Taiwan’s Acer Inc. wants to surpass Hewlett-Packard to become the world’s number-one notebook computer maker in 2010, a newspaper reported Thursday.

Acer, the world’s number-two notebook PC manufacturer, is slated to make 40 million notebook PCs next year, up 15 percent from 2009, the Commercial Times quoted Acer Chairman Wang Jeng-tang as saying.

“Acer will challenge Hewlett-Packard next year to become the world’s biggest notebook brand. Hewlett-Packard also has big goals, so our battle for the crown will be a tough battle,” he said.

Wang believed that Acer will beat Hewlett-Packard in shipments of netbooks and medium notebooks but will narrowly lose to Hewlett-Packard in shipments of traditional notebooks.

Wang is confident about achieving the goal because global demand for notebooks and netbooks is expected to reach 40 million units in 2010, up 50 percent from 2009.

Wang expected Acer’s 2010 revenues to rise 15 percent from 2009.

Meanwhile, Acer announced ambitious plans for its PC sales in China.

Acer hopes that Acer notebooks can account for 10 percent of China’s PC market before yearend, and to become one of the top three PC brands in China next year, the Commercial Times quoted Acer chief executive Gianfranco Lanci as saying.