Not everyone was entirely enthralled when Microsoft decided to go all in with touch. Traditional PC users opined that the company’s decision to focus on touch would be at the expense of the desktop.
But with each passing month it is becoming clear that Microsoft was right.
Pretty much all of the features of Windows 8 are specifically optimized for touch enabled devices, and while initial uptake was disappointing, it now appears that touch usage in PCs is gaining traction — more and more consumers are now interested in making to move to this technology.
Stephen Baker, the vice president of industry analysis at the NPD Group, talking to CNET confirmed that touch devices had a pretty great August. Recorded sales performance was unbelievably impressive, and touch enabled notebooks accounted for 30 percent of all Windows 8 laptops sold.
Microsoft has been hard at work praising touch based devices, and convincing users to try out this new form of interaction with the devices — not just on tablets but also traditional PCs like desktops and notebooks — and the efforts seem to be paying off.
The technology titan has announced that it will continue development in this field, and Windows 8 is just the beginning.
As a matter of pure fact, the company is already researching going beyond touchscreens in order to provide users even better control over their devices.
For now, though, the company will be pleased by these market share numbers, and would be hoping that this trend continues into the important Holiday shopping season around the globe.
All Comments
I wish we would stop talking about this like non-touch has been abandoned. I’ve had very little experience with Windows 8.x on an actual touch device, and it works fine for me. But on to the subject at hand. I’m not sure I quite understand the anti-touch mindset. I think maybe because it’s Microsoft is why everyone makes such a big deal. Touch is all people have talked about for years. It’s one of those things like the Star Trek transporter that people saw in movies and have always been interested in. I remember when Minority Report came out. Touch and holographic-based computer solutions were all people could talk about.
I agree with you on why there is such an anti-touch mindset. Go to any fast food restaurant and they are using touch screens. Other restaurants, grocery stores, etc, they’ve all been using touch screens for years….we’ve just been on the other side of it. Touch screen on a PC is a logical progression.
Yeah I forgot about that. We’re using touch in pretty much all POS systems now. We’re using them at the ATM. We’re using them at information Kiosk. Heck some places you go to eat, you how use a touch screen interface to choose your drink. Seriously though, I can understand an on-screen keyboard not replacing a physical one, but is the difference between touch and a mouse really that much?
In the future when the digital personal assistant has been perfected touch will be even more important.