Acer is to delay the launch of its Windows RT tablets after mixed reviews of the Microsoft Surface tablets.
Initially, the Taiwanese company had planned to launch its ARM-based tablets on very early next year, but has now pushed back the date of launch to April 2013.
“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,” Acer’s president Jim Wong told Reuters.
“Originally our plan was Q1 [January to March], but now I don’t think it will be earlier than Q2 [April to June].”
Critics have said the Windows RT operating system, which uses ARM-based chips instead of Intel x86 chips found in desktops and laptops, lacks some of the functionality found in the full fat version of Windows 8, meaning that there is a more limited range of apps available for the tablets.
While Windows 8 can run software in desktop mode, Windows RT can only run software downloaded from Microsoft’s app marketplace and only in the touch (ex-Metro UI) interface.
While reviews praised the hardware concerns have been raised about the lack of software available for the RT versions of tablets set to go on sale in the next few months.
Other glitches reported have been stuttering of video when playing back high definition content. Others have said the price for the tablets is too high when compared with the likes of Google’s Nexus tablets and Amazon’s Kindle Fire.
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