With the reveal of the Surface Windows 8/RT based tablet on Monday, this also means that Microsoft is entering the PC hardware business directly for the first time. So, one of the big questions surrounding the Surface announcement was, "How will other PC makers react to this reveal?"
In a brief chat with The Verge, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said that other PC hardware makers were made aware ahead of time that Microsoft was going to reveal the Surface tablet. However, he didn"t say what their reaction was to this new move by Microsoft, saying simply that they might "opine" on Microsoft"s decision.
So far, the public reaction from other PC makers has been, well, silent for the most part. LG did say it was going to be getting out of the tablet market but they are not exactly as big of a PC maker as HP or Dell, both of which have business-oriented Windows 8 tablets in the works.
Ballmer did tell The Verge that part of the reason for the Surface was to "prime the pump" for the launch of Windows 8 later this year. He added that the tablet is "an important companion to the whole Windows 8 story. It"s an important piece; it"s not the only piece."
Source: The Verge