Acer halves PC sales estimates and cautions over Windows 8

BEIGE BOX MAKER Acer has cut its PC shipment forecast by half and has revealed it is being cautious about expecting Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system to boost sales.

Acer, which has been battling with Dell for the number two spot in global PC market share, has revised down its growth forecast from 10 per cent to five per cent. Kevin Lu, an investor relations spokesman for the company told reporters that is due to the weakening economy and a more cautious view on Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 operating system.

According to Lu, since Apple's Ipad came on the scene distributors are increasingly conservative when it comes to building up inventory for Windows 8. Lu, like many of his counterparts in rival firms, cited the weakening global economy for the steep downward revision in Acer's sales forecast.

Microsoft's Windows 8 operating is expected to appear at the end of October, with OEMs such as Acer getting their hands on the operating system at the end of August. However Acer's caution with regard to Windows 8 is something of a blow for Microsoft, as the firm's operating system releases have generally been regarded as giving hardware sales a boost.

Acer has to hope that companies will take to Windows 8 faster than they did to Windows Vista and Windows 7, although with Microsoft saying that the hardware requirements for Windows 8 won't be any different than those for Windows 7, Acer and other OEMs might find it hard to sell new PC systems. µ