Acer has once again spoken out against Microsoft and their just-released Surface tablet. In a recent interview with Tencent Technology, Acer’s Greater China president Lin Xianlang likened making hardware to food. His comments were roughly translated as he described Microsoft's entrance into the hardware game as being similar to consuming hard rice that isn’t very easy to eat. Translation aside, he’s essentially saying that Microsoft should stick with software and leave hardware to the experts.
Acer has been one of the most vocal partners when it comes to voicing an opinion about Microsoft’s foray into building hardware. The company initially believed that Microsoft’s move was just temporary and would be used as a segue to get other manufacturers involved in building Windows 8 tablets.
That tune changed a couple of months later as Acer publically said they were given a brief notice before Microsoft announced surface and that launching branded hardware would have a negative impact on other brands and the ecosystem as a whole.
It seems that truer works couldn’t have been spoken as Acer recently revealed plans to delay their Windows RT offerings until the second quarter of 2013. The reason, according to Acer president Jim Wong, is the Surface tablet.
During an interview with Reuters, Wong said Microsoft’s tablet is making them much more cautious and they’d rather wait and see how Surface does and how hard Microsoft pushes it. The fact that Microsoft doesn’t have to pay licensing fees for the operating system and Office has allowed them to competitively price Surface starting at $499.
