14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft’s new approach of a devices and services company makes Steve Ballmer proud of his Redmond-based empire, but we’ve heard so many bad words about Microsoft’s products in the last month that we’re pretty sure some of you could stay away from the likes of Windows 8 and Surface.
Unfortunately, not everyone is pleased with Microsoft’s efforts in the hardware industry and the first ones to react are the CEOs of manufacturers that until now considered Microsoft a simple software maker.
Now that Microsoft is building its own tablet and, what’s more, this tablet is enjoying a terrible success, everybody in the industry hates Microsoft. Mostly because the Redmond-based technology company is destroying their business, as some of them expect lower sales because of the Surface.
Acer CEO JT Wang said last month that Microsoft’s intention to step into the hardware market is simply a dirty trick to push long-time partners out of the business, emphasizing that the Redmond-based firm has so much money that it could kill everyone.
“They are doing something to kill the whole ecosystem,” Wang said. “They have all this cash. They could kill everybody,” he added pointing to Microsoft’s $63 billion (€48 billion) in cash.
Back in September, it was rumored that Intel, one of the most important Microsoft partners ever, was also badmouthing Microsoft. CEO Paul Otellini reportedly told employees in Taiwan that Microsoft was planning to release its operating system although it wasn’t ready, so consumers would purchase a pretty buggy product.
Acer, on the other hand, can’t stop talking about the Surface and continues to criticize the tablet with every single occasion.
After its CEO said Microsoft wants to kill its partners, President for Greater China, Linxian Lang, stepped in front of the media and claimed that the Redmondians are actually eating “hard rice” with the Surface, so they would better stick to their usual software diet.
“The whole industry is excited about tablets, but serious corporations still need desktops,” he said. “Windows 8 cannot be a tablet proposition only. Windows 8 must have a future on the desktop as well.”
Fortunately for Microsoft, it’s the end-user whose opinion is more important and as far we can tell, both the Surface and the Windows 8 OS are pretty successful so far.