Microsoft Confesses: Surface Tablet Could Impact Partner Relationships

I believe this is a good thing. The only reason why Microsoft did this was because the OEM's were not making tablets the way the customers wanted them vaguely speaking. Microsoft amped up the game. This will help build competitiveness between the OEM's. There's really no difference between let's say if another OEM company spurted up in the middle of the night and started competing against HP etc. It's not like Windows is not selling their OS to these OEM's anymore. It's not like they're being like Apple and cutting off OEM's completely. They didn't cut anyone off, they only added to the competition. Competition is good for consumers.

Microsoft did this because OEMs would be insane to pick Windows for their tablets when Android is free and has a ton more traction (and available apps). Why put Windows on the tablet and send everyone to Microsoft's store when you can use Android and make profits through your own OEM store?

Well in fact Android is not free.... any company that uses Android does in fact pay a fee and the fee does go to Microsoft already. Google android licensing fee to microsoft

I totally agree with xXxDOYLExXx, What Microsoft did is normal, lets face it OEM companies haven't done a great job, Microsoft stepped in to pick up the pace and thank god for that. Good on them I say.

3vi1, you really need to get over this total hatred you have regarding windows 8 i think you will give yourself a stroke. People want tablets but they want tablets they can "work" on and that's why MS made Surface. Surface has been in the pipeline for many years. Androids phone are awesome, androids tables are crap... their really not doing well compared to IPads.

> any company that uses Android does in fact pay a fee

False. Microsoft is suing many companies using Android, but they've been suing them over features that arent' intrinsic to Android.  If Microsoft would make public any patent that they feel Andorid steps on, it would be rectified in days.

> you really need to get over this total hatred you have regarding windows 8

Oh, I don't hate Windows 8! I think it's the best thing that happened to alternative operating systems EVER! I mean, thanks to Win8, Linux is getting Steam and Valve games!  I couldn't have wished for a better move on Microsoft's part. But, if you think people won't see that it's designed to bleed money out of them via the app store, more power to you!  I'm not really anti-Microsoft, I'm pro-competition... which at this point involves a lot of anti-monopoly comments.  :)

> People want tablets but they want tablets they can "work" on

And what can you do on a Win8 tablet that you can't do on others?  You're concentrating on the operating system when it's really only the apps that matter.

"False. Microsoft is suing many companies using Android, but they've been suing them over features that arent' intrinsic to Android. If Microsoft would make public any patent that they feel Andorid steps on, it would be rectified in days."

Considering most of the contested patents are unknown, we can't say whether they're all not intrinsic to Android. Just the ones we heard about seem to be more design or specific application usage type patents. Otherwise, all we know for certain is that either through suit or agreement MS now collects licensing fees from over 70% of all Android phones.

While, the fact they won at least two cases means at least some of those patents are valid.

Though the 4.1 update should remove some patented code from Android, but it's uncertain if that deals with either or both Apple and MS patents.

"I mean, thanks to Win8, Linux is getting Steam and Valve games!"

Maybe, can't give Win8 all the credit as there has been efforts to get Steam to support Linux for years. However, it doesn't mean the effort will succeed and the rant the guy gave isn't new for him and he's changed his tune before.

So nothing is set in stone yet and ultimately what actually happens has little to do with what we would prefer or want but just how things play out.

"And what can you do on a Win8 tablet that you can't do on others? You're concentrating on the operating system when it's really only the apps that matter."

But it's the OS that determines what kind of apps you can run and what range of features and capabilities can be supported! Neither Android or iOS were ever made to run the kind of programs you can on a desktop OS and just changing the UI doesn't change this!

While full Win8 still supports legacy Windows apps and x86 tablets getting more market share could easily give Windows a performance advantage.

Well in fact Android is not free.... any company that uses Android does in fact pay a fee and the fee does go to Microsoft already. Google android licensing fee to microsoft