PC Vendors Cautious About High Cost of Windows 8 PCs
Manufacturing Windows 8 PCs for reasonable prices will not be a walk in the park.
PC vendors apparently are less optimistic about the impact of Windows 8 as the software itself and hardware upgrades could push prices of PCs into a territory that is not appealing to mainstream PC buyers.
According to an article posted by Digitimes, expensive touchscreens that cater to Windows 8's Metro interface as well as expensive Intel processors for ultrabooks are problem areas for PC makers:
"The sources pointed out that Intel is not willing to sacrifice its profits to reduce CPU prices, while PC brand vendors, facing operational difficulties, are also not willing to sell their products at losses, while notebook ODMs are already weak in profitability; therefore, even though ultrabooks are expected to greatly boost consumer demand, plans can only be postponed to a later time."
If the information is accurate, it appears that at least some PC vendors are not ready for Microsoft's Windows 8 vision and simply do not have the hardware in place that delivers what Microsoft and Intel are promising. The article mentions that "panel shaking" when using a vertical screen as a touchscreen is still an issue as well as slide and rotatable touchscreens. High-resolution screens beyond 1080p are not mentioned, but is another evolutionary hardware necessity PC makers will have to address soon.
The conclusion of the article suggests that demand for Windows 8 PCs may not be as strong as it is cracked up to be. The prediction is that Windows 8 may not be so much a 2012 topic, but instead will flourish in 2013.
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Douglas Perry was a freelance writer for Tom's Hardware covering semiconductors, storage technology, quantum computing, and processor power delivery. He has authored several books and is currently an editor for The Oregonian/OregonLive.
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dormantreign Yeah, that is my prediction as well. I ain't having anything to do with it. I moved from xp to 7 and i'm staying here for years yet!Reply -
bucknutty I spent years working on a point of sale help desk. Many of the computers I had to work on had touch screens and keyboards only. I had a usb mouse with me however many times the USB ports or USB controllers were messed up, or windows / linux was so messed it would not install the mouse.Reply
Working on a Touch screen PC is not at all fun. It was cool and fun for about 20 minutes after that my arms got tired. It’s just not a comfortable way to work. There is a reason most people write on a horizontal surface and not on a vertical surface.
Touch screens are a good cash register interface but they won’t go far on the personal PC.
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bigshootr8 Agreed staying away from windows 8 like the plague. Leave the platform where it belongs the mobile market. PC users/Gamers have no desire for a icon based OSReply -
CaedenV If touch screens are too much then why dont they look into other avenues like motion tracking and guesturing with the new kinnect 2 coming out?Reply
Most of us don't want touch on anything larger than a 14-17" screen anyways. -
They will climb into Mac price territory for stuff people just don't want. Tablets are toys for most people. PCs are business machines. Windows 8 is a toy OS. It belongs on a tablet but not on a business PC. If they can make the OS convertible like the Intel ultrabook form factor, then maybe it will have some use but it will be very expensive.Reply
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nbelote I've used a computer with a 32" horizontal touch-based interface, a la Microsoft Surface. It was a pretty fun experience but it had its uses, none of which would've fit the home or productivity user.Reply -
Windows 8 core is improved from Windows 7, I'm considering upgrading to windows 8 then installing Classic Shell to get the old start menu back.Reply
However, if metro is too annoying, I may go back to Windows 7.