Now, that is just crazy talk. Once Microsoft has the hardware, they will not rent software and services from Symbian-pusher Nokia. That's what Microsoft lives from; software and services. That's where Nokia has lagged the most behind; software and services.

Edit: you know what would make more sense to me? The complete opposite. If Microsoft bought out Nokia's software parts. We've seen the slide that shows just how little money Nokia plans to use on software. That's where Nokia phones have failed, and what Nokia now wants Microsoft help with. On the other side, up to (and including) Windows Mobile 6.x, Microsoft repeatedly showed us that they could need some extra help on the phone part of the phone OS.

I bet Microsoft could use Nokia's competence on making a smartphone be a simple phone to use, plus Nokia's experience in building essential phone software, as opposed to file browsers and internet explorer and reg editors and task managers and solitaire and the stuff that you've historically found in Microsoft phones.