http://liliputing.com/2013/12/lilbits-12-11-2013-setting-windows-phone-rt-fre...

http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/11/5199446/microsoft-considers-free-versions-...


The gist is that Microsoft is thinking about ditching the whole "OS software pay-me subscription" thing in the Android competing cell phone world anyway.

Only one company would pay them $$$ for either the RT phone or MS Win8 phone products, and Microsoft bought them guys (Nokia) outright, so the entire "pay to use the cell phone software" thing is becoming really really a moot thing for Microsoft.  

Nokia was always over 80+% of their RT and MS Win8 phone sales and now that they share the same spreadsheet that 80+% simply doesn't count any more.

So, if no one wants it at any price, so how about taking it for free ???

Free, that sounds nice -- but they intend to pack the phone OS's solid with built-in ads and then let the carriers use the built in add-polluted OS's for free.    

Free for a while, anyway -- until they finally get some market share.

Some market share, pretty please?   Any market share --- please, a little tiny bit of real market share, please?

Microsoft is running on dry squealing ball bearings in the phone world right now, the tablet world is a little bit better with Win8 Pro on tablets that cost a good bit more than low end Win7 laptops ever did.  

Take away the mega-buck cost of all that prime time Win8 Surface Pro advertising and these products aren't really pulling in any money either.


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Other News of Consequence -- Intel is aiming their new chip products at Android OS usage instead of Windows now and Nokia has announced their first Android phone, ever.   .... handwriting is up on the wall, isn't it?

Vendors are starting to use the new Intel chipsets in some products now, but the pricing is way way way high compared to equivalent chipset products from the top line ARM chipset suppliers.

Qualcomm is still raking it in as Intel simply isn't making it on price still and Qualcomm is still getting bonus pricing premiums based on what Intel is doing pricewise with the slightly superior Qualcomm chipsets being the closest "competitive products", with Qualcomm always selling for slightly less than Intel.

Steam OS and Steam boxes go out this Friday.   Gaming on Linux is really real now, for real.

Ubuntu has them a phone builder partner now and will have a much cheaper more realistic Edge-like device out this upcoming summer.

MS still hasn't found a CEO to replace Ballmer .... so that lunatic is still acting like himself, still running the show.

Bill Gates is looking really really old and very very unhappy in his latest public appearances.   He's got a good reason to look unhappy -- he's got a set nubbie horns on his head all of a sudden now and we know what happens to them antlered headed ones over there at at good ol' Microsoft ....

http://gamepolitics.com/2013/10/02/report-top-investors-look-push-bill-gates-...

     What?  Me, worry ???