Windows Phone Classic Phones not upgradeable to Windows Phone 7 Series

"Because we have very specific requirements for Windows Phone 7 Series the current phones we have right now will not be upgradable,"

Microsoft cuts off Win Phone 7 upgrades for all WM6 devices | ElectronistaInvites ‹ Asymco — WordPress

Now why would anyone buy a WinMo 6.x (aka Windows Phone Classic) phone today? Is this is a classic example of the Osbourne effect?

Maybe there is more to this story. Buried in the WP7 launch was news that Classic would carry on and a new "starter" edition would also be made available. Said Starter edition would be sold only in emerging countries and target 2G and 2.5G networks.

Furthermore, Ballmer made it clear in a Q&A that they would "continue to invest" in "Classic" WinMo/Windows Phone.

So Microsoft is not quite foolish enough to ignore the consequences of an orphaned platform. The impact of the dual platforms on the ecosystem is another story.