Acer umming and ahhing over Windows RT tab, waits for RT 8.1

Will Acer launch a Windows RT slate? It's thinking about it, according to company president Jim Wong.

"The plan for an RT tablet is ongoing," Wong told PCWorld, adding that it'll wait for Windows RT 8.1 before making a firm decision. But that shouldn't be too long, seeing as RT 8.1 is due around the same time as Windows 8.1, in the second half of this year.

It seems Acer doesn't have much faith in the existing version of the OS though. "To be honest, there's no value doing the current version of RT," Wong said. He was speaking at Acer's New York event, where it unleashed a boatload of new gadgets, including a couple of hybrid laptop-cum-tablets, one of which you can see at the top of this story.

Sales of Windows RT devices have so far failed to set the tablet world alight, so Acer has stuck with slates running Windows 8 or Android. It has high hopes for Windows 8 too, after a rough start. After the distraction of the Surface, Microsoft is doing a good job of supporting its partners, according to Wong. It's good to hear someone extolling the virtues of Windows 8, after the kicking it's taken from some parties.

"We believe Windows 8 has some more chances," Wong said. "That's why we continue to invest in Windows 8 tablets."

Acer seems to be walking the walk, too. Amazon.com accidentally leaked the Acer W3-810-1600, which looks like the first Windows 8 tablet smaller than 10 inches. We've heard murmurings of smaller Windows 8 tablets before, but this is the closest we've come to concrete proof they're on the way. Judging by the runaway success of the iPad mini and Nexus 7, smaller tablets should see Windows 8 become more widely adopted as the slate OS of choice for many punters.

Acer is also getting more aggressive with its pricing, with the Aspire B1 costing just £110 when it hits the shelves next month.

Should Acer launch a Windows RT tablet? Or is Windows 8 a safer bet? Let me know what you reckon in the comments, or on our Facebook page.