Tom Spring at PCWorld has a lengthy interview with Michael Dell, and includes this doozy of a Q&A:
PCW: Microsoft is getting into the computer hardware business via its Surface tablets. Is this good or bad for OEMs in general, and what’s your take on the impact of Microsoft’s hardware aspirations on Dell specifically?
Dell: I think the impact will be limited, given the number of units they expect to ship. Microsoft developed the product largely as a reference architecture—to set a baseline for Windows 8 user experience. We’re aligning a significant portion of our product development with Windows 8, and we think it offers some great, new capabilities. Anything Microsoft does to support faster Windows 8 adoption is fine by Dell. However, our focus is less on their plans and more on designing and delivering compelling Dell products and solutions.
Dell has much more to worry about than Surface. Specifically, the people abandoning Windows for the Mac and iOS devices.
