微软平板,你让几家欢喜几家愁?

微软公司(Microsoft Corp.)决定发布自家品牌的 Surface 平板电脑后，哪些厂商能够从中受益以及有哪些可能的输家看来已经相当清楚了。根据许多产业观察家表示，这家软件巨擘的OEM客户们将直接成为最大的输家；其它人则说微软公司本身就会后悔这项可能激怒其PC伙伴的决定。 无论实际情况究竟如何，微软公司的这项决定显然对于电子组件采购与制造领域带来了重大影响。由于惠普公司(HP)、Research In Motion公司(RIM)、宏达电(HTC)，甚至是三星电子(Samsung)等厂商们都无法在苹果(Apple Inc.)公司主导的平板市场取得任何进展，许多组件供货商们开始把希望寄托于一家新的竞争厂商出现，以期能够有效地与这家全球最有价值的消费电子巨擘相抗衡。 如果微软的 Surface 平板电脑能够成功，它将可能侵蚀到苹果公司的市占率。然而，我个人的看法是，它可能真的能够协助扩展产品所诉求的整体市场，吸收市场上许多想买一部平板电脑但又不喜欢 iPad 、不想付出像苹果平板设备般高昂的费用或是不满意其它替代产品的消费群。 企业用户们也能从微软进军平板电脑市场中受益。许多公司的CIO发现，公司规定员工使用什么平台的时代即将划下句点。在许多情况下，员工们(尤其是高阶主管们)都有“携带自有装置”(BOYD)来上班的现象。他们会主动告诉公司自己想使用(而且也已购买)的设备，然后要求连接到企业IT系统中。这就是 iPhone 渗透到企业通讯领域的方式。高层主管人员只需以智能手机露面，然后要求CIO为其连接到公司内部通讯系统即可。 Surface 的用户们可能会发现 Surface 平板很容易就能取得企业认可。事实上，我怀疑只要能够加载Microsoft Office应用程序的公司，就能为员工购买这款设备。如果 Surface在办公室时能够轻松地连接到更大尺寸的屏幕与键盘，而在携带外出时又能使用可携与超轻的键盘，那么很多人可能会放弃笔记本电脑。微软公司在 一份新闻稿中讨论到一款可搭配此 Surface 平板的键盘。 “3 mm的 Touch Cover 触控保护盖展现出人机界面的一大进展。这种 Touch Cover 采用一种对压力十分敏感的独特技术，能够像手势般感测按键，从而实现比屏幕键盘更快速的触控打字方式。 Touch Cover 以内建的磁性连接器吸附于 Surface 平板上，自然形成一个像书背般的设计，而且也提供了保护盖的功能。你也可以选择附加另一款5mm厚薄的 Type Cover 保护盖，带来有如传统按键打字般地触感。” 我已经想要买一款来体验看看了。如果微软 Surface 能够赢得客户的青睐，在该公司生态系统中的许多公司都将直接受益，包括任何被选中为该设备进行组装的公司。微软公司本身不太可能自行制造 Surface，所以生产业务将交由合约制造商。此外，组件供货商和物流服务供货商也将从微软那儿看到越来越多的订单。预计英特尔公司(Intel)会在 此分一杯羹。当然，IP授权公司ARM也不例外，微软公司预期 Surface 的其中一个版本将采用ARM的引擎。 物流服务公司还可望取得一些运输与递送 Surface 的相关业务。微软公司表示只会透过线上服务或旗下品牌专卖店来销售这款产品。这表示未来将会需要货运公司提供递送 Surface到家庭和企业的服务。 编译：Susan Hong 本文授权编译自EBN Online，版权所有，谢绝转载 本文下一页：参考英文原文：Who Benefits From Microsoft Surface Debut?，by Bolaji Ojo, Editor in Chief

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{pagination} Who Benefits From Microsoft Surface Debut? Bolaji Ojo The winners and losers are already being sorted out following the decision by Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) to launch its own tablet PC. Many industry observers say the software giant's OEM customers will be the direct losers. Others say Microsoft itself may regret its move, which is likely to irritate its PC partners. Whatever the case might be, the decision obviously has strong implications for the electronics component procurement and manufacturing segments. After seeing rivals like Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ), Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; Toronto: RIM), High Tech Computer Corp. (HTC) (Taiwan: 2498), and even Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Korea: SEC) fail to make a dent in Apple Inc.'s domination of the tablet market, component vendors are bound to hope a new competitor would be more successful in taking on the world's most valuable consumer electronics company. If Microsoft's Surface tablet succeeds, it may erode some of Apple's marketshare. However, my personal opinion is that it may actually help expand the total addressable market, making devotees out of folks who may want to buy a tablet but don't like the iPad, don't want to pay the premium Apple demands for the device, or are dissatisfied with the slate of alternatives. Enterprise users may also benefit from Microsoft's entry into the tablet market. Many CIOs are finding that the days of companies dictating what platforms employees can use are coming to an end. In many cases, employees (especially senior executives) have fostered the bring-your-own-device phenomenon. They tell their companies the devices they would like to use (and have already purchased) and then request access to corporate IT systems. That's how the iPhone sneaked into enterprise messaging. Top-level executives simply showed up with the smartphone and asked CIOs to hook them up with the internal messaging system. Surface users may find it easier to gain enterprise acceptance. I suspect, in fact, that companies could purchase the device for employees if it can be loaded with Microsoft Office applications. Many of us may dump our notebook PCs if the Surface can be easily hooked up to a bigger screen and keyboard in the office and taken on the road with a portable and ultra-light keyboard. In a press release, Microsoft discussed the keyboard that will come with the device. The 3 mm Touch Cover represents a step forward in human-computer interface. Using a unique pressure-sensitive technology, Touch Cover senses keystrokes as gestures, enabling you to touch type significantly faster than with an on-screen keyboard... Touch Cover clicks into Surface via a built-in magnetic connector, forming a natural spine like you find on a book, and works as a protective cover. You can also click in a 5 mm-thin Type Cover that adds moving keys for a more traditional typing feel. I already want one. If Microsoft wins customer acceptance for the Surface, many companies in its ecosystem will be the direct beneficiaries. These will include whichever company is selected to assemble the device. Microsoft is unlikely to manufacture the Surface itself, so it will be using a contract manufacturer. In addition, component suppliers and logistics services providers will see increased patronage from Microsoft. Already, Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC) is expected to play a role. So will the IP licensing company ARM Ltd. (Nasdaq: ARMHY; London: ARM), which Microsoft said will provide the engine for one of the two variants of the Surface. Logistics services companies can also expect to gain some business from shipping and delivering the Surface. Microsoft has indicated it would sell the device only online or through its own branded stores. This means freight companies will be pressed into service delivering the Surface to homes and businesses. On Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. EDT, EBN will host a live chat on Microsoft's foray into the PC hardware market with Rick Merritt, an industry veteran and EE Times electronic systems analyst. Rick will answer questions on the potential impact of the Microsoft Surface on the electronics supply chain. He will also discuss the likely winners and losers and whether this move is even in Microsoft's best interest. Click here to join us.