When Microsoft first announced plans to release the Surface tablet, the company’s first PC based device branded with the Microsoft name, some analysts questioned what that tablet would do to Microsoft’s long-standing relationship with hardware manufacturers. On Tuesday Acer computer CEO J.T. Wang gave us a glimpse into the strain the Surface tablet might be putting on Microsoft partners.
According to the Financial Times Wang has urged Microsoft to stop the October launch of the tablet because it will be “negative for the worldwide ecosystem” of computing.
Wang said in his assessment and plea to Microsoft:
“We have said think it over. Think twice. It will create a huge negative impact for the ecosystem and other brands may take a negative reaction. It is not something you are good at so please think twice.”
The “Surface” will not only be Microsoft’s first foray into the manufacturing process for personal computing, it will place the company in direct competition with partner devices including Acer and its “Iconia” tablet and HP’s “TouchPad.”
Acer did not stop with a single statement, in a single passive-aggressive sign of changing times Acer president for personal computer global operations Campbell Kan added:
“If Microsoft is going to do hardware business, what should we do? Should we still rely on Microsoft, or should we find other alternatives?.”
There is always the real possibility that Acer and other manufacturers will look to Linux as an alternative to the Microsoft OS however millions of users have yet to figure out Linux and that shift would likely be gradual if at all.
In the meantime Microsoft when announcing the Surface tablet admitted that it could “tick off OEMs .”
