Taiwanese computer maker Acer, which developed the popular Aspire netbook, is reportedly launching a smartphone at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Dell is rumored to be doing something similar at the show.

The expectation is that Dell will launch a Windows Mobile phone. But what OS will the new Acer Smartphone carry -- or will it offer more than one? Acer's Apire netbook, for example, comes with Linux or Windows XP. Will the new smartphone offer Android or Windows Mobile or both? (I suppose it could also use Symbian.)

Acer is not a member of the Android Open Handset Alliance, which doesn't preclude the company from making an Android phone. As I said with Dell, simply making another Windows Mobile phone is unlikely to get much attention or traction for the company in mobile, unless it's very powerful or unusual in some way.