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The Return of the Microsoft Kin

symbolset writes "In a surprising turn of events, Engadget is reporting that the Microsoft Kin One and Kin Two will have an encore in the market. Some years ago Microsoft purchased Danger, Inc, services provider for the legendary Sidekick line of phones, and set upon refreshing them for a new generation in 'Project Pink.' Several project restarts and one data loss incident later, the project had lost favor internally and relations with the launch carrier Verizon had gone sour. The product was launched anyway to dismal sales and yanked from the market in under two months. According to the article, the costly data plan was thought to be to blame for the poor sales, so cellular data services and features that require them have been removed."

2 of 92 comments (clear)

  1. Competition by SuperKendall · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Amazing how Microsoft can release multiple devices that partly compete against each other... you could see someone considering a WP7 phone for the social aspects, then saying "well the Kin is cheaper, and I can do some social things on it so good enough."

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  2. Re:Really?? by lmcgeoch · · Score: 3, Interesting

    What I would like to see is a smart phone made for a baby boomer?
    I don't mean a jitterbug but an actual phone with a keyboard big enough so they can see and use them so they can text their friends and go on the internet.
    Not all older people are non tech savy (my parents for instance, it easier to text them then to call them.) and they have more money to spend on gadgets then a 15 year old. Why doesn't the 70 year old engineer make something he would like to use and go from there?

    This is a completely untapped market...well except for the jitterbug.