Skip to main content

Acer will continue developing tablets, despite struggles

acer-iconia-tab-a500-front
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Like most PC companies, Acer has not had an easy time entering the tablet market Apple created, but it will not give up. According to DigiTimes, the company’s founder, Stan Shih, said that the company has no plans to abandon the fledgling market. Acer’s low sales are an “unavoidable part of the process,” and are similar to the difficulties it had entering the laptop market some years back, he said. 

Recommended Videos

This comes as Acer’s board of directors is working to streamline the company’s operations, which may include merging tablet and smartphone development, as the two platforms are currently quite similar. If it manages to regain some ground, the company will, of course, expand operations and staff dedicated to the platforms.

Acer has had a particularly rough transition into the tablet market. Though we’re fans of the Acer Iconia Tab A500 and A100, the tablets haven’t been a huge hit with consumers. The manufacturer has also toyed with Android-based smartphones, but has yet to make any headway here in the United States. Adding to the problems, sales of laptops have been slowing, which was a major reason why Acer replaced its CEO in March 2011. We won’t know more until 2012, but it’s known that the company is working on Windows Phone 7.5 and Windows 8 devices, which may offer the easiest transition into these new markets for the PC brand. Acer also released its first Ultrabook in the last few months, though sales have been lower than expected

Jeffrey Van Camp
Former Digital Trends Contributor
As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…
Next Samsung Galaxy Ring 2 could charge by docking into your phone
The Samsung Galaxy Ring.

The next Samsung Galaxy Ring 2 may have a unique and novel charging method that could mean you don't need a charger at all.

The new technology would mean the ring could be charged from a Samsung phone, meaning it would not require a dedicated dock and would allow you to charge wherever you are, with your phone.

Read more
Too many WhatsApp groups? There’s a fix coming for that
WhatsApp.

If you're in far too many WhatsApp groups and wish there was a way out, a new update could soon be rolling out to help.

The new feature, spotted in WhatsApp beta, is expected to arrive in a stable update soon.

Read more
Kindles get Recap tool to quickly catch you up on the story progress
Book Recap feature on Kindle library.

Amazon is taking some inspiration from the TV shows available on its Prime Video streaming platform, and porting it over to Kindle e-readers to keep users up to date on their progress. The feature in question is called Recaps, and as the name suggests, it will offer readers a quick look at the story progress and character development arc so far. 

Think of it as the “Previously on” segment at the start of each new episode on a TV show, but in a text format, for digital books. The feature is already available for e-books in the English language for users in the United States, covering purchased as well as borrowed copies. 

Read more