Spending spree adds to Gateway and Packard Bell acquisitions

PC maker Acer is to buy Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer E-Ten in a NT$9bn (£144m) deal.

The move follows Acer’s recent acquisition of PC manufacturers Gateway and Packard Bell, and beefs up the firm's mobile communications product line.

E-Ten makes a range of Pocket PC smartphones that combine GPRS, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and 3G functionality into a single device.