Microsoft just can’t seem to get away from fragmentation. Over the years Windows has fragmented into more SKUs than you can shake a stick at. Same with Office. Now Microsoft is betting that fragmenting its mobile platform into four or five different operating systems is the right way to go.
Is it?
In a way, I can understand why Microsoft is doing what it’s doing. The company has built its fortune based on differentiating consumer from enterprise. Windows is a prime example of this sort of thinking. Microsoft has staged the pricing of the OS based on whether the OS is aimed at the average user, power users or enterprise users. The actually differences between the SKUs (apart from licensing) are minor, but it’s a recipe that keeps the cash rolling in.
