Whether or not consumers will find Windows 8 palatable is still up in the air, but even if the paradigm-shattering operating system is a wild success, Acer's Chinese head thinks Microsoft may be biting off more than it can chew with the introduction of the Surface tablet. Linxian Lang compared the PC hardware market to a meal, warning Microsoft that it may find the competitive arena to be "hard rice" that's difficult to eat.
Acer's senior management have vociferously disagreed with Microsoft's decision to compete with its OEM partners pretty much since the Surface was unveiled, first warning Microsoft to "think twice" about disrupting the ecosystem, then delaying plans for its own Windows RT tablet until the second quarter of next year due to the threat of Surface. The frequency and tone of the rhetoric has elevated in recent weeks; could it be because Microsoft delivered a stunningly designed piece of hardware with the Surface tablet, substantially raising the bar for Windows devices from OEMs like Acer?
Lang and Acer hope Microsoft's bread and butter, Windows 8, goes down a bit more smoothly despite all the spicy hardware talk. He said he expects the new operating system to play a large role in Acer's 2013 prospects; if Windows 8 sinks, Lang says, Acer's own profits will "subside" as well.
Via Engadget and Sina Tech (Translated)
Get a daily look at what’s developing in science and technology throughout the world.