Microsoft Blaming PC Firms For WIn 8 Poor Sales.

Microsoft at Odds with PC Makers Over Windows 8 Strategy -

Microsoft is very frustrated with major OEMs who didn't build nearly enough touch systems and are now struggling to find parts and ramp up. Microsoft says they provided very specific guidance on what to build, an un-named source told The Register.

For their part, PC makers says that if they followed Microsoft's requirements and stepped up production, they'd essentially be stuck holding onto a bunch of expensive tablets that nobody wants to buy.

Read In Full -http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/microsoft_odds_pc_makers_over_windows_8_strategy2013

lmao - nothing like passing the buck.

Haha. Increasing the price of Windows 8 won't help either.

Well, thats just it, win8 tablets are really thin on the ground, you cannot sell an OS if there is no hardware! It doesn't help that currys.digital.dixons.com.net (or whatever they are trying to call themselves these days) are cloding all over, comet went bust, leaving very few major highstreet places that would actually stock them.

It's hardly passing the buck, it's spot on.
Windows 8 tablets are like rocking horse ****, this is the biggest growing market.
Even now after Christmas and new year sales have ended they are still like rocking horse ****.

Without tablets, windows isn't going to grow, people are moving away from desktops, not even a new os will massively increase desktop sales. The world is a very different place than when win7 was released.

Mind you MS didn't help by not sticking the surface straight away into shops so people could touch them.

Time for Ms to ramp up its own hardware.

Microsoft need to win hearts from mobile phone users and they are trying to. They are playing catch up - big time. Like Intel.
As for tablets, its catching up with the mobile phone frenzy.
MS by the looks of things are making a hell of an effort with Nokia and Lumia - and its selling well. My opinion of course.
PC users take a back seat while every one swipes a phone to greet a friend.
Next big thing? the Virtual Reality kit. I keep thinking the new Xbox will surprise?

Microsoft's thing is desktop operating systems for business + home.

Business said they wouldn't switch to Windows 8 because of Metro.

Nobody's dad/mum/gran could learn Metro. (see youtube)

Microsoft released it anyway.

Microsoft cries.

billysielu said:

Microsoft's thing is desktop operating systems for business + home.

Business said they wouldn't switch to Windows 8 because of Metro.

Nobody's dad/mum/gran could learn Metro. (see youtube)

Microsoft released it anyway.

Microsoft cries.

Click to expand...

Most businesses are still stuck on Windows XP anyway!

PhillyDee said:

Most businesses are still stuck on Windows XP anyway!

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If it works , does what you need it to do , then why change ?

OLDPHART said:

For their part, PC makers says that if they followed Microsoft's requirements and stepped up production, they'd essentially be stuck holding onto a bunch of expensive tablets that nobody wants to buy.

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Because everyone buys the ipad...

I've been saying it for a couple months. It was obvious a month after Win8 launched that all was not well compared to previous Windows launches. And it's not the software, Win8 is a fine operating system. But... Microsoft has mishandled the OEMs. They were expecting them to fall in line like with previous Windows releases but it didn't quite happen. There's just no hardware out there and the stuff that is is only available in small numbers. No hardware. It's a pretty fundamental problem!

I'm surprised it has taken Microsoft so long to realise and come to this conclusion. But it is absolutely spot on. Fixing it is slightly more difficult.

Or the OEM's realised what MS didn't, that the world is flooded with tablets already and this would be a tough sell to convince those sold on the idea of a tablet to buy another one or one with less to offer in terms of apps.

And they were too late to the market.

I've had an Android phone for years, it does what I want and my 2 year old daughter has grown up using it so I bought an Android tablet so it's familiar to her.

As for my desktop, I'm not THAT interested in touch screen that I'll pay a premium for another OS and the screen.

wesimmo said:

And they were too late to the market.

As for my desktop, I'm not THAT interested in touch screen that I'll pay a premium for another OS and the screen.

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Couldn't agree more.

I'm hoping that someone will see an opportunity to hook Android into a Metro alternative. I think MS are potentially treading on dodgy ground putting their own tablet OS into Windows if it isn't open for others to do the same.

I think MS have had a vision but somewhere this has run away with them from what research should have told them about what the market would take.

OMG parents - we need to be child friendly - what would my 2 year old daughter want
im lost for words

thenewoc said:

Or the OEM's realised what MS didn't, that the world is flooded with tablets already and this would be a tough sell to convince those sold on the idea of a tablet to buy another one or one with less to offer in terms of apps.

Click to expand...

wesimmo said:

And they were too late to the market.

As for my desktop, I'm not THAT interested in touch screen that I'll pay a premium for another OS and the screen.

Click to expand...

Well said.

it wasn't the sole reason I got an Android tablet, but certainly a factor.

Try regularly driving 200 miles with a kid that can't read, passing her the Xoom and her being able to put Peppa Pig on or play a drawing game is infinitely preferable to screaming.

wesimmo said:

And they were too late to the market.

I've had an Android phone for years, it does what I want and my 2 year old daughter has grown up using it so I bought an Android tablet so it's familiar to her.

As for my desktop, I'm not THAT interested in touch screen that I'll pay a premium for another OS and the screen.

Click to expand...

I've an Android smartphone and tablet,I have no intention of replacing them with Win8 versions,however Win8 is fine on my PC and laptop.

I will say if Microsoft want to sell more they should bring out more models especially on tablets and lower the pricing,its hard to compete with my £100 Android tablet that does it all .

its cos win8 is poop wake up microsoft!!

There is some serious myopia in this thread.

First of all, anyone paying attention should recognise this as old news.

Secondly, the whole notion that they are 'too late' to the tablet market is just ridiculous. The tablet as we know it today blasted into existence at the time of the release of the original iPad. Which was 2010. We've not even had another World Cup since then. Has the tablet peaked already and now in decline, superseded by a new and superior form factor?

Thirdly, I don't know how Microsoft can seriously claim to be 'surprised' by the lacklustre OEM performance anyway when at the same time they are hedging their bets with their own hardware. I somehow doubt they planned, designed and manufactured the Surface by accident.

The market (desktop + mobile) in general is saturated. The prevalence of smartphones means that people can have a portion of the funtionality and convenience of a tablet as a mobile device else they have their old and perectly funtional laptop/desktops. They have a choice, they can hold on and make do ("first world problems") in the hope for cheaper W8 tablet in the future or as has been mentioned pickup an alternative at lower cost and with which they are already familiar (android).