Chime in: Is Microsoft forsaking its core consumer users?

It's a hard time to be a Microsoft fan. Windows phones are basically no more, products like Kinect and Groove Music have been killed off, and Cortana development seems to be trailing far behind the competition.

It's all prompted a pretty frank discussion down in the Windows Central forums.

Dear Microsoft! Please stop treating people on Windows 10, you know, THE OS YOU MAKE as 3rd class customers. 2017 was a kick in the teeth for a lot of Microsoft fans. Kinect, Groove, and Band being discontinued and Windows Phone being put into maintenance more were tough. But looking back on it now, we should’ve seen it coming. Because in late 2015 and early 2016, where did we see Microsoft...

Roman DeSilva

Even though there are no concrete announcements or anything to make us feel this way, it's easy to see why lots of people are worried Microsoft doesn't care about the consumer fan base as much as it used to.

There's a lot of taking away without the introduction of anything new. Amazon is now bringing the much more developed Alexa to Windows 10, which naturally casts a shadow on the lesser developed (and North America heavy) Cortana. The towel was thrown in against Spotify, and the Kinect which was a big part of the Xbox One at launch has just quietly been cast aside.

Enterprise customers become less invested in a company or a brand than those who spend their own money and put their own time into something. Microsoft's very passionate fanbase is starting to get concerned about where the future lies.

Equally, there are exciting new products on the horizon. Windows Mixed Reality is new and exciting, and we're going to be seeing the first Windows 10 on ARM devices launching in a few months. There's stuff to be excited about. So, is it all a storm in a teacup or do you think Microsoft is shifting its attention and leaving the consumer behind?

Hit the link below and give us your voice.

I'm not feeling the love Microsoft.

Richard Devine
Managing Editor - Tech, Reviews

Richard Devine is a Managing Editor at Windows Central with over a decade of experience. A former Project Manager and long-term tech addict, he joined Mobile Nations in 2011 and has been found on Android Central and iMore as well as Windows Central. Currently, you'll find him steering the site's coverage of all manner of PC hardware and reviews. Find him on Mastodon at mstdn.social/@richdevine