30 
It’s well known that hardware manufacturers are none too happy about Microsoft’s foray into tablets with the Surface, and even the company itself had admitted it will screw over PC manufacturers. Acer’s CEO certainly shares that opinion—and he’s being fairly vocal about it.
In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Acer CEO JT Wang decided to get some things off his chest. Best of all, he explained:
“We have said [to Microsoft] think it over. Think twice. It will create a huge negative impact for the ecosystem and other brands may take a negative reaction. It is not something you are good at so please think twice.”
Wang wasn’t the only one to speak his mind, either. Campbell Kan, Acer’s president of PC global operations, explained:
“If Microsoft is going to [have a] hardware business, what should we do? Should we still rely on Microsoft, or should we find other alternatives?”
So get ready for, I don’t know, Ubuntu Acers? Whatever, clearly, there’s dissent amongst the ranks of once-loyal Windows PC manufacturers. While Microsoft certainly doesn’t seem to be thinking twice about its latest, daring moves into hardware, it’s yet to be seen whether such a tactic will be al lright in the long-term. [Financial Times via All Things D]
Image by Friprog under Creative Commons license
Why You Shouldn't Leave Your Twitter Account Logged In If You're an MP (Or Anyone Else)
Design a Las Vegas Hotel (or Anything Else Sin City-Related) For This Month's 3D Printing Challenge
Asus and Acer: The Netbook Is Dead
It just sounds like Sour Grapes from Acer. What other choice do they have? iOS, nope Apple won’t let you do that. Linux, nope no one will buy it. Android, can’t do nearly as much as a full OS.
Pick up your balls and come play with the big boys Acer
Linux Computers do sell, obviously not as much as Windows ones,but they do sell. But yes, I suspect this is just manoeuvring on Acers part, maybe to get a better rate on Windows 8 licences.
I suspect you’re right but I can’t really see it working. Acer have much more to lose by not having Windows than Microsoft does from not having Acer.
More of these, maybe?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006TYAWJU/ref=asc_df_B006TYAWJU9109201?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B006TYAWJU
It’s Amazon UK’s 15,204th best selling computer product, don’t you know.
Has anyone actually used a Chromebook as their daily laptop? Would be interesting to hear how they got on..
So Acer are worried about another competitor in their market. Maybe if they didn’t make god awful, piece of crap machines that barely function as pieces of plastic let alone a laptop, they wouldn’t have to worry.
Of course they are mouthing off, they have taken advantage of consumers for too long with their poorly builtm bloatware filled abominations. Now Microsoft want to stamp their own mark on the hardware and really push OEMs. Their oligopoly is going to suffer when customers see just how little they are really investing in hardware innovation and design.
p.s. in case you didn’t know, I have an awful esperience with my last Acer laptop.
+1 for making me look up ‘oligopoly’
You’ve never plaid oligopoly? It’s a fun game for all the family and more than one person can win.
Plaid Oligopoly? Is that the Scottish version?
weird spelling mistake on my part.
Why not sell hardware without OS? Then have option to install Chrome, Ubuntu, Android, Windows.
Because most people are idiots and wouldn’t know an OS from a Bacon Baguette
The first bite will solve that confusion.
I now have images in my head of someone trying to load a bacon baguette into a CD tray..
Currently you get Windows 7 and about 6 gig of bloatware, trial software and about 2 hours of updates. For idiots the store could offer installation of your choice of OS. This should reduce the price of the hardware as Windows is not preinstalled. I have claimed back in the past for unused Windows OS.
While, I would think this to be a brilliant option, I still cant see the non – geek liking it.
Oh no, whatever shall we do without such a high profile brand whose accolades include: poor build quality, rubbish battery, tons of bloatware and shockingly bad customer service in the modern laptop market?
I can’t help but think this deserves the cry-baby picture rather than the acer one. I know it is usually reserved for bickering whiny UK networks, but I think it is also applicable here.
I’m very much looking forward to Surface, but I think it’ll end up being quite expensive on a spec/£ ratio. Acer can still make the things they do best (cheap and cheerful) and maybe Sony will get a kick up the arse to produce some better stuff again.
All good in my opinion.
in a post about MS bitch slapping its OEM partners i said waht choice do they have. @dirtymagic86 has the right of it really, MS is their only option for an OS.. unless they ship with ChomeOS, Android or a smartly pre-built linux OS. But that wont be great when said user comes to install a new bit of kit and all the version firmware has changed etc.. so guess Acer has no option really but to get its fat lazy ass in gear (like the rest of the OEM lot) and start making stuff that is good enough so MS wont have to do make things them selves in the future.. if Acer were good enough to make a surface then they would of had the contract.. but evidence suggests otherwise, no?