>Microsoft could not find footing. It's not like they suck and gave it a 1/2 ass attempt. Was it early? Probably.

Isn't early better for Microsoft? When I think about some of Microsoft's flops, I recall a lot of products that were introduced when Microsoft was trying to play catch up. Microsoft's Zune didn't come out until the iPod was already mature, and the iPhone was only a year away. Microsoft came out with the Kin to capitalize on the Sidekick's popularity, but it came weirdly three years after the iPhone. They didn't get Windows Phone to market until the iOS and Android stores were already mature, making it difficult for MS to draw developers and customers to the platform.

The only example, that I can think of, involving MS successfully entering into a mature market, is perhaps the Xbox.