Acer, now the second largest computer vendor, has big plans for 2010. In an interview with Bloomberg, Jim Wong, president of IT Products division, revealed plans for an ebook reader, netbooks running the Google Chrome operating system, a tablet device, and an application store, all in 2010.
Acer plans to announce its first ebook reader in June. Equipped with a 6-inch monochrome display, the device will initially go on sale in five unnamed countries in Europe. The company is already in talks with a number of publishers.
Acer will also unveil an application store around mid-2010. It will offer both free and low-cost applications for a number of OS platforms including Google Android, Microsoft Windows Mobile and Microsoft Windows. Google Chrome software will be added later.
Acer has high expectations for Google’s upcoming Chrome operating system. It is planning to offer its first netbooks running Google’s OS in the third quarter and hopes to sell up to a million this year alone. By year’s end, about 10 percent of its netbooks could come with Chrome.
Acer is also working on its own tablet device. Development is still in the early stages and the device could run either Microsoft Windows or Google Chrome. Acer (like many others) is also keeping an eye on Apple to see what it will announce.
Acer is looking to overtake Hewlett-Packard as the largest computer vendor by 2013. It certainly does not appear to be leaving any stone unturned to achieve this goal.