Well, from the article we can't really say that the abandoned MeeGo. It only says that it didn't had impulse at the time to promote a quick change forward when replacing Symbian, and then they chose WP7 for that.

MeeGo can very well still be there, with only 3 devices until 2014, being worked on until it's ready enough to be Nokia's next big thing.

This goes to show that perhaps Nokia were right that MeeGo couldn't assure them a place as one of the big three ecosystems:

However, Nokia's own documents show that while MeeGo is not going to be their lead platform anymore it is going to be the recipient of continued development, and that's ok for me.

I don't need to be part of a winning 'platform', i just want an open phone platform, and it looks like i will get it.

The only part of the story that I can't understand/can't believe is that they only truly acknowledged that MeeGo wasn't ready in januari.
If that really is the case, than the entire development process was not managed well at all.

I love Linux, Maemo 5 and the N900. I also think that Qt is very promising and it does a lot of things really well, BUT I honestly believe that a lot of these technologies just aren't in a ready enough state to be used by mass market general public and smaller app developer companies.

Comparing current Symbian, Maemo and MeeGo software and SDK releases to the iPhone and Apples SDK and you will come to the conclusion that you need a LOT more knowledge of the internal workings of the systems to develop applications for the Nokia platforms.
And that is a huge problem when you try to persuade developers to make applications for the S60v5/Symbian^3 and Maemo/MeeGo platforms.

Comparing to Android and its SDK is a mixed bag. Some things are easier, others are not. WebOS is the same story (but different things are harder/easier).

I haven't used Windows Phone 7 and don't use Windows ( trying the SDK is a bit difficult). So I can't comment on that. I hope for Nokia that it truly is ready and can compete with iOS. If it isn't than I don't see how this situation is any better than going for MeeGo (No install base and a platform and development tools that need a lot of work).

Then why do we not have five Fremantle devices by now? It's not that easy. The current state of H. is very impressive (indeed, even compared to January), but there is no denying how young and untested it still is. Sure, you could release a number of devices that are essentially the same, but that is not really what Nokia is after.

Who knows, perhaps relieving pressure from it even helped make this quick progress possible in the first place.

Why should it sound nonsensical ? There is a lot to bringing out phones to market than just device manufacturing. There is carrier testing, tie-ins, and all that pre-delivery act.

Anyway , how many Maemo based phones could Nokia deliver after the N900 in a year and a half ? Kind of tells the story doesnt it ?

How many iOS-driven models are these Apple guys that they could not respond to, expected to introduce before 2014, to keep that company in the game? Let's see... The 2011 model, the 2012 model and the 2013 model.

I see. That would be impossible to respond to.

There is a could do and there is a want to do.

I'm pretty positive the could do was there but the want to do was missing.

There's more to organizations than just the CEO. Even if he wants to do something that doesn't translate into every product manager playing in the same direction and to the same goal.

People don't usually do things exactly opposite to what the chief says. But if he leaves room to play and interpret they'll try to continue as much as what they already were doing.

So really he should've checked the pace for replacement planning of Symbian with Meego in October or before and then said ok. this being a January decision makes you wonder what was going on.

But that's not the point. What was talked was using MeeGo as a replacement for Symbian across the whole range - and Nokia have a much bigger Symbian line up than 1 device/year.

Exactly, Nokia is a very different mobile company than Apple so just comparingApples high-end strategy with Nokia's low-mid-high range strategy will be difficult.

Symbian spanned across all three catergories and therein Meego could not fill the gap.
While Meego might be great for the high-end only how would you replace the low-mid end with if not with Symbian ?

WM7 I am not sure plays to which category really, but Android at least has shown it works from low-end $99 phones to high-end Samsung Galaxy series. So if WM7 can do that then thats adequte reason for Elop's strategy.

From the specs of the WP7 phones, it's very possible that it can easily on more underpowered platforms. Not underpowered as current Nokia's low end hardware, but it seems it can fit mid range easily.

And seems like the WP7 experience doesnt need to be sacrified on worst hardware, as Android needs (launchers, lower resolution, etc)