[technoslut]

>The only "huge negative impact" that I can see from this is pushing the hardware manufacturers to innovate harder and do better with the use and distribution of the software.

MS can't have it both ways unless they want to become Apple. You can't ask an OEM to innovate and take most of their profits away in a race to the bottom market. It's simply not fair.

MS is going to have to make a choice in the future of who they want to become. They can't slam Google a year ago for what they are doing now.

I'm not sure how MS can find a way out but they had better do so soon because the future is being decided during MS's conflicted beliefs and the risk is greater than just losing Windows dominance.

[LockeWatts]

MS can't have it both ways unless they want to become Apple. You can't ask an OEM to innovate and take most of their profits away in a race to the bottom market. It's simply not fair.

Why not, exactly? As long as it increases Microsoft's profits, what prevents them from doing this?

[tedunangst]

MS is doing the opposite of a race to the bottom. They are raising the bar. Your product must this good to enter the market. Make something better than the Surface and sell it for a 20% margin, instead of the 0.2% margin the current crap makes.