Lenovo CEO Rips Microsoft, 'Surface' Tablet

Lenovo says it's not concerned about the upcoming release of Microsoft's 'Surface' tablet computer. Instead, the firm says it plans to stay competitive by developing and selling better hardware.

It's tough talk for a company known to build products that for many years have relied on the Windows operating systems.

Making the comments: Lenovo Chief Executive Officer Yang Yuanqing.

During an earnings report on Lenovo's first fiscal quarter 2013, Yuanqing said his firm was not concerned about the upcoming release of Surface, even though the device will compete with any future Lenovo tablet computer.

Just Another Competitor: Lenovo CEO

"[They're] just one of our many competitors," Yuanqing said. "We are still confident that we are providing much better hardware than our competitors including Microsoft." (Source: tomshardware.com)

Yuanqing went on to say that Microsoft's strength is in software, and that he believes Lenovo will produce a better-built tablet device.

"To be frank, we're not that worried about [Surface]. Microsoft is still our strategy partner. We are very optimistic on the Windows 8 launch so we will fully leverage that to launch our new products," Yuanqing said. (Source: cnet.com)

PC Partners React to Surface

Since Microsoft first unveiled Surface earlier this summer, there has been much speculation that the move upset the firm's traditional PC partners, including Lenovo, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Acer, and Samsung.

Acer later insisted publicly that Microsoft was making a mistake by offering the public a product that would compete with its main partners. However, Hewlett-Packard (HP) reacted much like Lenovo: it simply shrugged and promised to release a better product.

Lenovo tablet computers likely to hit the market later this year will run on the Windows 8 RT operating system, designed specifically for portable devices. Also releasing new hardware based on Windows 8 RT will be Samsung, Asus, and Dell.

Observers expect Surface will be released at the same time as Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system: in late October, 2012. The device marks Microsoft's first hardware venture into the tablet market.