Acer founder, Stan Shih, has publicly expressed that Microsoft should stick with its core business—software.  He “recommends” that Microsoft should withdraw from the hardware market because it will have a negative impact on the OEMs that are partnering with Microsoft. “I think Microsoft's getting involved in the hardware business is designed to promote its Win8 OS. But I sincerely recommend they withdraw from the hardware market when they get what they want,” Shih said. Contrary to Shih’s belief that Microsoft’s entrance into the hardware market will hurt OEMs, Bill Gates believes that OEMs and Microsoft can share an eco-system.   Gates wants the Surface to eliminate boundaries between PCs and tablets. The PC market has slowed down in recent years due to increasing consumer interests in tablets.  Shih believes, however, that laptop PCs can remain competitive in the personal computing sector—specifically for students. “For students, laptops with keyboards will still be the best choice,” he said, pointing out that many current tablets lack a physical keyboard.