> In the 90s, MS attempted mobile devices using Windows CE ... and that went nowhere
That's ahistorical. Windows Mobile shipped millions of devices. Their 2007 sales numbers were bigger than the iPhone 1's 2008 numbers.
In probably the biggest blunder in business history Microsoft decided to stop putting resources into Windows Mobile after version 5.0 in 2005. That allowed Apple to catch up by the time of their release in 2008. I've still never seen a good account of why they did that. If Microsoft had continued for those three years they might have been able to hold the iPhone off. Or at least Android.
That's ahistorical. Windows Mobile shipped millions of devices. Their 2007 sales numbers were bigger than the iPhone 1's 2008 numbers.
In probably the biggest blunder in business history Microsoft decided to stop putting resources into Windows Mobile after version 5.0 in 2005. That allowed Apple to catch up by the time of their release in 2008. I've still never seen a good account of why they did that. If Microsoft had continued for those three years they might have been able to hold the iPhone off. Or at least Android.