WM has been good to HTC
@Stuart
"I presume the current Windows Tax is around 30GBP/50USD per copy of WM6 to the manufactuers. Anyone confirm?"
Its actually between $8 and $15, depending on configuration. Obviously more expensive that free, and maybe the second most expensive part of the phone after the screen, but not the terrible. In return they dont have to pay an exchange activesync license, wont have to license a document reader and editor, wont have to develop their own desktop syncing software and get compatibility with 18 000 applications, and also get indemnified against being sued for patent infringement for mobile OS features.
@Anonymous Coward
"This is called missing the bus, or perhaps more like getting off the bus.
They have been WM for donkeys years and have made little headway against the big boys. Here's is change to break into the mainstream and they look the other way - very smart."
HTC has gone from nothing to a $12 billion dollar company based on their Windows Mobile products with nearly $5 billion in sales this year. In Q2 08 they were the 3rd biggest smartphone brand worldwide, ahead of Sony Ericsson, Sharp, Fujitsu and even the fruit phone.
HTC outgrew the DOW and NASDAQ indices by nearly 1000 percent over the last 10 years.
http://markets.ft.com/cgi-bin/upload.dll/file.png?z0485100az23da84244354418fb17206136702d54a
http://markets.ft.com/tearsheets/performance.asp?s=tw%3A2498
Considering the speed of their growth and their performance they are actually very undervalued.