14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft had a long collaboration with many PC manufacturers worldwide, but CEO Steve Ballmer’s plan to go all in on devices and services appears to have upset many partners.
HP’s CEO Meg Whitman said during a meeting with analysts that Redmond is no longer just a simple partner, as it’s now turning into a powerful competitor fighting for the same buyer segment.
She’s obviously talking about Microsoft’s efforts in the hardware industry, as the tech giant has until now launched several tablets and is willing to continue expanding its product family with even more devices.
“Wintel-based devices are being aggressively displaced by ARM-based PCs and mobile devices. PCs are declining while tablets are growing… Current long-running partners such as Intel and Microsoft are becoming outright competitors,” Whitman was quoted as saying by Barron’s.
Unsurprisingly, HP isn’t the only company in the world that sees Microsoft as a competitor after working together on a number of projects for many years.
Back in October 2012, Acer’s CEO has blasted Microsoft for its intention to step into the hardware industry and launch tablets running the Windows operating system, saying that Redmond has what it takes to crush all its rivals and take the lion’s share in this particular market.
“They are doing something to kill the whole ecosystem,” Acer CEO JT Wang said. “They have all this cash. They could kill everybody. Maybe they think they need to do something aggressive to compete with Apple and not rely on brands like Acer.”
That never happened though and Microsoft has actually failed to impress in the hardware industry, with its Surface tablets causing more harm than good.
The company has recently unveiled its second-generation Surface tablet, which is said to be even faster and thinner than the previous models, with sales projected to begin on October 22 across the United States.