If Netbooks Disappear, Acer Still Has an Ace Up Its Sleeve

Acer is one of the leading vendors of small-size, low-power computer systems, also know as netbooks. The company's Aspire One system has been among the most successful netbooks released last year, with an estimated sales number above 4 million units. The company has already announced a second-generation Aspire One netbook, which has upped the ante by providing users with a larger 10-inch display. However, with the future of netbooks not all that certain, the PC vendor might at some point have to provide a new product that would take the place of its current netbooks, one that will likely be designed as a Mobile Internet Device.

According to the latest details in the industry, Acer could be considering the development of an MID of its own, a product that would be targeted for a market segment that is less crowded, when compared to that of netbooks. The world's third largest PC vendor is said to have filed a request for a patent application for a device that looks pretty similar to an MID. The specifications of the pictured device are yet to be unveiled, that is if the company is to release a product based on this design.

Mobile Internet Devices are different from netbooks, in the sense that they don't provide an integrated keyboard and are generally featured with lower-sized displays. On the bright side, MIDs have the advantage of being easier to carry around and also offering a slightly-better price tag.

Said Acer MID could make its way to the market as soon as the CeBIT show, held in Hannover, Germany between the 3rd and the 8th of March. The system could be powered by one of Intel's Atom processors, or it could be featured with a new processor altogether, which would boast low-power consumption and also a slightly-lower clock speed.