Is Microsoft forcing Dell to stick with PCs?

The rumours were true: Michael Dell is buying back the company he founded, and Microsoft's supporting him to the tune of two billion dollars. What's interesting isn't the money, though. It's Microsoft's carefully chosen words.

"Microsoft is committed to the long term success of the entire 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 business." However, it seems that without Microsoft's involvement, Michael Dell wouldn't have the cash he needed to take Dell private.

Maybe together, Microsoft and Dell will be the new Apple - but this does look much more like a defensive move than an offensive one.

Microsoft is watching its best OEMs embrace other platforms, such as Chromebooks and Android, and the prospect of Dell dumping its consumer products or worse, staying in the business but embracing other OSes, is something Steve Ballmer doesn't want to see. And if that means handing out a few billion? For Microsoft, that's small change.