Microsoft's ill-fated Kin (photos)
Microsoft announces it's pulling the plug on the Kin, just two months after its introduction. CNET takes a look back at its short life.
Two models, neither popular
Microsoft introduced the Kin in April, showing off both the smaller, squatter Kin One and the widescreen Kin Two.
The software maker announced on Wednesday that it was halting work on the Kin and would not bring the phones to Europe, as planned.
Would you like waffles with that?
Microsoft launched the Kin project in April with an event at the Mighty nightclub in San Francisco. Before the event, Microsoft served up waffles to the assembled reporters.
Bach at the Kin launch
Microsoft Entertainment and Devices President Robbie Bach presided over the launch of the Kin in April. In May, Bach announced he was retiring from Microsoft and on Wednesday, Microsoft said it was pulling the plug on the Kin.
The Kin Studio
One of the more well-received features of the Kin was the Kin Studio, which allowed device owners to go to the Web to view the photos, videos, and text messages from their phone.
Scene from the Kin launch
Microsoft launched the Kin at San Francisco's Mighty nightclub. At the time, though, the company did not announce the price for either the device or the monthly service.
One of the many knocks on the Kin was the fact that Verizon charged as much for monthly service for the Kin as it did for more fully featured smartphones.
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