There goes Nokia, as Microsoft buys it out.

[Gary]

Microsoft is buying Nokia's mobile devices and services business.

Announced with a flurry of press releases in the small hours of the UK's Tuesday, the deal will see Microsoft "pay EUR 3.79 billion to purchase substantially all of Nokia's Devices & Services business, and EUR 1.65 billion to license Nokia's patents, for a total transaction price of EUR 5.44 billion in cash." Microsoft will also inherit Nokia's "long-term patent licensing agreement with Qualcomm, as well as other licensing agreements."

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/09/03/microsoft_buys_nokia/

[Simon]

That's actually rather sad news.  Some of my best phones have been Nokia, but I think they lost their way in recent years.

[Gary]

That's actually rather sad news.  Some of my best phones have been Nokia, but I think they lost their way in recent years.

My first camera phone was the Nokia 7650 a whole 4mb memory. The first series 60 phone and first commercial camera phone by Nokia. I have to agree with you and it makes sense since the best selling of Nokia's phones were windows 8 devices now anyway.

[pctech]

Had quite a few Nokias myself. kicking off with the 3310 and the last one I still have as a backup, the Nokia 300.

Favourites had to be the 3310 and the 6700 which had a lovely metal case (or at least a good portion of the back was)

Its very sad they are now gone.

[Simon]

I've a horrible feeling BlackBerry will be next.   

[pctech]

You maybe right, they certainly have a lot of assets in terms of data centres they own and their own backbone I believe so might be a target for a mobile telco (I hear Vodafone is in the black at the moment http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/09/02/uk-vodafone-verizon-idUKBRE9800DK20130902) or a large software company (my money would be on Oracle)