Acer: Microsoft Surface 'Negative For The Whole PC Industry'

Shortly after Microsoft announced its upcoming Surface tablet, there was speculation that it might sour the company's relationships with OEM partners. Statements from an Acer spokesperson indicate that's definitely the case. The spokesperson told Bloomberg, "On one hand Microsoft is our partner, but on the other, Microsoft’s move makes them compete not only with us but all PC makers. We think that Microsoft’s launch of its own-brand products is negative for the whole PC industry." The company is reportedly considering whether or not they want to keep relying on Microsoft's software products.

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Re:I didn't know Acer still made computers

[Anonymous Coward]

If Acer cares I can confirm their Acer Aspire V5-531 runs Ubuntu Linux 12.04 LTS perfectly after applying one manual configuration setting so the WiFi signal does not keep dropping. Heck, it even works with the Logitech Bluetooth M525 mouse and Bluetooth K750 solar-powered keyboard. A simple software download is required if you want to use a single USB dongle with both keyboard and mouse; otherwise use separate dongles and skip the driver. And for those who require Microsoft Windows for some applications, Oracle VirtualBox can be used to run Microsoft Windows while Ubuntu Linux runs as the host operating system. I was skeptical that such a modern notebook would work flawlessly with Ubuntu Linux; I have been very pleased since I bought it in June 2012.