Microsoft surprised consumers, and apparently even its OEM partners, when it announced its self-branded Surface tablet running Windows 8. An Acer executive has already spoken out against the announcement, saying its an attempt to get OEMs to produce their own high quality offerings. One analyst now believes that Microsoft used its access to partner’s Windows 8 plans before moving ahead with the Surface launch after all.
Patrick Moorhead, a former executive at AMD and president of Moor Insights & Strategy, has learnt via conversions with high-level OEM executives that Microsoft looked at what the companies were doing and decided its next move. Whatever was happening behind the scenes apparently wasn’t good enough, prompting Microsoft to go with its own Surface plans: “If Microsoft had seen compelling enough plans from [PC makers], they wouldn’t have needed to do this.”
That leaves OEMs frustrated not because Microsoft introduced its own tablets, but because of the way they went about it. Moorhead goes on to say that Microsoft held meetings several weeks ago with Windows 8 tablet OEMs to get details on launch plans and pricing, with Surface announced not long afterwards. That leaves the relationship between Microsoft and the various OEMs in an awkward position, with some allegedly “reinvest[ing] in Android-based Chromebooks and Android tablets.”
[via Electric Pig]
Story Timeline
- Microsoft Surface Tablet Hands-on [video]
- Microsoft Surface tablet event wrap-up
- Microsoft Surface tablet keynote video goes live
- Ballmer: Windows partners knew Surface was coming
- SlashGear 101: What is Microsoft Surface?
- A case against Microsoft Surface tablets' future success
- Clandestine Microsoft Surface launch leaves PC partners puzzled
- Microsoft Surface price puzzle polarizes pundits
- Surface vs iPad comparisons inevitable, but foolish in the end
- Microsoft Surface reportedly WiFi only
- Surface Detail: Microsoft's Tablets Are Too Big To Fail
- Surface spawned over timid OEMs tip ex-Microsofties
Microsoft saw OEM tablet plans, went ahead with Surface is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
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