Why doesn't Microsoft just fork Android like Amazon did, give it a Metro interface (it could look exactly the same as WP does today)? I can't think of any reason for them not to do this now...
Because Microsoft thinks the Windows internals have value both to developers and, more importantly, to Microsoft's own engineers who are better at doing engineering on Windows. They can deliver features that stand out.
IF they just stuck metro on android, they'd just be a UI skin.
That would be great if Android would be a far better OS than WP8 which comparing the performance/hardware requirement ratio on both OSs doesn't seem to be the case.
Except that Windows Phone is currently doing very well in some regions. For instance, in the largest European economies they currently have 10% of the smartphone sales. And quarter over quarter growth is good. It's only a small chunk of the pie, but numbers that start to matter. For reference, the share of the iPhone in these economies is currently around 16%.
That's irrelevant. Microsoft can survive on incremental gains but their hardware partners cannot; that's why they're abandoning the platform. HTC's Windows Phone have been disasters, that's the reason they are pushing this dual-boot strategy. Otherwise they'll lose all hardware partners and only have the remnants of Nokia to run themselves (far from a sure thing).
How is rapid growth and significant marketshare 'irrelevant'?
Even if other vendors put Windows Phone on the back burner, Nokia phones are the most popular by far (according to most surveys 80% of the Windows Phones sold are Nokia phones). If they continue Nokia's tradition of good hardware at low prices, that can drive sales, while the ecosystem grows.
Also, it's not as if HTC is making big profits with Android. They'll probably want to spread their bets.
"they are doing so well they are going for the dual boot scheme"
Apple Mac were doing well when they decided to dual boot with Windows. It is just a fact that Android is dominating so giving an option to boot to the dominating OS would let them to increase the installed base.
>"how does MS kool aid taste ?"
I am not the OC but why you have to be that rude?
>"Windows Phones are a disaster, that cost Ballmer his job."
I use the three OSs and WP8 is by far my favourite, it is very hard for me to see that as a disaster.
Because Android isn't necessarily a great OS to fork from. In my experience, the cheap, low powered Windows Phone devices work much, much better than the cheap Android ones.
