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    Microsoft disbands the band

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    • nadnerBN
      nadnerB
      last edited by nadnerB

      So Microsoft disbanded the band... not that it was unexpected or anything
      EL Reg:

      “Devices come and go,” mused Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella this March, discussing the wearables market. Now Nadella can notch up another hardware kill. Microsoft, the only enterprise vendor with a wearable platform, has confirmed it has no plans to launch a third version of its activity wearable, the Microsoft Band.
       
      Reports also suggest Microsoft’s own internal Band unit has been disbanded. The news was broken by Mary Jo Foley last month, but officially confirmed yesterday.

      Thurott:

      Microsoft has confirmed that it will not ship a Microsoft Band 3 wearable in 2016. It also confirmed that it had fire-saled Band 2 throughout the year in order to clear out remaining inventory.
       
      “We have sold through our existing Band 2 inventory and have no plans to release another Band device this year,” a Microsoft statement obtained by Mary Jo Foley reads. “We remain committed to supporting our Microsoft Band 2 customers through Microsoft Stores and our customer support channels and will continue to invest in the Microsoft Health platform, which is open to all hardware and apps partners across Windows, iOS, and Android devices.”

      Dipping sauces:
      http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/10/04/microsoft_ends_microsoft_band/
      https://www.thurrott.com/mobile/microsoft-band/82073/disbanded-microsoft-confirms-will-not-sell-band-3

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
      • scottalanmillerS
        scottalanmiller
        last edited by

        Of course they did. Just another casualty of the death of the Windows Phone.

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • JaredBuschJ
          JaredBusch
          last edited by

          poor @Dashrender

          First his phone and now his band

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
          • scottalanmillerS
            scottalanmiller
            last edited by

            One of the bigger problems of the Zune, Windows Phone, Band ecosystem is that every time they cancel a device we become more and more wary of trying the next one. The Band looked decent to me and @grey had tried to talk me into it. It looked very possible and I was seriously going to look at it before the Watch 2 came out. But this reminds me why I don't even test out Microsoft hardware - even when it is decent it doesn't stick around. And it is rarely decent as we've seen from those Surface devices that they can't seem to even give away.

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • wrx7mW
              wrx7m
              last edited by wrx7m

              I would imagine that it has to do with the fact that nobody wanted to use it and nobody knew it existed. I was like, Microsoft Band?

              scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
              • scottalanmillerS
                scottalanmiller @wrx7m
                last edited by

                @wrx7m said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                I would imagine that it has to do with the fact that nobody wanted to use it and nobody knew it existed. I was like, Microsoft Band?

                And that people associated with the dead phone platform. We all just assumed that they had died together or that the Band would be crippled on any current phone platform.

                DashrenderD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • DashrenderD
                  Dashrender @scottalanmiller
                  last edited by

                  @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                  @wrx7m said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                  I would imagine that it has to do with the fact that nobody wanted to use it and nobody knew it existed. I was like, Microsoft Band?

                  And that people associated with the dead phone platform. We all just assumed that they had died together or that the Band would be crippled on any current phone platform.

                  I'm not sure why you say people associated it with a dead phone platform, no one even know MS had phone platform.

                  It was more like @wrx7m said - Microsoft Band?

                  I'll have had mine for a year in November, did I get my money's worth out of it? Maybe. I bought the FitBit back when it was just a clip for your pants. Washed two of them and gave up on that expensive idea. At least I haven't washed the band, but I did have to have the first one replaced because of a ripping band, poor rubber in the band or some such crap.

                  not sure what I want to try next year.

                  scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                  • scottalanmillerS
                    scottalanmiller @Dashrender
                    last edited by

                    @Dashrender said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                    @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                    @wrx7m said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                    I would imagine that it has to do with the fact that nobody wanted to use it and nobody knew it existed. I was like, Microsoft Band?

                    And that people associated with the dead phone platform. We all just assumed that they had died together or that the Band would be crippled on any current phone platform.

                    I'm not sure why you say people associated it with a dead phone platform, no one even know MS had phone platform.

                    They did, enough to think that the Band was part of it. And honestly, wasn't it?

                    DashrenderD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • stacksofplatesS
                      stacksofplates
                      last edited by

                      I loved my Zune HD. My brother had the 30GB or whatever the bigger one was. They made so many promises with it like apps and internet, which the iPod didn't have yet. And the internet was horribly slow and a really bad interface with no mobile ability. It's like they have great ideas and only go half way and then give up.

                      scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • scottalanmillerS
                        scottalanmiller @stacksofplates
                        last edited by

                        @stacksofplates said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                        I loved my Zune HD.

                        For all ten minutes that it existed 🙂

                        stacksofplatesS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                        • stacksofplatesS
                          stacksofplates @scottalanmiller
                          last edited by

                          @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                          @stacksofplates said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                          I loved my Zune HD.

                          For all ten minutes that it existed 🙂

                          I still have it at home but I don't have any way to get music on it ha. Plus I just use my phone now

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • stacksofplatesS
                            stacksofplates
                            last edited by

                            I also have the HDMI dock for it which was big back in the day. I could put shows on it and watch them on the TV.

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • DashrenderD
                              Dashrender @scottalanmiller
                              last edited by

                              @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                              @Dashrender said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                              @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                              @wrx7m said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                              I would imagine that it has to do with the fact that nobody wanted to use it and nobody knew it existed. I was like, Microsoft Band?

                              And that people associated with the dead phone platform. We all just assumed that they had died together or that the Band would be crippled on any current phone platform.

                              I'm not sure why you say people associated it with a dead phone platform, no one even know MS had phone platform.

                              They did, enough to think that the Band was part of it. And honestly, wasn't it?

                              All the literature I saw specifically mentioned about how the band worked with iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

                              scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                              • scottalanmillerS
                                scottalanmiller @Dashrender
                                last edited by

                                @Dashrender said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                @Dashrender said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                @wrx7m said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                I would imagine that it has to do with the fact that nobody wanted to use it and nobody knew it existed. I was like, Microsoft Band?

                                And that people associated with the dead phone platform. We all just assumed that they had died together or that the Band would be crippled on any current phone platform.

                                I'm not sure why you say people associated it with a dead phone platform, no one even know MS had phone platform.

                                They did, enough to think that the Band was part of it. And honestly, wasn't it?

                                All the literature I saw specifically mentioned about how the band worked with iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

                                Worked with isn't the same as "did everything the same" on all platforms.

                                DashrenderD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • DashrenderD
                                  Dashrender @scottalanmiller
                                  last edited by

                                  @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                  @Dashrender said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                  @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                  @Dashrender said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                  @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                  @wrx7m said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                  I would imagine that it has to do with the fact that nobody wanted to use it and nobody knew it existed. I was like, Microsoft Band?

                                  And that people associated with the dead phone platform. We all just assumed that they had died together or that the Band would be crippled on any current phone platform.

                                  I'm not sure why you say people associated it with a dead phone platform, no one even know MS had phone platform.

                                  They did, enough to think that the Band was part of it. And honestly, wasn't it?

                                  All the literature I saw specifically mentioned about how the band worked with iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

                                  Worked with isn't the same as "did everything the same" on all platforms.

                                  Does anything?

                                  They talked about this in Windows weekly. And Mary Jo Foley (tech writer) said the same thing I did. To her, MS wasnt considering the band linked to Windows Phone.

                                  scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • scottalanmillerS
                                    scottalanmiller @Dashrender
                                    last edited by

                                    @Dashrender said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                    @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                    @Dashrender said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                    @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                    @Dashrender said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                    @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                    @wrx7m said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                    I would imagine that it has to do with the fact that nobody wanted to use it and nobody knew it existed. I was like, Microsoft Band?

                                    And that people associated with the dead phone platform. We all just assumed that they had died together or that the Band would be crippled on any current phone platform.

                                    I'm not sure why you say people associated it with a dead phone platform, no one even know MS had phone platform.

                                    They did, enough to think that the Band was part of it. And honestly, wasn't it?

                                    All the literature I saw specifically mentioned about how the band worked with iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

                                    Worked with isn't the same as "did everything the same" on all platforms.

                                    Does anything?

                                    They talked about this in Windows weekly. And Mary Jo Foley (tech writer) said the same thing I did. To her, MS wasnt considering the band linked to Windows Phone.

                                    I don't care if anything else does, nothing else is from Microsoft. That all the features were on a dead useless platform was the concern. I don't care if my Apple Watch only works with iOS because I use iOS. If the Band is for Windows Phone, then it's useless.

                                    DashrenderD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • DashrenderD
                                      Dashrender @scottalanmiller
                                      last edited by

                                      @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                      @Dashrender said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                      @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                      @Dashrender said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                      @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                      @Dashrender said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                      @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                      @wrx7m said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                      I would imagine that it has to do with the fact that nobody wanted to use it and nobody knew it existed. I was like, Microsoft Band?

                                      And that people associated with the dead phone platform. We all just assumed that they had died together or that the Band would be crippled on any current phone platform.

                                      I'm not sure why you say people associated it with a dead phone platform, no one even know MS had phone platform.

                                      They did, enough to think that the Band was part of it. And honestly, wasn't it?

                                      All the literature I saw specifically mentioned about how the band worked with iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

                                      Worked with isn't the same as "did everything the same" on all platforms.

                                      Does anything?

                                      They talked about this in Windows weekly. And Mary Jo Foley (tech writer) said the same thing I did. To her, MS wasnt considering the band linked to Windows Phone.

                                      I don't care if anything else does, nothing else is from Microsoft. That all the features were on a dead useless platform was the concern. I don't care if my Apple Watch only works with iOS because I use iOS. If the Band is for Windows Phone, then it's useless.

                                      But it's not.
                                      I have the band tied to my Nexus 6P. I get everything I had with Windows phone with the possible exception ( which I just haven't tested) of send SMS from the Band via Android.

                                      scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • scottalanmillerS
                                        scottalanmiller @Dashrender
                                        last edited by

                                        @Dashrender said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                        @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                        @Dashrender said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                        @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                        @Dashrender said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                        @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                        @Dashrender said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                        @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                        @wrx7m said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                        I would imagine that it has to do with the fact that nobody wanted to use it and nobody knew it existed. I was like, Microsoft Band?

                                        And that people associated with the dead phone platform. We all just assumed that they had died together or that the Band would be crippled on any current phone platform.

                                        I'm not sure why you say people associated it with a dead phone platform, no one even know MS had phone platform.

                                        They did, enough to think that the Band was part of it. And honestly, wasn't it?

                                        All the literature I saw specifically mentioned about how the band worked with iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

                                        Worked with isn't the same as "did everything the same" on all platforms.

                                        Does anything?

                                        They talked about this in Windows weekly. And Mary Jo Foley (tech writer) said the same thing I did. To her, MS wasnt considering the band linked to Windows Phone.

                                        I don't care if anything else does, nothing else is from Microsoft. That all the features were on a dead useless platform was the concern. I don't care if my Apple Watch only works with iOS because I use iOS. If the Band is for Windows Phone, then it's useless.

                                        But it's not.
                                        I have the band tied to my Nexus 6P. I get everything I had with Windows phone with the possible exception ( which I just haven't tested) of send SMS from the Band via Android.

                                        That's what I was asking.... does the Band with fully or almost fully with other devices? MS did nothing to assuage fears of that, which likely did a ton to cause the product to fail.

                                        DashrenderD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • DashrenderD
                                          Dashrender @scottalanmiller
                                          last edited by

                                          @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                          @Dashrender said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                          @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                          @Dashrender said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                          @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                          @Dashrender said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                          @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                          @Dashrender said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                          @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                          @wrx7m said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                          I would imagine that it has to do with the fact that nobody wanted to use it and nobody knew it existed. I was like, Microsoft Band?

                                          And that people associated with the dead phone platform. We all just assumed that they had died together or that the Band would be crippled on any current phone platform.

                                          I'm not sure why you say people associated it with a dead phone platform, no one even know MS had phone platform.

                                          They did, enough to think that the Band was part of it. And honestly, wasn't it?

                                          All the literature I saw specifically mentioned about how the band worked with iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

                                          Worked with isn't the same as "did everything the same" on all platforms.

                                          Does anything?

                                          They talked about this in Windows weekly. And Mary Jo Foley (tech writer) said the same thing I did. To her, MS wasnt considering the band linked to Windows Phone.

                                          I don't care if anything else does, nothing else is from Microsoft. That all the features were on a dead useless platform was the concern. I don't care if my Apple Watch only works with iOS because I use iOS. If the Band is for Windows Phone, then it's useless.

                                          But it's not.
                                          I have the band tied to my Nexus 6P. I get everything I had with Windows phone with the possible exception ( which I just haven't tested) of send SMS from the Band via Android.

                                          That's what I was asking.... does the Band with fully or almost fully with other devices? MS did nothing to assuage fears of that, which likely did a ton to cause the product to fail.

                                          Yes it worked nearly feature complete on all three platforms.
                                          MS never really advertised the Band. It's like it was more of an experiment than a real product launch.
                                          They put no real effort into promoting it.

                                          scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • scottalanmillerS
                                            scottalanmiller @Dashrender
                                            last edited by

                                            @Dashrender said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                            @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                            @Dashrender said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                            @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                            @Dashrender said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                            @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                            @Dashrender said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                            @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                            @Dashrender said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                            @scottalanmiller said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                            @wrx7m said in Microsoft disbands the band:

                                            I would imagine that it has to do with the fact that nobody wanted to use it and nobody knew it existed. I was like, Microsoft Band?

                                            And that people associated with the dead phone platform. We all just assumed that they had died together or that the Band would be crippled on any current phone platform.

                                            I'm not sure why you say people associated it with a dead phone platform, no one even know MS had phone platform.

                                            They did, enough to think that the Band was part of it. And honestly, wasn't it?

                                            All the literature I saw specifically mentioned about how the band worked with iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

                                            Worked with isn't the same as "did everything the same" on all platforms.

                                            Does anything?

                                            They talked about this in Windows weekly. And Mary Jo Foley (tech writer) said the same thing I did. To her, MS wasnt considering the band linked to Windows Phone.

                                            I don't care if anything else does, nothing else is from Microsoft. That all the features were on a dead useless platform was the concern. I don't care if my Apple Watch only works with iOS because I use iOS. If the Band is for Windows Phone, then it's useless.

                                            But it's not.
                                            I have the band tied to my Nexus 6P. I get everything I had with Windows phone with the possible exception ( which I just haven't tested) of send SMS from the Band via Android.

                                            That's what I was asking.... does the Band with fully or almost fully with other devices? MS did nothing to assuage fears of that, which likely did a ton to cause the product to fail.

                                            Yes it worked nearly feature complete on all three platforms.
                                            MS never really advertised the Band. It's like it was more of an experiment than a real product launch.
                                            They put no real effort into promoting it.

                                            Like the Phone. Just a failed experiment. It never felt like they were serious about it. That's exactly how it felt when I tried one. It was half finished and half assed and they just seemed to give up.

                                            DashrenderD 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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