New Microsoft victim? – Barnes & Noble dance with the Devil?
I’ve often written about the Microsoft kiss of death, where it appears that Microsoft has a figurative reverse Midas touch. Instead of turning items to gold, they go the way of the Dodo. The most recent example of this has to be for me, Nokia and now its Barnes and Noble who have signed up with the Redmond company who seems of late to be trying to buy its way into markets of late with patent claims and “deals” obviously under the shroud of an NDA.
The software giant will invest $300 million in a new Barnes & Noble subsidiary, giving it a 17.6 percent equity stake in the company.
Source: Cnet
And you would be forgiven for thinking this is shades of the “Android deals” where Microsoft can’t seem to win the hearts and minds of its consumer with the ailing WP7 but rather take a little from Android phones which do.
A damn good reason to support Amazon and its Kindle or the plethora of alternatives out there. Unless, you like the idea of yet again Microsoft creaming a little off the top of others products and you funding them doing it.
Tim (Goblin)
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Goblin (Tim)
IMHO, This is more of a win-win for microsoft since it seems to have settle their patent litigation and eliminate its ‘Android’ extortion from media attention. Also microsoft is now able to use the windows platform on the Nook. Perhaps what is needed is a company that ms can’t buy off
Microsoft hasn’t control in this case. B&N does promise to produce a Nook application for Windows Phone 7.
I think that B&N’s combat against Microsoft was successful. Microsoft didn’t get any money from B&N, instead they ended up having to give B&N a ton of cash. Microsoft doesn’t have enough influence to control “Newco” which leaves B&N able to continue on whatever path they choose.
It also shows the way for those who follow. Fight Microsoft, and the company will fold. Microsoft looses at Business Poker once again.
Wayne
“I think that B&N’s combat against Microsoft was successful. Microsoft didn’t get any money from B&N, instead they ended up having to give B&N a ton of cash.”
That goes off the premise that there was something in the patent claim. If not, for a small injection of cash and a promise of a cut, Microsoft has prevented having to show its cards on the table.
I’d say thats a win for Microsoft personally.
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