Comments on: Microsoft buys Danger (creator of teen fave Sidekick); Why?

By: Jan Michael Hess

Jan Michael Hess — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 13:19:03 +0000

I actually wrote an article about Danger in May 2003 in which I said that the strength of Danger is the end-to-end service and business model which results in a revenue share from T-Mobile for Danger on a monthly basis (Danger for the device establishment ). The same approach is followed by RIM and now Apple with the iPhone. Years later I am a bit disappointed that the HipTop still is a closed device. But apparently many users are happy with a limited set of apps on a closed device. In the future, though, users want the Open Mobile Economy.

Microsoft clearly sees now that they have to invest more in mobile. And I think they will adopt a mobile hardware strategy as they did with the XBox and Zune. Buying Danger means a first step to enter the market with a hardware-powered end-to-end strategy. Although Andy Rubin now works for Google on the Android project, Danger might still be a strong enough company to be a real asset for Microsoft in their long-term mobile strategy.

By: Kevin Marks

Kevin Marks — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:50:02 +0000

I had the exact same reaction to the iPhone - it can’t even do IM? Apple has the nicest desktop IM client in iChat, and none of that is on the iPhone, which is bizarre.
I’m just hoping someone does an Android with the same kind of keyboard as Sidekick has.

By: tmob ???

tmob ??? — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 03:23:55 +0000

Its no wonder sidekicks are always 2+ years behind. Its because of tmobile. They do the weridest crap. Like block mms on the sk2 and 3, disable ringtone recording/customization, and limit bluetooh, and more.
But I really hope microsoft doesn’t ruin Danger’s OS. Windows mobile sk, uh ew.