When Windows 8 made nary a whimper during the holidays, commentators blamed both the OS's controversial Metro interface and also Microsoft's OEM partners, few of which had brought to market touch-oriented hardware suited to Win8's changes. Devices such as the Surface Pro have since reached interested customers, but attractive Windows 8 options are still limited, and the OS's overall adoption has remained stagnant.

With Friday's announcement of two new laptop-tablet hybrids, Acer hopes to shake things up. The devices could address some of the late-2012 OEM criticisms, but with potentially superior alternatives on the horizon, and with Win8's UI complaints still a factor, it's not clear if now is an ideal time for Microsoft's device partners to strike.