Sources close to Acer have indicated that more troubles are ahead for the Taiwanese company, following a profit warning the company made two weeks ago. The 44 per cent profit target for 1998 conceals further problems at Acer, the source said. Earlier this year, Stan Shih, CEO of the company, said that he was taking over the running of Acer Semicon (which includes the former TI investment), while two presidents of Acer America lost their jobs because that division failed to make money. But Acer, which turned in profits for the previous two years, managed to turn in profits by selling property, according to the source. Now, however, the only property left in Acer's hands is for the Taiwanese software park but it cannot sell them because it has committed to a government scheme for a science park in southern Taiwan. Shih is attempting to sell off the loss making semiconductor division but unless he turns the unit round, cannot pump money into software development. However, the same sources tell The Register that several large names have already pulled out of the new science park because the land is unsuitable for development. ®