Taipei - The Taiwan computer giant Acer Inc said Tuesday that it saw a 17-per-cent jump in fourth-quarter net profit.

   The company that makes popular low-cost laptops said earnings rose to 2.81 billion Taiwan dollars (82.71 million US dollars) from 2.4 billion in the same quarter a year earlier.

   However, its revenues fell 8.3 per cent to 134.94 billion Taiwan dollars as demand for its products fell amid the global recession.

   For all of 2008, Acer saw 546.3 billion Taiwan dollars in revenues, up 18 per cent from 2007, it said in a statement.

   Its 2008 operating income hit 14 billion Taiwan dollars, up 54 per cent, while after-tax profits were 11.74 billion Taiwan dollars.

   Acer produces computers, computer peripherals and other products. In February, it launched Acer Smartphone to venture into the mobile phone market.