Windows 8 No Better Than Vista: Samsung Executive

A major executive at one of Microsoft's most important hardware partners has slammed the Redmond-based firm's newest operating system (OS), Windows 8.

In a recent meeting with reporters, Samsung memory chip division president Jun Dong-soo said Microsoft's new OS had done nothing to stop the decline of PC hardware sales.

"The global PC industry is steadily shrinking despite the launch of Windows 8," Dong-soo said.

Samsung Exec: Windows 8 No Better Than Vista

The Samsung executive then slammed Microsoft's newest OS by saying, "I think the Windows 8 system is no better than the previous Windows Vista platform." (Source: businessinsider.com)

Given that Microsoft has done its best to make consumers forget 2007's Windows Vista -- which was widely considered a failure by critics and customers alike -- Dong-soo's comment will be seen as a major attack.

It's even worse that such quips are coming from an executive at one of Microsoft's most important hardware partners.

But the thrashing didn't stop there. Dong-soo went on to criticize Microsoft's Surface tablet computer, calling demand for the device "lackluster." The Samsung executive even suggested that the ultrabook market was struggling "because of the less-competitive Windows platform."

Microsoft Hardware Partners Not Happy

Of course, Dong-soo is hardly the first tech executive to attack Microsoft. Last August Lenovo chief executive officer Yang Yuanqing slammed the Redmond firm shortly after the unveiling of Microsoft's Surface tablet.

"[They're] just one of our many competitors," Yuanqing said at the time. "We are still confident that we are providing much better hardware than our competitors including Microsoft."

Most industry insiders suggested that Yuanqing's attack was a response to concerns that the Surface would hurt sales of Lenovo tablets running Windows 8. It's entirely possible that Dong-soo's comments have a similar origin.

Meanwhile, long-time Microsoft hardware partner HP -- which hasn't publicly attacked Microsoft or its products -- appears to be looking beyond the Windows platform. The firm recently released its first Chromebook laptop computer running the Android OS.

The firm is also preparing to release an Android tablet next month. (Source: pcworld.com)