Microsoft Fails Barnes & Noble, Samsung Succeeds

Despite an investment in Barnes & Noble, Microsoft seems to have done nothing to support its investment.  No connection between the Surface Tablet and Nook and no retail presence; its a wonder Microsoft got involved at all.  So it comes as a small surprise to see another tablet maker, Samsung, actually create a significant partnership opportunity with B&N.  "The device will be a 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 co-branded as a Nook with Nook's digital reading software already on it. The tablet will be available at Barnes & Noble's 700 U.S. stores in early August."  A terrific idea for both companies.  In fact, with such a large retail footprint, I hope that Samsung and B&N extend their partnership to include all Samsung products. 

Yet I am somewhat surprised that the news is about Samsung when Microsoft actually put real dollars toward working with B&N.  It can only be described as a real missed opportunity for Microsoft.  With Samsung now on board, I suspect that Microsoft is a lost cause.  And I am excited to see how the Samsung and B&N partnership expands.