14 DAY TRIAL // Acer may be doing its best, like everyone else, to perform well on the tablet market, but it also seems to have some concerns regarding certain difficulties that this segment will probably experience this year.
One thing about the tablet market is that it has grown very fast ever since the first iPad came out of Apple's labs.
Windows-loaded models were previewed and scrapped, as were some Android ones, since the mobile OS was not yet in a form fitting the large form factor.
That said, things have changed since then, and while Windows 7 tablets are scarce and mostly unsuccessful, those running Android 3.0 aren't doing so badly.
Granted, their prices still haven't allowed them to really challenge Apple's iPad (now iPad 2), but things are progressing.
Unfortunately, while Acer is as eager as the next company, reports say that it has some worries as well.
Specifically, some component shortages may plague both slates and smartphones throughout the ongoing year, because of the disaster in Japan.
Currently, the outfit has a goal of 5 million to 7 million tablet PC shipments for 2011 and has adopted an aggressive marketing strategy to meet it.
Knowing what the earthquake may end up causing, however, the world-class PC maker is still placing a stronger emphasis on its notebook sales.
In other words, most of the component supply may end up in laptops. If other companies mimic this tactic, slates (and smartphones) will probably be the ones most affected by whatever shortages arise.
Unfortunately, it is not really possible to estimate exactly just what the impact will be. Until things get clearer, Acer will just have to see what it does about all the orders it is getting from carriers and retail channels.
Either way, the large interest on the part of the global Internet and retail channels have only served to fuel Acer's optimism.