Acer Postpones Android Netbook

Jul 28 2009, 2:45pm CDT | by Robert Evans

Earlier this year at Computex, Acer was excited as could be to announce the upcoming release of their dual-boot XP/Android netbook. The device was going to make Acer the first company to release a netbook that runs on Android, but now it appears this new gadget may be delayed substantially. Acer is having trouble finding a market for an Android netbook, and so they've pushed back the release date. We could be waiting until November or later to see one in stores.

The primary concern around an Android netbook is accessibility. Manufacturers want to put out products that provide low barriers to entry for customers, and a brand-new operating system can be daunting to those who aren't tech savvy. The Android OS boots quickly and surfs well, but it's also designed for touchscreen smartphones. Sizing it up to a netbook properly is apparently a difficult task.

I hope we'll still get to see a touchscreen Android netbook (from MSI, maybe?) that truly takes advantage of all the OS's features, but I'm not sure if we will. Another reason Acer backed off on this Android netbook is the fact that they are also working on netbooks that run off of Google Chrome. Since Chrome is designed specifically for netbook use, it represents a much more attractive prospect to manufacturers than Android.

This is the first time we've seen both operating systems clash since Chrome's announcement a few weeks ago, but it probably won't be the last. Chrome and Android have overlapping markets, and we're going see a few more scuffles between the two before things get settled.

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Robert Evans
The excitement about new smartphones, tablets and anything mobile drive Robert to unearth the latest rumors and developments in this fast moving space. He adopted 4G as soon as it become available and knows where the mobile market is going.
Robert can be contacted directly at robert@i4u.com.