Acer To Downsize Product Lines To 1/3 Current Size In 2012
Acer To Downsize Product Lines To 1/3 Current Size In 2012
Posted 12/15/2011 at 10:21am
| by Brad Chacos
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Keep it simple, stupid: amongst the major computer suppliers out there, only – gasp! – Apple truly lives by the basic axiom. And while us DIY-loving Maximum PC types prefer options, big companies prefer making money for their stockholders, and they’ve noted the monetary bonanza Apple’s drawing in with its slim pickings. If you read the lead news story in our January issue, you already know that analysts expect HP to reduce its number of products next year, and now, a report says Acer plans on taking “slim and trim” to the next level and cutting its lineup by two-thirds of its current size in 2012.
DigiTimes broke the news, and while it isn’t always the most reliable source of information, this report is apparently based off comments by Acer Chairman J.T. Wang. Wang said that the company is currently carrying out product assessments based around profitability, but plans to only offer a third as many products as it does now by the end of 2012. That might not even be the end of it: the assessments are expected to take up to three years to complete.
So how will culling the fat affect Acer? Despite the changes, Wang doesn’t expect any to order any less components from suppliers, and he expects to see sales rise 10 percent in 2012, presumably due to his theory that Ultrabook sales will rise significantly (which we’ve already covered).
So, you know what Acer’s chairman thinks. What do you think?
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t.y.wan
December 16, 2011 at 4:18am
Surely, people that oftenly reads Maximum PC wouldn't care if Acer ceased to exist at all? Acer products are aimed and tailored to the OEM and the "know nothing about PC" customers.
Why do we care? A competitive market, if crappy products all disappear, the "better" products would turn into a "normal" product and they can just set the price point to whatever, like the so called HDD shortage. To be honest, I have yet to see a reliable Acer, Dell, Lenovo, and hp product in the "NOTEBOOK" market. Asus is better but their designs are not very practical and by that, I mean they sometimes, if not always, put BS on their notebooks.
AntonioGarrison
December 15, 2011 at 11:21am
I remember reading an article about J.T Wang saying that Acer would stop making cheap products and start making more quality products. It's just a smarter move, cut down the product line and some of that money to build a better quality product and the rest as "hey, I saved the company XXX millions".
jbwhite99
December 15, 2011 at 10:52am
How about building quality machines? Acer will not be able to command a premium on the market unless they demonstrate quality for a number of years first. If they move up the food chain, someone else (eMachines? ASUS?) will fill their bottom feeder role, and they will not be able to compete with quality from companies like Lenovo and Apple.
nsvander
December 15, 2011 at 10:40am
Is there a reason for the Asus laptop picture in the Acer story that I am missing?
Brad Chacos
December 15, 2011 at 11:22am
There sure is: I'm an idiot! Thanks for rubbing it in my face :-) Fixed.
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