Acer No. 2 notebook maker

Acer Inc. overtook Dell Inc. to become the second-largest notebook-computer maker in the fourth quarter after acquiring Gateway Inc. last fall, according to research firm DisplaySearch.

Acer, based in Taipei, shipped 5.25 million notebook computers in the last three months of 2007, according to DisplaySearch.

Dell, based in Round Rock, Texas, slipped into third place with sales of 4.64 million notebooks during the fourth quarter.

Hewlett-Packard Co. sold 6.66 million units in the fourth quarter, making it the world’s biggest notebook maker, according to DisplaySearch. HP, based in Palo Alto, controlled 20% of the global market for the quarter. Acer had 16%, and Dell had 14%, said DisplaySearch, which is based in Austin, Texas.

Last week, Acer secured European Union antitrust approval to acquire Netherlands-based Packard Bell for $45.8 million. In October, Acer completed its $710 million purchase of Irvine-based Gateway.

The Gateway acquisition helped Acer overtake Lenovo Group to be the world’s third-biggest maker of personal computers and post a record profit last year.