I think we share your sentiments, zuben, at least I do.
It's not the Nokia phones - it's what happened to them when Elop came in as a quisling, gutting the staff, throwing out the R&D and paving the way for the Microsoft takeover.
And it's about being cautious where Microsoft is concerned and not in any fanboy sense.
Microsoft made some Linux acquisition(s) and got busy with patents - and promptly applied them to Android makers, back when Android was small and the old Windows phone was bigger.
And that's not a complaint, it's just the nature of business.
For years after the Windows phone decline, Microsoft was making more per year off of the Android licenses than their own mobile products.
So going after Nokia was smart but done bargain basement rather than upping the competition. The Nokia R&D team had just about completed a new smartphone version of a rewrite of their old operating system - by early accounts, it could have developed quickly into a game changer.
And they scrapped it to drive the price of the company down.
Innovation and competitive advantage for us - poof - gone.
Replaced in the new lineup with Windows phone, that no one wanted and still doesn't (poetic license taken on "no one" OK, it's a small player).
So, what's Microsoft's interest?
Just invest, because technology sector, and nice for the portfolio if the CM Inc goes somewhere?
Possible under new management but that's not historically characteristic.
Usually they do this to buy a look into the private matters of the firm at hand, and usually with an eye on a merger or acquisition.
Let's logically assume (with lots of what if's swept under the rug) that they acquire CM Inc.
What are the possible outcomes?
OK, a whole new game with CM know how and Microsoft market and financial muscle. Open or closed (closed knowing Microsoft) they could marry it to Nokia hardware and we'd all be happy shoppers with a new choice.
Cool!
Or - they could exploit our broken patent system, get patents after the fact, go for shutdown of free CM roms and find a way to up the Android licensing fees.
They did it already with Linux and Android and are now quite expert and experienced on that.
And then never put out a CM phone, just use the technology to hamper competition. They've done that before too. Microsoft is not afraid of playing hardball.
Result - less choice to us, higher prices for what we already have.
Not cool for us.
Or - they do a combination, driving Android prices up and then price their offering appropriately higher.
We get competitive innovation on their side, less on the Android side, but the entire market gets an artificial price inflation.
Very not cool for us.
There's the problem - what will they do with an opportunity for control?
The early Windows phone was danged good, downright excellent in some respects.
But when faced with competition the last time, they did everything wrong.
What will they do with this?
