Microsoft buys Danger, what do you think?

Looks like Microsoft has bought Danger to make it a part of its Entertainment and Devices Division. Don't know what this means for the Sidekick, but maybe the capabilities will expand now that there will be more money for more development.

Press Release here:
Microsoft Agrees to Acquire Danger Inc...

Originally Posted by lukeluca

Looks like Microsoft has bought Danger to make it a part of its Entertainment and Devices Division. Don't know what this means for the Sidekick, but maybe the capabilities will expand now that there will be more money for more development.

Press Release here:
Microsoft Agrees to Acquire Danger Inc...

Microsoft and Danger both market mobile solutions so I would think that Microsoft is wanting to buy them to squash the competition. I'd hate to see this acquisition take place and then the Sidekick goes bye bye

But, then again, Microsoft ignores their customers and was caught faking evidence in a court of law. I'm not sure anything they say can be trusted.

I don't know what to feel about this one..I would NOT want to see a Microsoft OS on the devices..that's one of the reasons I didn't go with a Windows Mobile pda/phone.

Originally Posted by PhD

I don't know what to feel about this one..I would NOT want to see a Microsoft OS on the devices..that's one of the reasons I didn't go with a Windows Mobile pda/phone.

I couldn't have said it better myself.
I passed up cheaper devices simply because of my dislike for Microsoft. Good thing I did too, Danger ROCKS!

My honest opinion, and one that isn't going to be popular on here is that DangerOS has pretty much reached it's peak anyway. so the sale of Danger, Inc. makes sense.

Let's think about this for a minute.

In 2002, it made perfect sense to do the all you can eat with compression, since Internet phones and smartphones were very new, and HipTopOS was innovative in that you could multitask and run fairly decent HTML at the time. The phones were truly top of the line for their purpose and the hardware, though monochrome, were practically solid state for it's era.

It's 2008 now.

Aside from a few UI tweaks, some EGPRS, and the inclusion of a couple IM clients, what have we truly seen from Danger that is earth shattering? Sure, we love the form factor and design of the DangerOS model and hardware, but with the plethora of other offerings that are out there that are eating away at the Danger pie, are you truly suprised?

One of the things that ultimately hurt the DangerOS devices were the very thing that people thought it had working for it: The popculture scene.

Had the DangerOS device stuck with the community feel, and not the "Im trendy and Ima' show it with this phone!" crowd, we might've had more input on how to make this thing better, rather than have a bunch of seemingly nonarticulate fanboys that don't put enough constructive input on what makes the devices great, or what could be improved on it for future generations of the device.

EDIT: I should note that I mean the majorities from 2004-early 2007 to clarify.

I have stuck with the DangerOS devices for what will be 5 years now, but I can't help but say that it isn't because of the innovations of the newer devices, or the the way the new devices look (Honestly, they look like toys to me, but what do I know?), but honestly because I thought it'd be worth paying for the subscription just to see if it were going to show any sign of advancement.

Again, I don't expect the HipTop community to agree with me at all, and that's fine. But this is an opinion among the many that feels why he could understand an acquisition of Danger, and hopes that some newer, more major innovations can be made onto the Danger platform.

That's good and bad. Bad because windows will start cluttering our sidekicks with useless things and make em crash probably, and good because windows can probably bring us new things. But I hope the original jump menu remains the same because I like how on the sk all you have to do is scroll up or down to find what you need and with windows - we'll if they fix the jump menu they're gonna have us scrolling all over the place with our trackball trying to find what we need. But I have a feeling nothing will change, who knows, maybe a little video and little OS add-ons, not completely demolish the danger os to make their own, plus didn't google aquire youtube as well and youtube is still the same. So I think maybe microsoft bought danger for profits, I have a feeling danger will remain the same and our sk's won't change to windows mobile form.

If this is true, im happy for danger! They'll finally be able to expand as a company, an offer more features to our devices. But I do have mixed feelings.
What would this mean for the sidekick community? What does this mean for the danger os?
What does this mean for wondows mobile?
What does this mean for tmobile?
And what will this do to pricing?
I think this is great for danger.....but.....im really confused about everything else

Originally Posted by junde

That's good and bad. Bad because windows will start cluttering our sidekicks with useless things and make em crash probably, and good because windows can probably bring us new things. But I hope the original jump menu remains the same because I like how on the sk all you have to do is scroll up or down to find what you need and with windows - we'll if they fix the jump menu they're gonna have us scrolling all over the place with our trackball trying to find what we need. But I have a feeling nothing will change, who knows, maybe a little video and little OS add-ons, not completely demolish the danger os to make their own, plus didn't google aquire youtube as well and youtube is still the same. So I think maybe microsoft bought danger for profits, I have a feeling danger will remain the same and our sk's won't change to windows mobile form.

One of the three phones in my inventory is a Windows Mobile 6 Professional phone. (Aside from my iPhone and SK-LX) I can say that of the WinMobs that I've had, only the WM2003s crashed on me. WM5 and WM6 has yet to crash on me, and I will also say that I like the fact that I can have a wide range of choice on those systems, which is why I carry one. They have battery tweakers, UI adjusters, better alarmclocks, better productivity suites, pretty decent games, and wallpapers, ringtones and sounds are a cinch to customize. Add the fact that their internet has flash ability, video and radio streaming, and you have some solid stuff there.

What this can do for DangerOS is open it up past the now antiquated compessed servers it currently runs on. With the competitors doing alot more on their machines, DangerOS needs to provide more than just a few bells and whistles that are taxed left and right. Even my WinMob device data rate costs roughly the same as my Danger plan, which is nuts, when you consider the fact that Danger is supposed to be a budget data plan. Since the data plan is roughly the same, I'd wonder if it will ever reduce itself in price, since it doesn't offer the same competitive data structure that the HTCs are getting?

Granted, it depends on who you ask, since the iPhone plan is at a premium, and other carriers (read: Not TMope) have differrent rates for data as well,

I seriously doubt that M$ will mangle the DangerOS. It might keep it as a "low-tier" offering for kids, which seems to be the current marketing, or maybe offer it along with a "Pro version" for the true poweruser that wants more machine and software for their buck (Or Euro, since the Dollar keeps slumping to pre-civil-war value.)

Well this is quite a surprise for me. Kinda worried about the future kicks now but I've got to admit that microsoft has the technology to give the devices and os a lift. Maybe sidekicks will soon be in the conversation of the main competition of the iphone and such. I mean since apple is microsoft's main competition. But I think and know this will be a good move.

OMG it is true I google it. I cannot believe them bill gates people and all they kinda like bullies. They cannot buy yahoo yet and they buy danger. I guess it is okay. If danger needs to join them to stay alive. Danger has always been a small fish in a big pond. I doubt the device structure will change. I think having more monopoly less competition will lead to more profits for them. Not necessary higher prices. Since sidekick aren't cheap to begin with. I think danger would have made more money if they haven't quit make the hardware themselves. Lend they hardware to sharp and motorola. They only make money on the software. I doubt sidekicks will disappear since T-mobile key device is the sidekick. I don't know if I am mad or sad just darn happy they got more capital to work with. Then again less competition equals less choices. What the world come to now.