Acer plans big push on Chromebooks and Android, less focus on Windows PCs

PC maker looks to offset falling PC sales with devices running alternative platforms

Acer has said it intends to focus more on Android-based devices and Chromebooks rather than Windows PCs in future, following new financial results that show the company taking a hit from declining PC sales.

The firm - currently the fourth-largest global PC maker after Dell, HP and Lenovo - announced its plans during a conference call for investors to discuss its financial results for the first quarter of 2013. These revealed that Acer's revenue was down 9.4 percent on the previous quarter, with gross profits down 11.6 percent.

Acer's corporate president Jim Wong told investors on the call that the firm was thus looking to expand its non-Windows business as soon as possible, according to The Wall Street Journal.

"Android is very popular in smartphones and dominant in tablets. I also see a new market there for Chromebooks," he said.

The news is not the first time that Acer has complained about being hurt by declining sales of PCs, and has previously blamed Microsoft's Windows 8 for consumers choosing to purchase tablets or other devices over new laptops and PCs.

Acer indicated that it expects devices based on Google platforms, including Android and Chrome OS, to make up as much as 12 percent of its revenue by the end of this year, and up to 30 percent next year.

The announcement will come as another blow to Microsoft, which this week slashed the cost of its own Windows 8 Surface Pro tablet in the US and other territories. The firm has already taken a $900m hit to its bottom line over its Surface RT tablet.

According to the WSJ, Wong told investors: "The Windows camp has to do something to re-establish or reinforce confidence among PC users. People are reluctant to buy and are holding off their purchasing decisions."

Acer is not the only PC maker feeling the effects of a downturn in PC sales, with Lenovo and HP also adding Chromebooks to their lineup this year.