PC giants, Acer today reported that they expect a 10% reduction in sales, quarter-on-quarter, by the end of Q1.

The Taiwanese company blamed a weak demand for netbooks and PC products in key zones such as Western Europe and the U.S., as interest shifts towards tablet devices.

This news follows hot on the heels of an announcement that Acer will be joining battle in the tablet market with their own devices; the Windows supporting W500 and the Google Android Honeycomb running A500 and A100. UK release dates for the former two have been recently confirmed as April 8th 2011.

Unfortunately, the release of this trio is not expected to be enough to boost Acer’s fortunes with immediate effect; today’s report predicted sales figures would remain flat throughout Q2 of this year.

The balance sheets do not look rosy for Acer, who also experienced an enormous 35% dip in revenue for the first three months of 2011, in comparison with the same period of last year.

The ailing netbook market will have a knock on effect for Microsoft also, whose Windows 7 OS dominates this part of the tech market, but has not yet been able to tap in to the lucrative tablet sector with any sort of effectiveness.

Acer’s lack of confidence makes them reluctant to grant Microsoft exclusivity on their tablets, as they wisely attempt to hedge their bets in their tablet market gamble. This decision could cost Microsoft, who have once again failed to instil confidence into tablet manufacturers that their OS can cut it in the tablet world.

However, a strong showing from Acer’s Windows 7 based W500 Iconia tablet could prove to be a lifesaver for both companies.

View the original article here

The number of tablet computers being shipped to markets around the world each year will reach almost 250 million before the end of 2015, according to the latest predictions from IHS iSuppli researchers.

Devices like the iPad from Apple and first-generation Android offerings like the Galaxy Tab from Samsung have been selling well in recent months but the latest forecasts on the future of the sector suggest 2010's figures will be dwarfed in years to come.

The company behind the new study insists that the progress of the tablet sector worldwide will be marked by three distinct period, the first of which came last year when the iPad burst onto the consumer technology landscape and generated sustained demand for a new kind of product. The second period is likely to be marked by the arrival of a huge number of rivals to the iPad, primarily based on up-dated versions of Google’s Android operating system.

And then, according to IHS iSuppli, the third period of progress will see a trend towards full PC capability, with Microsoft tipped to be at the forefront as tablets become more fully functional.

“The year 2013 will mark a critical juncture, as the tablet market turns into a battleground between media tablets using mobile operating systems, and PC-type tablets employing the Windows operating system,” said Rhoda Alexander, director of monitor research at IHS iSuppli.

“Microsoft and the PC makers will engage in a vicious battle to fight off the ongoing share grab from media tablets, even as many of these vendors offer media tablet solutions of their own.”

Earlier this month, the research firm Strategy Analytics predicted that Android-operated tablet PCs will out-number their iOS counterparts within the next two years.

View the original article here

Taiwanese PC company, Asustek have announced that they expect slow sales in the opening quarter of 2011, after posting a sales decrease of 29% in Q4 of 2010.

Asustek blamed the 29% fall – a decrease that was actually less than the one forecasted – on a “big slowdown in netbook growth”.

Speaking at an investor conference, Asustek CEO Jerry Shen spoke of a cautious optimism in the face of such losses.

“Right now [the underperforming netbook market] is the big problem in the US, but Europe is stabilising,” Shen said. “The netbook market will still grow this year.”

Like most other PC makers, Asustek have tried to offset the effects of the slowing market by branching out into tablet devices, but recent press releases and statements have seen Asustek vow loyalty to their core product ranges of netbooks and notebooks.

Shen told investors that he expected the new tablet device – due for release in April – to contribute around 5% of total second quarter sales, rising to 10% for the rest of the year.

The dawn of 2011 has not been kind to Taiwanese netbook manufacturers; Acer, currently the world’s number 2 PC vendor, released figures on Thursday that showed their January sales to be 34.7% lower than last year.

Like Asustek, Acer are combating the slowdown with their own tablet devices.

View the original article here