Il y a deux jours, une interview de Lu Bing-Hsian (manager des ventes à Taïwan) donnée à Computerworld a semé le doute. Ce cadre employé chez Acer y déclarait en effet que « les tablettes ont vocation à effacer les netbooks, c'est la direction du marché ». Il ajoutait ensuite que sa compagnie était en train de développer des tablettes fonctionnant avec des processeurs Sandy Bridge d'Intel.
Des propos qui ont mis le feu aux poudres et suscité des dizaines de milliers de réactions dans le monde. La rumeur s'est vite propagée qu'Acer allait cesser de fabriquer des netbooks pour se consacrer aux tablet PCs.
Acer vient de publier un communiqué réfutant totalement son abandon de ces ordinateurs miniatures, tout en expliquant que les tablettes s'ajouteront à son catalogue de produits sans pour autant en effacer d'autres. L'entreprise nie aussi utiliser des puces Sandy Bridge dans le cadre de la conception de ses futurs appareils.
« Acer Inc. confirme que l'entreprise n'envisage pas d'abandonner les netbooks au profit des tablettes. Cela signifie que la gamme d’appareils disponibles auprès des utilisateurs s’élargie et que les Tablettes sont juste une autre partie de la mosaïque. De ce fait, elles trouveront leur place à côté des Netbooks et des PC portables, sans prendre le dessus sur ces derniers. [...] Pour le moment il n'est pas prévu [de tablettes] basées sur Sandy Bridge », indique clairement le document propagé par la firme.
Le titre du texte est d'ailleurs très clair : « Acer, pour augmenter sa présence sur le marché de la mobilité, investit sur les Tablets : il n'y aura pas de d'élimination progressive des netbooks».
Car malgré tout, les netbooks ne sont pas encore morts ; ils se défendent encore face à leurs concurrentes (dont la première est l'iPad) avec certains atouts : clavier, prix moins élevé, support de logiciels bureautiques pour les professionnels, etc.
Source : Communiqué de presse d'Acer, dont voici le texte intégral (en anglais) :
Acer to increase its presence on mobile market investing
on tablet devices: netbooks will be not phased out
Manno, January 19th 2011 – According to recent statement from Sales Manager based in Taiwan, Acer Inc. confirms that company is not aiming at phasing out netbooks in favor of tablets.
Mobility, which has always been part of Acer’s DNA, finds a new form of expression in the range of tablets on offer, which feature various display sizes and models designed to fit different kinds of usage scenarios. Acer recognizes that the computer market is changing.
As PCs are no longer only used to create content bur are more and more becoming consumption tools, new devices and new form factors are appearing.
This means the range of devices available to users is getting wider and tablets are just another piece of the mosaic. Therefore they will find their space next to netbooks and notebooks, without taking over.
Technological developments are changing the way we interact with devices. No longer a single product but a multitude of instruments with diverse form factors and display sizes designed to meet the specific connection need of that particular moment, allowing the digital individual to stay connected and interact with his world, anytime, anywhere.
Acer’s offer includes a 10.1” Android tablet, for a superb mobile and home entertainment experience, a 7” Android Tablet, the quintessence of mobility and a 10.1” Windows Tablet for the maximum of versatility in a tablet form factor. For the moment it is not foreseen yet a devices based on Sandy Bridge.
on tablet devices: netbooks will be not phased out
Manno, January 19th 2011 – According to recent statement from Sales Manager based in Taiwan, Acer Inc. confirms that company is not aiming at phasing out netbooks in favor of tablets.
Mobility, which has always been part of Acer’s DNA, finds a new form of expression in the range of tablets on offer, which feature various display sizes and models designed to fit different kinds of usage scenarios. Acer recognizes that the computer market is changing.
As PCs are no longer only used to create content bur are more and more becoming consumption tools, new devices and new form factors are appearing.
This means the range of devices available to users is getting wider and tablets are just another piece of the mosaic. Therefore they will find their space next to netbooks and notebooks, without taking over.
Technological developments are changing the way we interact with devices. No longer a single product but a multitude of instruments with diverse form factors and display sizes designed to meet the specific connection need of that particular moment, allowing the digital individual to stay connected and interact with his world, anytime, anywhere.
Acer’s offer includes a 10.1” Android tablet, for a superb mobile and home entertainment experience, a 7” Android Tablet, the quintessence of mobility and a 10.1” Windows Tablet for the maximum of versatility in a tablet form factor. For the moment it is not foreseen yet a devices based on Sandy Bridge.