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Acer again takes aim at Windows RT, says it's not 'so influential'

Acer Chairman J.T. Wang says his company wants "to be realistic" about the operating system -- and has not yet decided to launch a device running the software.

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Don Reisinger
Former CNET contributor Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has covered everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Besides his work with CNET, Don's work has been featured in a variety of other publications including PC World and a host of Ziff-Davis publications.
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Don Reisinger
Acer's Iconia Tab.
Acer's Iconia Tab, running Windows 8. CBS Interactive

Acer Chairman J.T. Wang has a hard time saying anything nice about Microsoft's Windows RT.

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal in an interview published Monday, Wang said he's not sure Windows RT is "so influential anymore," adding that his company has "not decided if we want to launch [a Windows RT-based device], to start mass production."

Microsoft offered up Windows RT last year to placate device makers that were delivering tablets on ARM-based chips. The trouble is, Windows RT is incompatible with key software solutions that were designed for its standard operating system. And so far, Windows RT's impact on the tablet market has been soft, at best.

For months now, Acer has been questioning whether it should even launch a Windows RT device. All the way back in October, the company decided to push back a Windows RT tablet due to concerns that the operating system couldn't hold up. It appears Wang is still concerned about that.

Still, Acer understands the value of touch screens, no matter what kind of devices they're on. Within three years, Wang told the Journal, nearly all computers will be outfitted with touch screens.