An Acer 11-inch ultrabook Aspire S7 with Microsoft Windows 8 operation system is displayed during a news conference as part of the preview of the 2012 Computex exhibition at the Taipei International Convention Center in Taipei June 4, 2012. – Reuters

TAIPEI: Taiwan's leading personal computer maker Acer Monday took another shot at gaining a foothold in the tablet market, unveiling two new products running on Microsoft's much-anticipated Windows 8 operating system.

Acer showed off the tablets - named W510 and W700 - on the eve of Computex, Asia's largest IT fair, which is held in Taipei this week for the 32nd time, with Windows 8 expected to be a key focus.

“Windows 8 is a historic moment for the worldwide Windows eco-system,” said J. T. Wang, Acer's chairman, at a briefing in Taipei where the company also unveiled its new Aspire S7, a small laptop that runs on Windows 8.

Acer, which has been struggling to branch into the tablet computer sector, cut several hundred jobs in Europe last year to reduce operating expenses.

While Apple itself is not present at Computex, the fair will nevertheless highlight the company's importance, since much of what happens there will be in response to market trends set by the American brand.

Windows 8 is touted as Microsoft's long-awaited riposte to the rise of Apple and mobile devices powered by Google's Android operating system. There is no official release date but reports have predicted an October launch.

“In our view, the touchscreen experience enabled by Windows 8 is a massive step forward - simply because it makes computing more intuitive,” said Jim Wong, corporate president of Acer.

Computex features more than 1,800 exhibitors registering 5,400 booths, up two percent from a year ago.

The organisers estimate that the IT fair will draw 36,000 foreign buyers who may place bulk orders worth up to $28 billion.

Opinion

Editorial

Reserved seats
Updated 15 May, 2024

Reserved seats

The ECP's decisions and actions clearly need to be reviewed in light of the country’s laws.
Secretive state
15 May, 2024

Secretive state

THERE is a fresh push by the state to stamp out all criticism by using the alibi of protecting national interests....
Plague of rape
15 May, 2024

Plague of rape

FLAWED narratives about women — from being weak and vulnerable to provocative and culpable — have led to...
Privatisation divide
Updated 14 May, 2024

Privatisation divide

How this disagreement within the government will sit with the IMF is anybody’s guess.
AJK protests
14 May, 2024

AJK protests

SINCE last week, Azad Jammu & Kashmir has been roiled by protests, fuelled principally by a disconnect between...
Guns and guards
14 May, 2024

Guns and guards

THERE are some flawed aspects to our society that we must start to fix at the grassroots level. One of these is the...