Acer Reacts, Calls Microsofts Surface Tablet Just a Ploy

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Surface is just a clever maneuver to pitch Windows 8 and Microsoft has no real intentions of selling its own tablet, says Acer's founder Stan Shih.

Shih should know, especially since Surface would put Microsoft into direct competition with Acer and it is probably a good idea for the company founder to understand what Microsoft is up to. For now, Shih is calming concerns that Microsoft is killing its partners and said, according to Digitimes, that "Microsoft has no real intention to sell own-brand tablet PCs and the offering is an ploy to boost adoption of Windows 8."

Ship noted that Surface is simply a enthusiasm booster for vendors and an encouragement to offer their own tablets. Shih concluded that it would make no sense for Microsoft to move from the software business with big profit margins to the hardware business with tiny margins. Of course, one could wonder why Microsoft found it necessary to rebrand its original Surface product to Pixel Sense and hand it to this "ploy" product.

Perhaps it was Shih's ploy not to appear upset over Microsoft Surface tablet?

Douglas Perry
28 Comments Comment from the forums
  • nbelote
    Microsoft took massive losses in the video gaming hardware industry in order to push themselves way ahead in the market. By the end of that time, they were making money hand-over-fist even with the losses. The ploy is a lie.
    Reply
  • erunion
    "Shih concluded that it would make no sense for Microsoft to move from the software business with big profit margins to the hardware business with tiny margins."

    Lets see, profitable software company that handles its own hardware? Nope can't think of a single....Apple!
    Reply
  • sixdegree
    Perhaps it was Shih's ploy not to appear upset over Microsoft Surface tablet?
    Just look at his face. That is all.
    Reply
  • phatboe
    While I do not believe Surface is a ploy at all, I do agree with Mr. Shih that what MS is doing doesn't make sense. Sure they can follow in Apple's lead and start creating their own hardware but that will upset MS's partners. Instead I don't understand why MS didn't license the surface design out to partners who agree to sell the surface based designed notebooks with Win 8.
    Reply
  • DRosencraft
    This logic from Acer is one of the strangest I've heard in a little while. If I'm getting this right, MSFT made a huge deal about making a tablet running a software that isn't out yet in hopes of driving up sales of that software, that would come on the device in the first place? How does this help push sales of Win8? Why make a public press announcement of the tablet and not at a developer conference, if this is just to boost enthusiasm? Is Acer saying they were thinking of making a tablet that doesn't run Win8? This statement from Acer just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
    Reply
  • It is all these "partners" fault anyway. They put bloatware on computers and dive them in to the ground from day one. Follow that up with crap hardware just to underprice apple products and that is what you get... apple gaining ground on microsoft. Microsoft reacted. Well played
    Reply
  • bspatial
    Just looking at that man's face makes me hate Acer products more.
    Reply
  • belardo
    They publicly said they would release this product to the market in a few months... to not do so, would look like they are crazy. But yes, their partners cannot compete against the MS branded tablet, which looks somewhat like a Nokia... with Nokia colors.

    erunionLets see, profitable software company that handles its own hardware? Nope can't think of a single....Apple!Errrr. no. Apple was born a hardware company, they sell hardware. They make their own software for their hardware. Here are some examples you seemed to not understand:
    - Apple II (Since the 1970s)
    - Macintosh
    - Mac II
    - PowerPC Macs
    - iMac
    - notebook computers
    - Intel powered Macs
    - Lisa
    - Newton (first tablet, before the Palm Pilots)
    - Monitors, keyboards, mice
    - Drives
    - Servers (yes, they made big box servers, they make little ones now)
    - iPod (some sort of MP3/music player of some sort)
    - iPhone (some awkward phone-like device, I doubt anyone will buy it)
    - iPad (a modern tablet that nobody ever heard of)


    Microsoft is a software company. Their early products? BASIC (used to make programs). They bought and re-sold "MSDOS". Windows, MS-office, Internet Explorer, etc... these are what is called SOFTWARE.

    The only hardware they make: keyboard & mice... and of course the game consoles.... so much for being the serious business company.

    MS makes money selling software FOR the xbox through licensing.

    Apple makes money on every piece of hardware they sell, its profit. They make more profit with iTunes selling music, books and movies... on top of their hardware.
    Reply
  • I think the "surface" Tablet is just microsoft's way (*Hopefully*) of getting the industry to go in this new direction. No one has build a tablet with a cover/keyboard and they wanted to do a mock up/ example ? I can't think of any other way of them doing that. No other way to express this idea. HOWEVER I realize this may be them trying to become a "hardware company" to that I feel very starnge about becuase they are gonna screw alot of things up. I hope thats not so. But hey we need more american companies doing hardware. Or at least making money from it.

    That being said. Acer Stop useing Alps Trackpads in your laptops! I returned mine becuase of it.

    They should get a better picture of that guy unless that was taken when he made that announcment even then I think a better picture is needed. It makes them look bad. Almost purposely.
    Reply
  • alextheblue
    It's just a ploy? That's what Shih said.

    /couldnotresist
    Reply