Asus, ViewSonic and MSI keep quiet on Acer's 'troublesome Microsoft' comments

Firms distance themselves from Wang's inflammatory remarks about Windows development process

Hardware manufacturers have distanced themselves from remarks by Acer chief executive JT Wang that Microsoft is exerting too much influence on the hardware requirements for tablets intending to run the forthcoming Windows 8 platform.

V3.co.uk spoke to numerous firms at the Computex trade show where Wang made the controversial remarks on Microsoft's "troublesome" influence.

Few were prepared to comment, not even Acer's Taiwanese rival Asus, which was reportedly also locked out of the Windows 8 development process.

MSI, which has Windows 7 running on its latest WindPad 120W tablet, explained that "Microsoft means very good business" for the firm, and as such it would not want to speculate on the situation with Windows 8.

ViewSonic, which has several Windows 7-based tablets on display at the show, said that Microsoft UK was being very secretive on its plans for Windows 8 on the smaller form factor.

Acer's Wang made the comments earlier in the week to several journalists on the sidelines of the show, and if his intention was to make mischief, it certainly seems to have succeeded.

However, it is unlikely that Microsoft is going to change its development process on the say-so of one hardware manufacturer.

It was all business-as-usual for Microsoft's vice president of OEMs, Steve Guggenheimer, during his Wednesday keynote as he waxed lyrical on the wonder of the Microsoft ecosystem.