R.I.P.: Microsoft Kin

Microsoft has decided to stop development on its Kin operating system less than two months after the first devices running it were released. The Kin One and Two were designed for mobile social networking, but attracted few buyers.

Microsoft's official statement on the matter says:

"We have made the decision to focus exclusively on Windows Phone 7 and we will not ship KIN in Europe this fall as planned. Additionally, we are integrating our KIN team with the Windows Phone 7 team, incorporating valuable ideas and technologies from KIN into future Windows Phone releases."

The company isn't completely pulling the plug on this platform: "We will continue to work with Verizon in the U.S. to sell current KIN phones."

Microsoft Kin vs. Windows Mobile 7
This spring, Microsoft took the wraps off two very different operating systems for phones: Kin and Windows Phone 7.

Kin was created top run on inexpensive consumer-oriented devices intended for people who primarily use their phone for texting, social networking, and music.

Windows Phone 7, on the other hand, is going to be a much more robust operating system for high-end smartphones, the successor to  Windows Mobile.

These two have little or nothing in common -- they use completely different user interfaces and aren't software cross-compatible.

Not With a Bang but a Whimper
Since their launch from Verizon in early May, the first two Kin-based models -- dubbed the One and Two -- drew immediate criticism from reviewers. Brighthand's reviewer Michael Morisy described the Kin OS as, "An operating system that doesn't try to do much, and still under-delivers".

Morisy also pointed out that while the devices themselves are inexpensive, monthly service for them costs at least $70 and can easily go up to $105.

These devices were not a success in the marketplace, a factor that surely played a large role in Microsoft's decision to end work on their operating system. One unconfirmed report said that after a month on the market, Microsoft and Verizon had sold just 500 Kin-based phones. A month later, a separate report says less than 10,000 units have been sold, even after prices for the devices were slashed this weekend.