Surface only a "design point" says Ballmer

Steve Ballmer has eased the potential worries of Microsoft's PC manufacturing partners by insisting that the Surface tablet is a design point intended to set standards, rather than a move to muscle them out of the territory.

Speaking at the Worldwide Partner Conference yesterday, Ballmer told his audience that the device would have its place, but that Windows 8 devices would have a healthy and diverse ecosystem.

"Surface is just a design point," All Things D reports Ballmer as saying.

"It will have a distinct place in what's a broad Windows ecosystem. And the importance of the thousands of partners that we have that design and produce Windows computers will not diminish. We have a mutual goal with our OEM partners to bring a diversity of solutions, Windows PCs, phones, tablets, servers to market.

"What we seek to have is a spectrum of stunning devices, stunning Windows devices. So, every consumer, every business customer can say, 'I have the perfect PC for me.' … We're excited about the work our OEM partners are doing on Windows 8."