[qbasic_forever]

Microsoft completely lost mobile. Like not just a few goofy phones like Kin, they just straight up have no relevance or marketshare or anything in what is clearly the future platform for all computing.

A lot of this damage was done under Balmer, but IMHO Nadella has a lot of blame too. Microsoft has gone from domination of computing platforms and making money on every single device sale to competing for scraps in someone else's app store (making that someone else money!) as they sell office apps and such ported to platforms they don't control anymore.

I think there isn't more outrage or unrest about this failure from Microsoft shareholders since Azure and other service growth has kept dollars flowing in and the share price up. But Microsoft is nowhere near their 90s peak of total control over consumer computing.

[voisin]

> Microsoft completely lost mobile. Like not just a few goofy phones like Kin, they just straight up have no relevance or marketshare or anything in what is clearly the future platform for all computing.

Lost on mobile hardware and OS but their software (office, outlook, OneDrive) is extremely popular on mobile, no?

[DanielHB]

other companies care about owning the platforms, if they own the platforms they get to squeeze everyone who uses them. Much like everyone wants to be a payment provider because taking a cut on every payment is very, very lucrative

Microsoft gave up on trying to create new platforms, the main reasons in my opinion are:

1) Regulations are going to come down hard on platforms

2) User-happiness and developer happiness is reduced if you squeeze, eventually bringing down the platform

3) Dependence, if your platform starts to fail you can't pivot because your business is just completely reliant on owning the platform. You can see how google owning AdSense is screwing them over now

4) Dutch disease https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_disease

Microsoft seems to have figured out that owning a platform is not a long-term recipe for success. If anything it is like being an oil-rich country, eventually the only thing you can do is exporting oil. Probably because they went through it with Windows and Office

So the definition of success depends on what you think success is, Microsoft just changed what success means for big tech companies, providing an alternative route. We will see if they can stick with it or if they will try to build platform-moats again (it is very tempting to do so when you find one)

[qbasic_forever]

The more popular those apps the more money Microsoft is paying Apple and Google to sell the apps in their stores. Nothing is stopping Apple or Google from shaking MS down for more dollars by bumping up app store profit sharing splits. I have to imagine being forced to play by someone else's rules and live in their ecosystem would have completely enraged 90's era Microsoft led by Bill Gates--he would have moved heaven and earth to own the platform and all the dollars consumers spend.

[DanielHB]

> Nothing is stopping Apple or Google from shaking MS down for more dollars by bumping up app store profit sharing splits

The government is stopping this kind of thing, anti trust, monopolies and all that. It is only getting worse for these platform owners

[qbasic_forever]

Lol no, the government doesn't care or set any restrictions on the profit split Apple/Google sets for people selling products in their store. Monolopy and anti-trust concerns buying companies and marketshare, not being a better product and consumers willingly switching to your product. It would actually be the death of capitalism for the government to go to Apple/Google and say, "woah woah woah hold on, this is _too popular_ we need to put the brakes on your profits". That kind of stuff only happened in centrally planned economies like the USSR.

[DanielHB]

maybe look up the railroad and oil monopolies history in the US

[Delphiza]

How much does Microsoft pay Apple for Outlook on iOS? This is a half serious question because I dont' pay for it out of the app store, so Apple is not getting a share there. Does Microsoft pay anything other than a developer license?

Parent comment is still valid. Microsoft dominates enterprise office tools across all platforms, including mobile.

[qbasic_forever]

30% cut of people that subscribe to office 365 through the app (which Apple requires be an option, MS can't force you to go to their site to subscribe or Apple kicks them off the store, see the epic vs apple lawsuit: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_Games_v._Apple )

[voisin]

Is it possible to subscribe to office 365 directly from mobile? Legit question, I’ve never tried.

[qbasic_forever]

I dunno I'm not an iOS user. The app store preview says it has in app purchases so it shouldn't be hard for you to figure it out: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-365-office/id5411640...

"Subscription & Privacy Disclaimer

Unlock the full Microsoft 365 experience with a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription for your phone, tablet, PC and Mac.

Monthly Microsoft 365 subscriptions purchased from the app will be charged to your App Store account and will automatically renew within 24 hours prior to the end of the current subscription period unless auto-renewal is disabled beforehand. You can manage your subscriptions in your App Store account settings."

[jamil7]

Subscriptions are 15% after the first year.

[prepend]

Microsoft wants $100/year for Office for every mobile user.

So they’ll likely make more money off mobile than Google will.

Although they don’t build any phones or mobile OSes, they are making a ton of money off mobile (without paying the App Store percentages to Apple or Google).

[thefz]

> what is clearly the future platform for all computing

Dude. There are gonna still be servers, network infra, etc.

[goolz]

They also have control of a swath of the gaming sector and that is one of the biggest and fastest growing industries in the world. You are totally right I just think that should be considered.