Acer's "Iconia"
With tablets quickly usurping the traditional Netbook and laptop markets, it seems like everyday brings with it the announcement of yet another PC vendor unveiling the latest competitor for the iPad in the growing tablet market. The reason is simple: many companies that have already established themselves in the portable computing market are now looking to future, recognizing that in several years the traditional laptop computer may be dead, replaced by increasingly powerful handheld tablet devices.
That being said, it should come as little surprise to hear that portable computing giant Acer is looking to dive right into the tablet world with the announcement that it will be releasing five (5) new devices in early 2011: two (2) Android powered tablets, a Windows slate, an over-sized tablet/smartphone hybrid, and a truly unique Windows-based dual touchscreen notebook known as “Iconia.”
But with the ever increasing popularity of the tablet, will Acer be able to capture enough of that burgeoning market to offset its losses in the laptop sector? Probably not, but then again, Acer may not have to.
As with many of the recent tablet announcements from RIM, Cisco, Avaya, and many others, its clear that Acer recognizes that the future of computing and communication technology revolves around integration.
Its doubtful that there will be one single device that meets all of our technological needs any time soon, so until it arrives users will continue seeking out the companies that provide them with a relatively small number of devices that work seamlessly with each other to provide that elusive comprehensive tech and telecom experience.
For its part, Acer is confident that while tablets may increasingly usurp laptop profits, it will be able to recapture any market losses with its new line-up of mobile products. That means, simply enough, that Acer isn’t planning on designing one product to take to the tablet world by storm, but designing a number of products that span several different genres that will all attract users with their integrated services, functionality, and, most likely, affordability.
Of the five devices Acer announced earlier this week it’s clear that Acer is covering its bases, unveiling both 7” and a 10.1” Android-based tablet devices as well as a 10.1” Windows tablet. Further, just in case Dell’s annoyingly large smartphone/tablet hybrid, the Dell Streak, suddenly becomes popular, Acer is planning on releasing its own 4.8” hybrid smartphone, marketed under the “100 percent smartphone. 100 percent tablet” theme. Further, the company also unveiled its own mobile application store set for release in early 2011 as well.
Beyond that, as mentioned, Acer is introducing some innovation to its traditional laptop roots, rolling out the “Iconia”, a 14” laptop with an additional 14” screen where a keyboard would normally be; bringing innovative and advanced technology to a fairly stagnant—at least in terms of design innovation—laptop market.
With most major PC vendors now looking to make inroads into the mobile computing market, will any of Acer’s innovative products achieve any real success? It’s too early to tell, especially since pricing will most likely not be released until early 2011. If Acer is able to provide users with a comprehensive and affordable computing experience, success will surely follow, if Acer delivers cheap products to this technologically advanced market, it will surely never recoup its impending laptop market losses.
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Written by: Matt Klassen. www.digitcom.ca >. Follow TheTelecomBlog.com > by: RSS >, Twitter >, Identi.ca >, or Friendfeed >
