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Microsoft's problem for Windows was that they wanted to make money of selling Windows for mobile phones instead of giving it away for free.

Chrome's success could be due to Google having an ad for Chrome at the top of the most visited site of the internet.

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No doubt Chrome had an advantage over Firefox in this case. But that does not explain how they beat IE. Microsoft had the advantage of shipping IE with the OS itself.

I don't believe the licensing cost of Windows Phone was what led to its downfall. The Nokia deal probably cost Microsoft more than any licensing fee it would have collected. Microsoft had the money and the presence in the market to out compete Google. It just did not have the right product at the right time.

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