++ the future of Microsoft Lumia mobile phones ++

++ have found some interesting info on the downgrade of the Windows phone business on Wikipedia (Windows 10 mobile Wikipedia page) ++ so it was clear that the decision to abandon the Windows phone ship was taken as early as 2015 & this explains why the advertising/ launching video of MS Lumia 950 (XL) has the music words "the SUN goes down" ++ & so it's very possible that the CEO change in 2014 had this main strategy change at its core & was the core cause why the Windows phone enthusiast CEO was dismissed & there was a great dispute between Gates & the CEO & of course Gates imposed as always until then the Gates view/ way in the company, but later on Gates will have to leave the company & so along with Windows phone's downgrade, 2 of the key historic CEOs have experienced a place outside the MS leadership, but these former CEOs are still active in other fields.

++

According to the Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2016^^revenue from Phone business was $3,358 million vs. $7,702 million in 2015 and $3,073 million in 2014.

| | | | Phone product and service offerings | | | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Revenue from external customers (in millions) | 3,358 | 7,702 | 3,073 |

The year before, Microsoft disclosed^^information on sales of Phone Hardware:

| | | Phone hardware | | | 2015 | 2014 | | --- | --- | --- | | Revenue (in millions) | 7,524 | 1,982 | | Operating income (in millions) | 701 | 54 |

In addition, in the Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2015 MS disclosed that the leadership decided to spend "$2.5 billion of integration and restructuring expenses, primarily costs associated with restructuring plans" which includes the cost of mass dismissal of staff.

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++ another interesting fact is that Windows phone was linked to a Formula 1 team: the Lotus F1 Team that was active until 2015 & there was an active partnership with a pilot acting as Lumia ambassador ++ the Lotus F1 team was dissolved in February 2016.

++ a surprise update for the Daily Mail Online app is available on Windows phones & there are still ways to search with Cortana.

Now there's Surface Duo...running on Android. Why not...,Surface Win....running on Windows...?

An “amen” to all of that and not just with MS.

I was working w/ PC’s when IBM first released their PC and used their systems through the PS2 Mod50. I installed, used, and loved OS/2. I wasn’t the only one and IBM didn’t give a tinker’s damn.

Internal corporate politics killed the PC and it was sold and became Lenovo. OS/2 was alllowed to wither without support because IBM didn’t want a fight with MS over OS market share - and who was worried about a PC OS anyway when they were no longer in that market niche?

I, too, only use MS as necessary on my laptop and not at all on my phone as app after app fell off the system map and I switched to a Samsung running Android - I didn’t want to, but I literally couldn’t do the business I need to on my Lumia.

Unfortunately, as the saying goes, there’s only two kinds of people in the jungle when the elephants dance - the quick and the dead.

If they d been young and restless.....only if they 'd have been young and restless....