A trio of sources talking to Bloomberg have seemingly make clear Acer’s concerns with Microsoft’s new tablet strategy. Seems that the men beneath Ballmer hope to hurry delivery of the company’s new tablet OS by limiting variations. To achieve this, Microsoft is offering incentives to chip and computer makers that conform to form sole alliances (i.e., one chipmaker works exclusively with one computer manufacturer) including enhanced feature sets and lower prices on Microsoft software. Under the plan, chip suppliers would be capable of select a second company to provide a clamshell-style laptop using Microsoft’s next wares. The plan shouldn’t be mandatory and doesn’t apply to desktop use of Microsoft next operating system, in accordance with Bloomberg’s sources. However, if true, then it represents a dramatic departure from Microsoft’s traditional war-of-attrition solution to the laptop and tablet market that has ended in a near limitless selection of brands and configurations so synonymous with Wintel. All of it sounds incredulous until you think about Microsoft’s method of Windows Phone that already marries its mobile OS to a highly restrictive specification sheet. With Windows Next (or Windows 8, in case you prefer) set to support both Intel architectures and ARM (and all its licensees), we will understand Microsoft’s desire for tighter control over its partners in hopes of increasing development and testing. Finally, Microsoft is conspicuously absent from the tablet discussion nowadays. We guess Steve wasn’t kidding when he called this OS Microsoft’s ” riskiest product bet ” yet.
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