Late? Windows Mobile pre-dates iOS by 5 years.
It's interesting that their first attempts were shrinking desktop Windows UI to work on a phone. That failed so they came up with a phone UI and expanded it to work on the desktop. What's the third act?
It's interesting that their first attempts were shrinking desktop Windows UI to work on a phone. That failed so they came up with a phone UI and expanded it to work on the desktop. What's the third act?
Microsoft has never been a company that targets consumers directly in my opinion, they're a company that targets business first and foremost and due to network effects they effectively got most of the consumer desktop market as well.
While most people just accept the OS that comes on a PC if they buy one, I don't think they were too anxious to repeat the experience when they clearly had other choices.
So what's their excuse for failing?
Hopefully exit the OS business altogether and focus on Office. I kid, of course, but a man can dream.