Windows 7, which hit retail store shelves Thursday, is driving a
PC interface evolution from the keyboard and mouse to the
touchscreen.
Even before Microsoft's new OS was available, its impact was
already being felt as PC vendors unveiled their upcoming Windows 7
desktops and laptops. High on the list of innovations was the
OS-powered multi-touch capabilities in consumer PCs from companies
Acer, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, and Sony.
With more touch-enabled PCs expected, the evolution from the
30-year-old input devices of mouse and keyboard has begun in
earnest. On desktops, this shift is building steam in all-in-one
PCs.
"These new AIOs heavily leverage multi-touch capabilities
integrated into Microsoft Windows 7 operating system,"
DisplaySearch analyst Chris Connery said in a recent report on
Windows 7's impact.
HP has long been a supporter of touch interfaces on all-in-one
desktops, introducing the capability in 2006 in its TouchSmart
product line. While the first model was a pricey $1,800, HP's
latest systems, the TouchSmart 300 and 600, start at $899. HP has
also unveiled a new business model in the TouchSmart line, the
9100, which starts at $1,299.
Gateway's new line of touch-enabled AIOs, the ZX Series, comprises
three models that start at $720. Sony, on the other hand, is going
after the higher end of the consumer market with its Vaio L Touch
HD PC/TV, which is built as an entertainment hub with PC,
high-definition TV, and digital video recorder in one unit. The
system starts at $1,300.
DisplaySearch said prices for all-in-one PCs running Windows 7
could drop next year, becoming an option for entry-level PCs. While
vendors wanted to introduce such models this year, rising prices of
LCD panels in the second half of this year put a damper on plans,
Connery said.
"Many of these products have been re-positioned to emphasize the
enhanced features of Windows 7; lower-priced AIO products,
including nettops, may emerge in 2010," Connery said.
Nettops are mini-desktops that typically run Intel's low-priced
Atom processors, low-power chips also found in netbooks, which are
mini-laptops best suited for basic computing tasks such as e-mail
and Web browsing. Such entry-level PCs have been the driving force
behind PC sales among price-conscious consumers in the economic
recession.