Acer to target U.S. market with first sub-$1,000 notebook based on Intel's Centrino Bolstered by strong growth in European sales, Acer Inc. saw shipments of notebook computers hit record levels during the last quarter of 2004, the company said Tuesday.Acer shipped 970,000 notebooks during the fourth quarter of 2004, growing almost 100 percent compared with the same period one year earlier and setting a quarterly record for the company, it said. Acer saw the greatest increase in notebook demand from customers in Europe, it said, laying claim to the top share of the notebook market in Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Switzerland during the fourth quarter.Acer’s notebook business has done particularly well in Europe. Market analyst IDC ranked Acer as the number two notebook vendor in Europe during the third quarter of 2003. Worldwide, Acer held the No. 5 spot during the third quarter but was ranked No. 8 in the important U.S. market during the third quarter, IDC said in a December report. IDC estimated Acer’s notebook shipments during the third quarter to be 644,000 units, up 84.9 percent from 348,000 units shipped during the third quarter of 2002.Looking ahead, Acer said it plans to focus heavily on building its notebook market share in China and the U.S. during the coming year. Acer is trying to recreate its European success in the U.S. with a combination of innovative form factors and aggressive pricing, including introducing the first sub-$1,000 notebook based on Intel Corp.’s Centrino platform, the IDC report said.IDC is a subsidiary of International Data Group, the parent company of IDG News Service. Technology IndustrySmall and Medium Business