WhereIsAtlas · Computing

Acer

Taiwan's PC upstart that rose to #2 in the world — then rebuilt itself from near-collapse into a diversified, multi-brand group

Transformed — Founded as Multitech in 1976, Acer grew into the world's #2 PC maker by 2009 — then the netbook collapse and a brutal 2013 crisis nearly broke it. It survived by pivoting to gaming, Chromebooks and a multi-brand model, and in 2026 it is growing again.

Acer began on 1 August 1976 as Multitech, founded in Taiwan with NT$1 million (about US$25,000) in capital to trade in, design and advise on microprocessors. Its first decade was spent inventing the tools of Taiwan's computer industry: a microprocessor training centre that taught 3,000 engineers, Taiwan's first mass-produced computer terminal in 1979, and in 1981 the MicroProfessor-I — the company's first product under its own name.

By the mid-1980s Multitech was moving faster than its rivals. It established Acer Peripherals in 1984 (the business that would later become the monitor and projector maker BenQ), beat IBM to offer 32-bit PCs in 1986, and in 1987 renamed the whole company Acer. An initial public offering followed in April 1988, a DRAM joint venture with Texas Instruments in 1989, and in 1990 Acer launched its first notebook and bought Altos Computer Systems. Co-founder Stan Shih was by then famous in Taiwan for his 'Smiling Curve' theory of where value sits in electronics.

The 2000s restructured Acer around brand rather than factories: in 2000 it spun its manufacturing arm off as Wistron and remade itself as a marketing and sales company. Stan Shih retired in 2004, and under J.T. Wang, who became chairman and CEO in 2005, Acer went on an aggressive multi-brand run — completing the merger with Gateway in 2007, then in 2008 acquiring Packard Bell through Gateway and buying E-ten to enter smart handhelds.

That strategy peaked spectacularly. Acer's Aspire One rode the netbook boom, and in 2009 the company was ranked the world's number two PC maker — ahead of Dell. The New York Times wrote that Acer had 'eclipsed Dell and Apple'. The company supplied computing for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, and its formula looked unstoppable.

Then the ground moved. The iPad arrived in 2010 and the netbook category — Acer's engine — collapsed, while the broader PC market commoditised and margins thinned. By 2013 the bill came due: Acer reported a record quarterly loss of NT$13.12 billion, and in November 2013 chairman and CEO J.T. Wang resigned. The rescue plan cut 7% of the global workforce, booked a one-time cost of about US$150 million, and targeted US$100 million in annual savings. Stan Shih, nine years into retirement, was pulled back to chair a transformation committee — 'when J.T. tendered his resignation, the Board turned to me for help,' he said.

The turnaround Acer executed was unglamorous and slow. It retreated into segments where margins survived — the Predator and Nitro gaming lines from 2015, Chromebooks where it became a leading vendor, the ConceptD brand for creators in 2019 — and later into sustainability, launching the recycled-plastic Vero line in 2021 and a carbon-neutral Aspire Vero 16 AI PC in 2024. A decade of leadership churn eventually settled around Jason Chen, and Acer stopped trying to be the biggest.

Acer today is an independent Taiwanese company, still in New Taipei City, no longer in the top three and holding a mid-single-digit global share — but growing again, with first-quarter 2026 revenue up roughly 18% year on year. In September 2026 it relaunched Packard Bell at the brand's centenary, not as a budget PC label but as a lifestyle-and-devices brand. Acer's story is less a fall than a hard landing followed by a long, quiet recovery.

Timeline

  1. 1 Aug 1976 — Multitech is founded: Stan Shih and partners start the company in Taiwan with NT$1 million (about US$25,000), trading in and designing microprocessor technology. (Taiwan)
  2. 1978 — Microprocessor Training Centre: Multitech trains 3,000 engineers for Taiwan's emerging information industry. (Taiwan)
  3. 1979 — Taiwan's first computer terminal: The company designs Taiwan's first mass-produced computer terminal. (Taiwan)
  4. 1981 — First own-brand product: Manufacturing begins at the Hsinchu Science Park; the MicroProfessor-I becomes Multitech's first branded product. (Hsinchu, Taiwan)
  5. 1984 — Acer Peripherals founded; first 16-bit PC push in Taiwan: Multitech becomes the first company to promote 16-bit PC products in Taiwan, and establishes Acer Peripherals — the business that later becomes the display brand BenQ. (Taiwan)
  6. 1986 — Beats IBM to 32-bit PCs: Multitech offers 32-bit PC products before IBM does.
  7. 1987 — The Acer name is created: Multitech is renamed Acer, marking the shift from contract work to a global brand. (Taiwan)
  8. Apr 1988 — Initial public offering: Acer completes its IPO on the Taiwan stock exchange.
  9. 1990 — First notebook; Altos acquired: Acer launches its first notebook computer and buys Altos Computer Systems, a maker of multi-user networked systems.
  10. 1992 — The 'Smiling Curve': Co-founder Stan Shih sets out his theory that value in electronics sits at the two ends of the curve — design and brand — not in the middle. (Taiwan)
  11. 1995 — The Aspire multimedia PC: Acer's consumer-friendly Aspire line moves the company closer to consumer electronics.
  12. 2000 — Wistron is spun off: Acer separates its manufacturing arm as Wistron and remakes itself as a marketing and sales company — a decisive structural break. (Taiwan)
  13. 2004 — Stan Shih retires: Acer's co-founder steps back from the group he built.
  14. 2005 — J.T. Wang takes charge: Wang becomes chairman and CEO with Gianfranco Lanci as corporate president. Acer becomes the No. 1 notebook brand in EMEA. (Europe, Middle East & Africa)
  15. 2007 — Gateway merger completed: Acer absorbs the US PC brand Gateway, making it a genuine multi-brand volume player. (United States)
  16. 2008 — Packard Bell and the Aspire One: Acer acquires Packard Bell through the Gateway takeover, buys E-ten to enter smart handhelds, and launches the Aspire One — one of the defining netbooks.
  17. 2009 — World No. 2 in PCs: Acer is ranked the second-largest PC maker in the world, ahead of Dell. The New York Times reports Acer has 'eclipsed Dell and Apple'.
  18. 2010-2011 — The tablet kills the netbook: The iPad arrives and the cheap-laptop category collapses — the exact segment Acer had built its volume on.
  19. Q3 2013 — A record loss: Acer posts a record quarterly loss of NT$13.12 billion as the PC market contracts.
  20. Nov 2013 — J.T. Wang resigns: The chairman and CEO steps down. The rescue plan cuts 7% of the global workforce, books about US$150m in one-time costs and targets US$100m in annual savings. (Taipei)
  21. 2013-2014 — Stan Shih returns: The retired co-founder is pulled back to chair a transformation committee. Acer churns through chief executives before Jason Chen is installed as President and CEO.
  22. 2015-2016 — The gaming pivot: Acer announces the Predator gaming line and unveils the Predator 21 X, the world's first curved-screen gaming notebook.
  23. 2019-2021 — Beyond the PC: Acer launches ConceptD for creators, the Vero line built from recycled plastic, and joins RE100, committing to 100% renewable electricity by 2035.
  24. 2024 — Carbon-neutral AI PC: Acer debuts the Aspire Vero 16 AI PC and its first Copilot+ PC, the Swift 14 AI.
  25. 2026 — Growth returns; Packard Bell revived: Acer posts roughly 18% year-on-year revenue growth in Q1 and relaunches Packard Bell at the brand's centenary.

Quick facts

Founded
1976, as Multitech (renamed Acer 1987)
Founder
Stan Shih
Peak
World's #2 PC maker, 2009-2010
Netbook hit
Aspire One (2008)
Brands acquired
eMachines (2004), Gateway (2007), Packard Bell (2007-08)
2013 crisis
Losses; J.T. Wang resigned; CEO churn
Pivot
Gaming (Predator, Nitro), Chromebooks
HQ
New Taipei City, Taiwan
2026
Q1 revenue up ~18% year on year

Lineage — where the name went

Acer did not just sell Acers. From the original Multitech came a display brand, a manufacturing spin-off and a portfolio of consumer PC brands — and the Acer name itself outlived every company that owned it.

  1. 1976 — Stan Shih founded Multitech (1 August 1976, NT$1 million in capital)
  2. 1984 — Multitech created Acer Peripherals
  3. 2001 — Acer Peripherals rebranded as BenQ
  4. 1987 — Multitech rebranded as Acer (Multitech took the Acer name)
  5. 2000 — Multitech spun off Wistron (manufacturing separated from the brand)
  6. 2004 — Acer acquired eMachines
  7. 2007 — Acer acquired Gateway
  8. 2008 — Acer acquired Packard Bell (acquired through the Gateway takeover)
  9. 2008 — Acer created Aspire One
  10. 2015 — Acer created Predator

Entities in this tree: Stan Shih (person, 1976); Multitech (company, 1976); Acer Peripherals (company, 1984); BenQ (brand, 2001); Wistron (company, 2000); Acer (brand, 1987); eMachines (brand, 2004); Gateway (brand, 2007); Packard Bell (brand, 2008); Aspire One (product, 2008); Predator (product, 2015)

Sources

  1. Acer milestones (corporate history) — Acer (2026-09-10)
  2. Acer / Multitech Micro-Professor — The Centre for Computing History (2026-09-10)
  3. Acer eclipsed Dell and Apple — The New York Times (Bits blog) (2026-09-10)
  4. Gartner Says Dell Still Lags Behind Acer — IDG / The New York Times (2026-09-10)
  5. CEO resigns; Acer begins a comprehensive restructuring — CTimes (2026-09-10)
  6. Acer chairman and CEO J.T. Wang resigns — Taipei Times (2026-09-10)
  7. Acer appoints third CEO in a year — Computing (2026-09-10)
  8. Acer shedding eMachines, preparing post-PC Gateway and Packard Bell — Computerworld (2026-09-10)
  9. Acer's Q1 2026 results highlight the value of diversification — Futurum Group (2026-09-10)
  10. Acer relaunches Packard Bell at its centenary — BFM TV (2026-09-10)
  11. Acer Inc. - Wikipedia — Wikipedia (2026-09-10)

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