The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

Feeds

Microsoft's KIN goes to hell: Site offers comfort

Weird social phone given inglorious send off

Cloud based data management

A tribute website has been created to mourn the passing of Microsoft’s short-lived, horribly unpopular KIN mobile handset that was aimed at the yoof market.

KIN - which came in two different models - hit retail shelves in May this year, only to be yanked by Microsoft last week following poor sales.

It’s understood that the software giant shifted fewer than 10,000 phones in that time.

At launch in April, Microsoft described KIN as a “social phone” intended for young people who want to hook up to the Web2.0 brain drain.

But sales of the phone proved embarrassing for Redmond, and so KIN's plug was pulled.

The phone died just six weeks after it arrived in the shops - which is a record for Microsoft. KIN now holds the shortest lifespan of any product in the firm’s 35-year history.

As a result, one scamp has put together a website that pays tribute to KIN’s short, albeit turbulent, existence.

“This memorial website was created in the memory of our loved one, Microsoft Kin who was born on May 13, 2010 and passed away on June 30, 2010,” it solemnly notes, before adding: “We will remember her forever.”

Except we probably won’t. Next of kin were informed, but no one attended the funeral.

You can leave your messages of condolence here. ®

Regcast training : Hyper-V 3.0, VM high availability and disaster recovery

Anonymous Coward

Err no

Xbox is not in trouble- if that division starts bleeding due to the Zune and other fails, they will just re-organise. The Xbox pretty much shits money.

2
0

"MS need to concentrate...

...on what they make money from."

There, fixed that for you.

3
1

Shortest lived product from Microsoft?

And here I thought "Bob" held that title.

Paris, holding something.

1
0

More from The Register

Samsung Galaxy Note 8: Proof the pen is mightier?
Sammy’s iPad Mini killer has a stylus to stab other rivals too
Microsoft lures buy-curious vixens, corduroys with a cheap fondle
Surface slab sales latest: Will no one rid Ballmer of these turbulent tabs?
First look: iOS 7 for iPad
No, Apple hasn't released it yet, but that doesn't stop intrepid devs
 breaking news
Curtain drops on Apple Store ahead of WWDC: What lies behind?
Steve Jobs watching from on high. No pressure, lads
 breaking news
Cold, dead hands of Steve Jobs slip from iPhones: The Cult of Ive is upon us
Billionaire biz baron's death clears way for uber-shiny iOS 7
Airbus imagines suitcases that find themselves
Point your mobe at your smalls to track their every move
Surprise! Intel smartphone trounces ARM in power trials
Tests show equal performance while sipping significantly less juice
Samsung plans LTE Advanced version of Galaxy S4
1Gbps download capability could stiffen drooping S4 sales forecasts
Ex-HTC execs launch UK-based smartphone maker Kazam
Startup threatens to 'disrupt status quo' this year