Acer announced Tuesday that it is delaying the launch of its Windows RT tablets until at least Q2 2013.
The Taiwanese PC maker was originally planning on releasing an ARM-based Windows RT tablet in early 2013, however the company has decided to delay those plans in light of some of the reviews of the Microsoft Surface tablet.
Acer President Jim Wong told Reuters, "originally we had a very aggressive plan to come out very early next year but because of Surface, our R&D development doesn't stop, but we are much more cautious." Instead of Q1 as a target, Acer has pushed the date back to Q2 or beyond.
Back in August, Acer was one of the companies that criticized Microsoft's decision to create its own hardware. At the time, an Acer spokesperson told the press that the company believed "Microsoft's launch of its own-brand products is negative for the whole PC industry."
Wong expanded on his thoughts to Reuters, saying:
"We are watching how Surface is doing ... How is RT accepted by customers, how Microsoft is aggressive on RT and on Surface, we don't know... We want to see."
While Windows 8 is already a success — with more than 4 million upgrades in just the first three days of availability — the verdict is still out for both Surface and Windows RT.
Some users love Surface and the ideas of convergence that it brings to the table. Others are less convinced of the ecosystem and the new interface paradigms.
Although Surface is the most prominent Windows RT device currently on the market, it isn't the only device currently available. Asus has already released its own Windows RT device, the Vivo. I've been reviewing that unit for the last week and find that it offers a good Windows RT experience.
Microsoft is entering new territory with Surface in that it is directly competing with its own OEM partners. While Steve Ballmer can talk up Microsoft's strong relationship with "partners" ad nausea, the business reality is still uncomfortable.
It'll be interesting to see if Acer's plans to delay Windows RT tablets have any impact on other OEMs. Let us know what you think about the decision in the comments.