Acer says it's 'moving away from the lower end' in Europe, leaving cheaper laptops to Packard Bell

This certainly doesn't come as a huge surprise given where Acer has been focusing its attention as of late, but it looks like the company is truly intent on shedding its image as a low-cost brand -- at least in Europe. Speaking with TechRadar, an Acer spokesperson said that "it can be a slightly conflicting message," referring to it also offering computers under its Packard Bell brand, and that "Acer is moving away from the lower end." In this case, Acer is defining low-end as under £400, or roughly $600, although it says there will be some crossover. The spokesperson further added that "Acer will become more premium," also noting that "we try to separate the two brands as far as possible, so the average consumer has no idea that the two brands are associated." What that means for Acer in North America (where the Packard Bell brand is long gone) remains to be seen, but we've reached out to the company for comment.