Acer has no plans for iPad-like product
Acer will focus on pushing ultra-thin notebooks for 2010 and currently has no plans to jump on the bandwagon to launch a hardware device similar to Apple’s new iPad, according to Acer Taiwan president Scott Lin. Lin pointed out that designing an iPad-like device would not pose any technical challenges for Acer, but said such a product does not fit into Acer’s business model.
Historically, closed platforms are typically limited in terms of scale and are confined to niche markets. Apple has built is business out of carving its own niche, which means that while Apple could see success with devices like the iPad, other players are unlikely to be able to replicate its result simply by copying, Lin noted. However, Lin said he believes the iPad is unlikely to impact the notebook/netbook markets as the two products target completely different consumer groups. For 2010, Acer expects its large-size traditional notebooks to account for 50-60% of total notebook shipments with netbook at around 20% and ultra-thin notebooks about 20-30%. Acer will also push notebooks with a thickness of less than 2cm as a major product for 2010, Lin noted.
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