Can Acer take on the iPad with its Android and Windows tablets?

Acer is gearing up to take on Apple’s wildly successful iPad with a slew of Android and Windows powered tablets.

Indeed, the company is slated to release three tablets early next year, with display sizes ranging from 7-to-10.1 inches.

The first 10.1-inch “convertible” tablet – which will hit the streets in February 2011 – runs Windows, is powered by an AMD processor and features two 1.3MP cameras, one rear and one front-facing.



The Wi-Fi/3G tablet (only 15 mm and less than 1kg) is also bundled with a docking device that includes a full-size keyboard.

Two additional Android tablets will be launched in April, with one powered by Nvidia’s Tegra 2 chip, and the other, a Qualcomm processor. 



Meanwhile, Acer has also confirmed plans to introduce a dual, 14-inch touchscreen Intel-based tabletPC dubbed “Iconia.”

“[Yes], Acer’s dual-screen Iconia laptop is bold, for sure – eschewing a physical keyboard for another display – but its LCD panels are also mighty glossy,” explained Engadget’s Ross Miller. 

“[So], if you’ve got a light in the vicinity above you, there’s gonna be glare. [Still], the screen is clear and the touch functionality is pretty clever.

“[But] the keyboard, on the other hand, is pretty hard to use – even the rep admitted there’s a learning curve.”

Yes, these tablets certainly look sweet, and will probably give Apple a serious run for its money.

Still, it remains to be seen if Acer’s tablet UI and overall experience is anywhere close to Apple’s intuitive iOS.

Nevertheless, releasing both Windows and Android tablets into the wild is definitely a smart move, which will probably help the company capture additional market share.

[Via Wall Street Journal & Engadget].