Microsoft has unveiled the initial lineup of smartphones that will use its new mobile OS. Analysts seem impressed, but they warn that the software giant has a huge task ahead to lure consumers away from Apple iPhones and Google Android-powered handsets.
The investment firm wants to see Steve Ballmer & Co. jack up the dividend, design a coherent consumer strategy and lead in cloud computing. The launch of Windows Phone 7 will be a key indicator.
Nokia's Symbian platform and Google's Android system will be racing at a dead heat in 2014, according to a Gartner report. The research firm forecasts that those systems will each have double the users of Apple's iOS operating system by then.