Acer to stop selling ‘cheap, unprofitable’ products, focus on Ultrabooks, says CEO

The days of Acer being a low-end brand are coming to an end, according to the company’s chief executive, J.T. Wang, reports AllThingsD. Instead, the computer-maker is going to focus on producing ultrabooks, the super-thin laptops that mimic the design and portability of Apple’s increasingly popular MacBook Air line. The move comes after Acer suffered through two consecutive quarters of net losses.

“We will shift our strategy to improving profitability from pursuing market share blindly with cheap and unprofitable products,” said Wang in an interview with Dow Jones. “Ultrabooks will become our key growth driver next year as customers want a lighter, thinner notebook with longer battery life. Selling more ultrabooks will also help improve our profit margins as they command higher prices.”

According to Wang, the company hopes to increase sales of its laptops by 10 percent next year as it aims to once again turn a profit. Unfortunately for Acer, it looks as though the Ultrabook market will be a tough one in which to compete. At the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in January, computer companies are expected to launch as many as 50 Ultrabook models — and that’s likely just the beginning. In addition, some analysts say it remains unclear whether Ultrabooks will actually help computer companies increase profits.

To get an idea of what Acer has in store in the Ultrabook department, check out our review of the Aspire S3, a 13.3-inch Ultrabook that’ll run you $100 less than a smaller MacBook Air.