Acer, Intel in mall tour deal

Acer Philippines will embark on a nationwide mall tour together with Intel, with the aim of creating technology solutions accessible to many Filipinos, states Manila Bulletin.

The mall tour, called 'School-is-Cool', is a joint initiative by the IT companies to bring more awareness, particularly to students and the youth, about the value of ICT to their daily lives.

Products to be offered during the mall tour include popular Acer notebooks and desktops.

Microsoft is pursuing a strategy of Windows 7 tablets in a bid to counter the Apple iPad, eWeek writes.

But one analyst suggests that could result in cannibalisation of the traditional Windows 7 PC market.

During Microsoft's July financial analyst meeting, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer acknowledged the Apple iPad had a substantial head-start in the tablet market, but also suggested that Microsoft had its own plans for the space.

In India, computer-users are trading their desktops for 'on-the-move' mobile computing devices that allow them to carry their work and data and digital belongings wherever they go, reports The Hindu.

Sales figures for mobile computing devices, mainly laptops, have grown by 65% during 2009/10, beating the staid old desktop which registered 5% growth.

A survey by India's hardware companies' consortium, Manufacturers' Association for Information Technology, reveals that notebook growth is primarily driven by the household segment which accounts for 56% of total sales.