Is Microsoft's Exec Departure Bad News for Intel?

Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT  ) recently announced a major executive departure at the highest levels of the company. Windows chief Steven Sinofsky has abruptly left the company, just after the launch of Windows 8 and Surface. This even adds an element of uncertainty to Intel  (NASDAQ: INTC  ) , since any concerns surrounding Windows 8 could potentially weigh on Intel as the dominant supplier of PC processors. NVIDIA  (NASDAQ: NVDA  ) powers the Surface RT with its Tegra processor, so underwhelming Surface unit sales won't bother Intel right now. The Intel-powered Surface is due out early next year. Other PC hardware players like Hewlett-Packard  (NYSE: HPQ  ) and Dell  (NASDAQ: DELL  ) are also relying on Windows 8 for a boost.

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