Acer + Gateway = #3 Computer Maker

[Chris Gohlke]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.i4u.com/article11104.html' target='_blank'>http://www.i4u.com/article11104.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Since taking the helm at Taiwan's top PC maker two years ago, J.T. Wang has trumped his opponents by building Acer Inc into the world's No.3 computer maker. Acer announced on Monday it was paying $710 million for U.S. computer firm Gateway , known for its Holstein cow logo, in a deal that would overtake rival Lenovo and rank it behind only Dell Inc and Hewlett-Packard Co. Acer chairman Wang, 53, and the firm's president Gianfranco Lanci have taken the company into overdrive on a quest to shift from a mid-tier regional name to a global powerhouse."</i><br /><br />Acer certainly is going big league. I wonder if they will be consolidating their brands or if we will see Acer, Gateway, and eMachines all being sold under their banner?

[randalllewis]

To answer your question: I expect all three brands will remain. It is all about shelf space in the retail world and Acer can sqeeze out more from Best Buy and Circuit City and the like by keeping all three brands. Retailers still sell Compaq computers next to HP's. The only differences I can see are in design of cases. I actually expected to see HP develop a bit of difference between its two brands- low end/high end or plain/stylish or cutting edge tech/established tech or something like that. They haven't really done that. With three brands, Acer might be in a better position to do some real segment marketing.

[peterawest]

There might even be another added, since its purchase of Gateway gives it the right to take control of Packard Bell in France also.