Acer could be the first of the big PC vendors to peddle an Android netbook. It means to start selling such a device in Q3.

It has not said what the widget will cost or what portion of its output will be dedicated to the Google OS. The company is also supposed to be putting Moblin, the Intel Linux gone to the Linux Foundation, on nettops, laptops and desktops.

Acer said in April it expected to move 10 million-12 million netbooks this year. It's unclear if those projections still hold.

It obviously means to keep selling Windows netbooks. Microsoft currently claims upwards of 96% of the netbook market. It is believed to charge around $20-$25 for XP per computer and maybe $40-$45 for Vista. Android is free.

Acer claims its decision is not solely predicated on price; it's also dazzled by Android's speed booting up and powering down.

Android was meant for a phone so it's unclear how it will perform as a computer operating system in the real world. Linux PCs are often returned apparently because consumers expected Windows interoperability and compatibility with everyday peripherals.

Dell has recently started selling an Ubuntu netbook. Asus, which started the whole netbook phenomenon, also means to use Android on its gismos. So does HP and Dell. At least they're thinking about it.

Acer has already said that it will field Android smartphones.

ARM, whose chip is used in most phones, expects to branch into Android netbooks later this year. Microsoft will have a harder problem there. It doesn't run on ARM. At least not yet.