Acer President Defends Windows 8

Acer president Jim Wong has come out to defend Microsoft's new Windows 8 operating system (OS). Wong says people should spend more time learning how to use the OS before dismissing it as inferior to its predecessors.

In an interview with technology blog DigiTimes, Wong noted that, "in the past, market observers would accuse Windows of lacking innovations."

Wong suggests it's ironic that this time around, Windows 8's innovative new features, including a completely new user interface (formerly known as 'Metro', now known as 'Tiles' or 'Live Tiles'), have "been greeted with pessimism." (Source: digitimes.com)

Acer President Wong: Companies "Must Take Risks"

"Some observers believe the new interface and touchscreen control will dramatically delay adoption by consumers," Wong said.

"But companies must take risks when introducing innovations, and therefore it is still too early to say whether Windows 8 is a success or not."

Wong's defense of Windows 8 comes just days after another Acer executive, Emmanuel Fromont, told The New York Times that demand for Acer machines running Windows 8 was weak.

"There was not a huge spark in the market," Fromont said. "It's a slow start, there's no question." (Source: nytimes.com)

Wong's comments imply that Acer, even if disappointed with Windows 8's reception, is not about to give up on the new Windows 8 OS or, more generally, on Microsoft.

Acer to Focus on Windows 8, Not RT

Elsewhere in Wong's interview, the Acer president indicated that, while his Taiwanese hardware company will release Windows RT-based devices, the firm will emphasize design, development, and delivery of laptop and desktop computers running fully fleshed-out versions of the Windows 8 OS.

The reason: Acer says most of its customers benefit from Windows 8 and 'traditional' hardware systems when performing the tasks they deem necessary.

"Although Acer has a plan to release Windows RT-based products, the company's current strategy is to focus on Windows 8 with x86 architecture since the major demand from Windows users is still related to data management," Wong said. (Source: digitimes.com)