Microsoft Nukes Kin Studio, Leaves Users Stranded

[Darkk]

Not true on the exec's bonus money as they short change his bonus check due to Steve Ballmer's epic blunder this year.

So Steve is pretty miffed about it.

 

[techcurious]

[citation][nom]windowsmelover[/nom]The worst part about the KIN was that it did NOT work with Windows Me! =([/citation]

Windows ME... as in Millenium Edition? People are finally starting to leave XP behind for Windows 7, and you are trying to hold on to Windows ME!!?? gosh... you don't need a KIN or any other smart phone then, you need to hold on to a Nokia from 15 years ago...

 

[gogogadgetliver]

This is all Verizon, not Microsoft.

Microsoft made a mistake of porting the danger code to winCE. This added 18 months dev time. Verizon at the time was getting killed by the iPhone and wanted such a social device.

The Kin is still ahead of it's time in many of the features it has. If it had been released 18 months earlier and with a reasonable (say $10-15) data plan it would have sold like hotcakes. Verizon got all pissy and decided to milk as much money from the Kin as they could so they bundled it with a $30 data plan that killed it.

That's why Verizon wasn't a priority when it came time for WP7 and they are pissed about that too.

This decision is 100% verizon. They are dicking the customers here, not Microsoft. Heck just selling the Kin with everything that makes it stripped out is a slap to the face of upcoming customers. They'll get a gutted feature phone plus a (reduced price mind you) data plan for a device that no longer does data...

Streaming Zunepass over wifi only and not 3G? Yeah...that's Verizon being a dick, not Microsoft.

 

[eddieroolz]

So let me get this straight: They put the device back on sale, and yet they kill the backbone of the service? I'm not quite understanding why...

 

[Guest]

You can't get a replacement smartphone from Verizon. The phones they have on the account for replacing Kins are all dumbphones. My wife and I bought a Kin Two at launch and now our choices are:

1) Keep the Kin, stripped of all its redeeming qualities
2) Get one of the cheapo replacement dumbphones phones Verizon is offering and have a marginally better featureset than the gimped Kin
3) Shell out $500 on an Android phone

Thanks Verizon.

 

[gogogadgetliver]

[citation][nom]Richard Welsh[/nom]You can't get a replacement smartphone from Verizon. The phones they have on the account for replacing Kins are all dumbphones. My wife and I bought a Kin Two at launch and now our choices are:1) Keep the Kin, stripped of all its redeeming qualities2) Get one of the cheapo replacement dumbphones phones Verizon is offering and have a marginally better featureset than the gimped Kin3) Shell out $500 on an Android phoneThanks Verizon.[/citation]

I dumped em. I paid a big contract cancellation and went to AT&T (which is decent in my area..your milage may vary). I snagged a buy-one-get one Samsung Focus (WP7) for me and the Mrs.

Vuck Ferizon. Last straw.

 

[Guest]

i was sooo excited when i get this phone but i am just now finding out about all the terminated features and now.... this phone is useless and a pos. in a way i should have kept up with the world and its &*^%ed up plans to ^%$# on customers but whatever..... dont release something thats gonna abuse the consumer you greedy @$$ microsoft $%cks....