Microsoft, the bully that cried
Microsoft is plagued by Google’s Android dominance in the mobile internet market so much so, that they’re leading a coalition of 17 companies called FairSearch who have launched a complaint to the European Competition Commission. Microsoft have also launched their third advert that tells users that Google is sharing some personal info when buying applications and that they scan your Gmail to punt adverts into your inbox.
No one could argue Google isn’t dominant. The IDC claim Android shipped on 500 million handsets last year giving it 69% of the market. They partner Samsung, HTC and Sony and with the news that HP are divorcing Microsoft’s platform to jump in with Google, you can’t imagine this tide turning any time soon.
Microsoft are left with their tie-up with Nokia which is a strong foothold but it’s a case of two former champions trying to join forces and catch the leaders again.
More so, isn’t it hilarious to hear Microsoft crying about a stronger kid in the playground? Mr Gates won the browser war by pre-packing Internet Explorer with Windows95 and making it the default browser, crushing Netscape who had a 90% market share at the time (yep, 90% and they were still decimated). Now they’re arguing that because Android is free when manufactures agree to install other Google services like maps and YouTube, that it’s an unfair ‘Trojan horse’ advantage.
Microsoft’s mobile OS costs $30 per unit for a nice, but not spectacularly superior experience (though SkyDrive and other syncing is good). So its differentiation, if any, isn’t great which begs the question of why you’d pay for it. It’s not a case of Trojan anything, this is a simple cost advantage that Google can afford to gift the likes of Samsung and it’ll suck up market share because of it – straight from the Microsoft playbook.
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