT more Android phones and competitors. I suspect they went to Google and said, "we need to be the premiere OEM" and Google said, "screw you."

Then they looked at tech roadmap and maybe thought by end of year WP7 looks as good, if not better, than Android. They won't have a phone ready by then anyways, so the fact that WP7 is behind Android now isn't as big of a deal.

And if MS said, you're our premiere partner and we'll even give you a payout on phones sold... then it's a no-brainer.

Based on what MS showed today at MWC, this race tightens up, not spreads out.

[nextparadigms]

Google has worked tightly with all major Android phone manufacturers to release at least one important product. They've also helped other manufacturers do the same, like some in India. I'm sure they would've helped Nokia to get off the ground as well and get their sh*t together. It's in Google's best interest that every manufacturer impresses with their Android phones, don't you think?

The guy above is right. If Android is the next Windows 95, which brings all manufacturers under it (I believe it is), then no matter whether Nokia likes it or not, choosing another OS would kill it, once it fails.

By the time Nokia helps WP7 capture 10% of the smartphone market, let's say by end of 2012, Android will reach 50-60%. There's no way WP7 can fight that back once Android reaches there.

[lallysingh]

MS is #4. iOS, Android, and RIM.

[jawee]

Plus they´re also competing with WebOS once HP gets them back in the market, which is arguably a superior product on a technical front.

[lallysingh]

Ouch, you're completely right. Nokia is jumping in with the #5 OS.

[jarek]

What are the arguments for webOS being superior on a technical front?

[rbanffy]

The inevitable conclusion is that Microsoft is not playing to win. It's playing to create confusion in the mobile market so that its disruption of the PC market - and of its most profitable product lines - takes longer to happen.

[dangero]

When I said "ecosystem" I meant a modern mobile platform with all the pieces needed to compete in the current market. Yes, they don't have mobile users right now, but they will be able to graft users from other markets that they own. The phone world can't be completely separated from other platforms.