Storm in a teacup
Surface is all about raising the bar for what is a huge change to Windows, the biggest since Windows 95, not about competing with OEMs - I doubt they will sell a huge number or indeed expect to, at least initially. If Acer has some interesting new hardware to show us, like its more innovative rival Asus which I notice has been quiet on this subject, then what is stopping it? Microsoft has quite rightly realised that a step change in software means the same for hardware - and it is sending its OEMs a strong hint that the same old hardware just won't compete with the likes of Apple at all. If OEMs fail to step up to the mark, then they will surely extend sales to general retail channels with a suitable excuse like "in the light of strong demand for our series of innovative tablets...". At the moment, the tablet market is a one horse race, which is bad for everybody; Nexus 7 isn't even competing in the same space. The SECC filing is a red herring - this was more a regulatory and legal statement to avoid the potential of being sued by some dim wit shareholder who didn't realise the potential for competition. Acer already sells Android tablets which have notably failed to trouble Apple, so what exactly is Acer's cunning plan if Microsoft continues to go for Surface? The real issue for Acer is that they can't continue to sell the same hardware at vastly inflated prices, just because it happens to have Windows on. When I can buy Windows 8 for $39.99 and put it on any hardware I want, the $90 OEM claim seems way too high.