IDC: The bet on touchscreens in Windows 8 is a fail

Analysts of IDC stated that Microsoft's bet on touchscreens doesn't pay off and shipments of touch enabled laptops have been dramatically lower than expected. The new Metro interface in Windows 8 was introduced as Microsoft was convinced that once people would try the operating system on a touch enabled device, they would love it.

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Reality is that current estimates show only 10-15% of all laptops shipped this year will feature touchscreens. Microsoft blamed PC manufacturers in January this year, according to the company the supply of touchscreen devices was too short. If there were more touch devices at launch, Windows 8 would have sold better,  the company stated back then.

But still, nine months after Windows 8 was released, most consumers aren't interested in touch. They find them too expensive compared to regular laptops. It was expected prices would go down as more manufacturers would release touchscreen devices but so far prices didn't drop far enough to appeal to the general public.

But even if the price difference between a touch and non touch laptop would be smaller, people would likely not buy. According to the IDC analyst consumer don't see much value in having touch on a PC, and there aren't many touch required  must-have apps on PCs.

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Also only 54% of the most popular apps found on other touch platforms like Android and IOS are not on Windows 8. This means for many consumers the Windows 8 eco-system doesn't give them what they want.

The IDC analyst gives Microsoft the advice to stop focusing on touch and instead add new non-touch features to the operating system. Microsoft is trying to incorporate some feedback it received from its customers in the upcoming Windows 8.1 release. However that update also makes clear that Microsoft is making baby steps in the non-touch direction. The big changes are made in the touch part of the OS.

In the end, the focus on touch could cost them a lot of business. Asus and Acer have already announced it will no longer make touch enabled devices using Windows 8 (RT).

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