January 28, 03

Acer will launch in the world's first 14.1" TFT LCD Tablet PC according to usually well informed local sources. Acer's first Tablet PC - the TraveMatge C100 - was equipped with a 10.4§ screen and has sold 35,000 times since introduction last year.

With the larger screen, Acer will overtake brand names such as Toshiba and Motion Computing, which have adopted 12.1" screens. Acer used the bigger screen as the price of it is close the the former, the company said.

Like the TravelMate C100, the new model will come with a keyboard and use the same kind of flat panel display apparatus and tilt/swivel mechanism. Acer expects to sell over 300,000 Tablet PCs this year, of which 200,000 units will be of the convertible-screen type and 100,000 - 150,000 with handwriting pads.

Acer expects Tablet PCs to contribute 20% of its IT product sales by the end of this year.

According to the president of Acer's IT product business, the manufactguring cost of a Tablet PC will drop to only US$1sss200 more than a comparable notebook computer by the second half of this year. He expects industry-wide Tablet PC sales to reach 10 million units per year within two to three years, 25%-30% share of the notebook market.

Some PC makers agreed that with more upstream component suppliers jumping on the bandwagon, Table PC retail prices coulddrom from US$1,700-2,400 currently to US$1,200-1,400 after two to three years.