Acer are netbook giants, they are currently the second largest PC maker on shipments after HP, and they are confident that despite the growing popularity of tablets the demand for netbooks will remain.
They insist they are not going to cut back or phase out the production of netbook and notebook personal computers any time soon claiming that netbooks will still be an important product in their production line up.
Although the ipad and other tablets may be impacting on Acer netbook sales in the UK and US the chairman of Acer, JT Wang, has always stressed the demand and value of their netbooks in emerging markets.
However some market rumors have hinted that Acer are planning several PC tablets of their own and sources claim that Acer see these tablet models as gradually replacing its netbook line. However the company have denied that they want their tablet production to overtake their netbook products; in fact they are so confident in the netbooks future they have already prepared to launch a new model which should be revealed publicly in the near future.
In a statement Acer said "Tablet PC's will find their space next to netbooks and notebooks, without taking over." The company also denied that they are going to start making tablets using INTC's Sandy Bridge processor at present.
With the market changing and developing and a higher demand for light weight portable devices that can carry out everyday compouting tasks then surely there is a future for both tablets and netbooks. Industry professionals also made a valid point that tablets are very new to the market and their sales and their future are still uncertain. Netbooks still have appeal in both the educational and emerging markets and at present the presence of the tablet has not impacted heavily on the 2010 sales and shipments of netbooks.
