$250 million actually isn't that much TBH.
Look at consoles. MS wanted to be in the space but in that case had to develop their own HW platform - something MS doesn't really want to do particularly IMHO. That cost billions and billions of investment to push MS into the living room with their OS and software standards.
Here, they are partnering with Nokia who are shouldering the platform end of the deal. $250 million a quarter (or whatever it turns out to be over time) is nothing compared to the kind of investment that went into the Xbox platform.
I like the OS but I remain doubtful MS and Nokia will succeed personally. I think they are too late to the party, that Apple and Android (across multiple brands) are too entrenched and that while they will for sure gain marketshare it will be nothing major in the end.
I could be wrong - but that's how it feels to me. Still, on the evidence so far MS isn't nearly having to spend what they might have had to in order to make the attempt - being lucky enough to have a more than willing partner in Nokia.
Try to be reasonable... its easier than you think...
