Microsoft's mobile plans, a chink in the armor

Microsoft (MSFT) may be giving some investors the impression that it has the pieces in place to stage a recovery from one of the worst quarters in its history. There is hope that Windows 7 will improve sales of the firm's PC OS. And the recent Yahoo! (YHOO) search pact gives it an opportunity to be viable in that market. But there is a key component missing for a recovery.

Microsoft is not making much headway in what many experts believe is the next promised land for many of the world's largest hardware and software markets -- mobile. Phone operating systems are still dominated by Symbian operating systems and Google's (GOOG) Android package is making gains. Apple's (AAPL) App store has made it a new powerhouse in the industry.