Acer patent application reveals a MID-filled future

Now that the netbook sector is good and saturated, Acer is carving out a spot for itself in the entirely less crowded MID market. Or, at least that's the impression we get from its most recent patent application. The image you see above is about it for details, though it's fairly safe to assume that an Atom (or similar low-power CPU) will be housed within. Who knows, maybe we'll get a peek of this critter for real at CeBIT -- you can bet we'll be looking.

[Thanks, Chris]

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 25th 2009 2:25PM]

wtf is this?

[kaimonkey Posted Jan 25th 2009 2:27PM]

a sexy mirror of coarse :)

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 25th 2009 2:27PM]

today on: "You can't read but manage to type" - That guy.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 25th 2009 2:33PM]

Surface from Microsoft?

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 25th 2009 2:43PM]

THIS? Well THIS is a comment I presume.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 25th 2009 2:45PM]

@bolezhinkov:

Haha! That's the funniest thing I've read on Engadget in a very long time :]

[Wolfticket Posted Jan 25th 2009 4:21PM]

I don't think it is all that outrageous not to know what a MID is.
But then maybe I am stupid.

[catdogburger Posted Jan 25th 2009 3:15PM]

Glad to See the MID market really accelerating. I hope we get to see some of these devices with North American 3G integrated for sale in North America. I have yet to find one that has NA 3G.

Any Suggestions?

[KarlW Posted Jan 25th 2009 4:13PM]

I'm glad to see some sensible direction at Acer. Specialising is the best thing they can do.

They've established themselves in the small notebook market with the Eee PC. I'd like to see them carrying that on and making ultra-compact machines as their primary business.

Lord knows we have too many generic PC makers. Rather than being another one in the crowd, they have an opportunity to become the first name in a market. Similar to how Apple is the first name in the premium notebook market. Specialising did well to turn them around after they nearly collapsed in the 90s.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 25th 2009 4:13PM]

Yeah, I use the Aigo but only coz my ass is too tied to splurge in a OQO, if Acer gets into this niche maybe these devices will become a bit more mainstream

[JPFrech Posted Jan 25th 2009 4:19PM]

@KarlW ;

Acer Eee PC ? Does Asus know about that ?

[catdogburger Posted Jan 25th 2009 4:29PM]

@ KilgoreTrout: I was thinking about the Aigo MID but decided against it for the reason above, how is the device? Would it be a good data device if it had NA 3G built in?

[KarlW Posted Jan 25th 2009 4:54PM]

@Qsat

Oops. I still stick by the principle - specialising is what these company's need. Differentiate your products.

[Blastar Posted Jan 25th 2009 8:57PM]

Bring it On Acer !!
ASUS and the rest please follow the example.
Let the world get full of cheap small Tablet PC's !

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 25th 2009 3:49PM]

looks like a tablet pc to me

[suncho Posted Jan 25th 2009 7:47PM]

They are gonna split the display diagonally into four pieces??

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 26th 2009 1:17AM]

Your power of observation shocked me.