With two of the biggest hardware manufacturers appearing to do their best to cut Microsoft out of the picture, in collaboration with the two search leaders, Microsoft should be concerned. This is particularly the case because more such deals are likely to be struck in  the future unless MIcrosoft gets in there first with its deep pockets enticing harware manufacturers to stay.

Perhaps Microsoft feels that it can afford to be complacent because it owns the desktop. However, as Google and others have demonstrated, the desktop is getting to be less relevant by the day in the wake of web services and more such deals are now likely to be done. {moscomment}