Acer Says Microsoft is Receptive to OEM Feedback Regarding Windows 8
Microsoft earlier this week said it's sold 100 million Windows 8 licenses to date, though admitted that figure includes pre-installed copies of the touch-friendly operating system to retailers and OEMs. Perhaps a better gauge of where Windows 8 stands is to look at its market share, which is up slightly in April (around 4-5 percent, depending on which data collection agency you trust), but still trailing Vista. Looking long-term, what does Microsoft need to do with Windows to ensure it remains the PC platform of choice?
That's a topic PC makers have been offering feedback on, and according to Acer President Jim Wong, Microsoft's been adopting suggestions from hardware partners "at a high percentage." After all, OEMs are the ones in the trenches trying to sell devices built around Microsoft's software, so why not listen to them?
"When we were talking to Microsoft, our input to them is balance," Wong told The Wall Street Journal. "The world in the next five years is not going 100 percent to touch. Although touch makes a lot of possibilities for PCs, you need to take care of the rest of the world that doesn't need touch."
Some of the suggestions will be implemented in Windows Blue, but the touch-heavy focus in Windows 8 isn't the only complaint. When it comes to mobile, the Windows platform needs more apps in order to compete with Google and Apple. On the plus side, as prices for hardware come down, more consumers will take a serious look at Windows 8 devices, which in turn will prompt more developers to build apps for the platform.
That's a topic PC makers have been offering feedback on, and according to Acer President Jim Wong, Microsoft's been adopting suggestions from hardware partners "at a high percentage." After all, OEMs are the ones in the trenches trying to sell devices built around Microsoft's software, so why not listen to them?
"When we were talking to Microsoft, our input to them is balance," Wong told The Wall Street Journal. "The world in the next five years is not going 100 percent to touch. Although touch makes a lot of possibilities for PCs, you need to take care of the rest of the world that doesn't need touch."
Some of the suggestions will be implemented in Windows Blue, but the touch-heavy focus in Windows 8 isn't the only complaint. When it comes to mobile, the Windows platform needs more apps in order to compete with Google and Apple. On the plus side, as prices for hardware come down, more consumers will take a serious look at Windows 8 devices, which in turn will prompt more developers to build apps for the platform.
