Computerworld posted a story that HP's sale of its PC business will put pressure on Microsoft to "hit the ball out of the park" with Windows 8, an analyst said today.

Hewlett-Packard's sale or spin-off of its PC business will put pressure on Microsoft to "hit the ball out of the park" with Windows 8, an analyst said today.

"This is concerning no matter how you look at it," said Wes Miller, an analyst with Kirkland, Wash.-based Directions on Microsoft, a research firm that specializes in following Microsoft. "HP has been a very strong partner of Microsoft for a very long time, so you have to ponder the change in its strategy."

  HP's PC spin-off puts pressure on Microsoft to nail Windows 8