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Microsoft's Surface Caught Windows OEMs By Surprise

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the oh-by-the-way dept.

MojoKid writes "Microsoft's Surface isn't just an attempt to take on the iPad or an articulation of MS's independent design philosophy — it's a fundamental threat against the OEMs who've spent decades as Microsoft's partners and collectively destroyed the industry's perception of the PC as a high-value product. The adversarial roots run deep. Microsoft didn't tell its partners about Surface until three days before the event and gave only the most minimal details on the product. Only the largest vendors even got a phone call; Asus and Acer, the 4th and 5th largest PC manufacturers worldwide, have stated that they had no idea anything was coming. For OEMs who have spent decades working in lock-step with Redmond, that's deeply unsettling."

7 of 565 comments (clear)

  1. *** Announcement project*** by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    *** Announcement project***
    ***to be distributed to all OEM guys.***

    Hey guys, we're going to try ruin you again in 3
    ( ) years
    ( ) months
    () days
    ***
    Please select the right choice, boss.
    Marketing Slime Department

  2. Microsoft don't have partners by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    They have counterparties.
     

  3. So this will really be the Linux Desktop year? by timmy.cl · · Score: 5, Funny

    All the disappointed OEMs will be turning to Linux, making this year (yes, I promise this time is for real!) the Linux Desktop year.

  4. Re:Not their first attempt at this by cp.tar · · Score: 5, Funny

    What Apple product is the xbox360 meant to compete against?

    Apple Pippin, of course.

    --
    Ignore this signature. By order.
  5. Microsoft == Vader by ckhorne · · Score: 5, Funny

    "I have altered the deal. Pray that I do not alter it further"

  6. Re:Not their first attempt at this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wait; a guy from Microsoft, at a Microsoft media event, announces, without sales data, that the XBOX 360 is the best selling console worldwide?

    This information seems very reliable and extremely trustworthy.

  7. Re:Scorpion and the Frog by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 5, Funny

    The way the story is normally told the scorpion specifically points out that the frog can trust it because stinging the frog would kill them both.

    Actually, the way I remember it is that the scorpion refreshes the tree of liberty while the river gradually warms up until the frog boils, but before that the frog uses 4 boxes for defense after it votes with two foxes about dinner, then the scorpion trades one thing for another, so it deserves neither, all of which is like if Ford sold cars with the hoods welded shut... or something like that.