Acer seems to be going back and forth on its stance when it comes to Microsoft and it’s Windows 8 operating system. In the past, Acer declared Microsoft a competitor rather than a partner, only to defend Windows 8’s sales, then to claim that the Surface RT is confusing to consumers. Now, Acer claims that Windows 8 has not been successful.
“Windows 8 itself is still not successful. The whole market didn’t come back to growth after the Windows 8 launch, that’s a simple way to judge if it is successful or not,” Acer CEO Jim Wong stated in an interview. Acer sees value in Google’s Chrome platform and considers it “more secure” since early adopters have been a lot more “professional.” Acer’s CEO Wong believes that Chrome’s success is encouraging since it made an impact in the market with minimal marketing and promotion, compared to Windows 8. Acer is still evaluating the Windows RT platform and hasn’t made a decision on whether or not they will release a Windows RT device in time for the back-to-school season this summer.
Back in June of 2012, Acer’s Senior VP was quoted saying that Microsoft’s move of launching the Surface RT tablet to compete with the iPad was a failure about to happen. In fact, Acer wasn’t too excited that Microsoft was trying to take on Apple and suggested that Microsoft reconsider its actions. In August of 2012, Acer’s chairman JT Wang proclaimed Microsoft as a competitor and no longer a partner. In December of 2012, Acer defended Microsoft and the company’s Windows 8 operating system, months after criticizing it, and stated that more time was needed in order to judge its performance in the market. “In the past, market observers would accuse Windows of lacking innovations. And Windows 8 with brand new features have still been greeted with pessimism. Some observers believe the new interface and touchscreen control will dramatically delay adoption by consumers. But companies must take risks when introducing innovations, and therefore it is still too early to say whether Windows 8 is a success or not,” Acer stated in December of 2012. Acer’s chairman JT Wong stated early January that Microsoft screwed up on the promotion of the Surface RT. In fact, the Surface RT has been “confusing to consumers” and Microsoft focused on the keyboard (Touch/Type Cover) rather than the touch aspect of the device. “The promotion of the product is really focused on the keyboard, and the users really don’t know how to maximize the touch experience,” Wong added.
