Microsoft’s biggest partners aren’t happy about the Surface Book

The reason Microsoft was so hesitant to release its own computers in the past was because it would mean competing directly with its partners in the PC market, such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard. That’s why both of these companies were less than happy when Microsoft took the wraps off of its first-ever laptop, the Surface Book. Considering how these are the companies that buy tends of millions of Windows licenses from Microsoft every year, it’s in the company’s best interest to make sure they’re happy, which is why Microsoft has started trying to patch things up with them. 

Microsoft may be looking at thawing the ice given the cold reception PC partners showed the Surface Book. Even though consumers appear excited about Microsoft’s first foray into the laptop space, OEM partners were less than pleased that Microsoft had encroached in the notebook space with an expansion of the Surface business. “We’re not happy about that,” said Dell President of Enterprise Solutions Marius Haas in response to Surface Book. And despite Dell being a reseller of the Surface Pro 3, Haas said that his company has no plans on reselling the Surface Book in an interview with The Register. Rival HP agreed, saying “that was a good answer,” but conceded that the Surface Book may be a good product for the industry “as far as creating demand for $2,500 (£1,615, AU$3,3437) devices.” Industry analysts forecast that the premium space will be dominated by Apple and Microsoft, leaving OEM partners to fight over the mainstream market with devices priced between $500 to $1,000 (£323-646, AU$687-1,374).