No surprise: Windows 8 touch screens in high demand, lesser PCs not

Microsoft has blamed slow initial Windows 8 sales on poor delivery by OEMs of new hybrid Windows 8 PCs with touch screens with Tami Reller, chief marketing and financial officer for Windows, saying last week that there are "not enough" touch devices were on store shelves.

Now two analysts have confirmed to CNET that touch screen Windows 8 PCs are in fact in high demand, with stores have difficulty keeping them on the shelves, while cheaper, older-style Windows 8 PCs are not.

"Touch machines are actually selling above expectations," said Bob O’Donnell, a program vice president at IDC. "Some vendors are actually facing shortages because touch panels are in limited supply. Vendors are saying they can’t get as many touch-based machines as they would like to meet the demand that they’re seeing."

The view was confirmed by Rhoda Alexander, an analyst at IHS iSuppli.

“We’ve talked to a number of PC makers that are having trouble obtaining touch panels and some of the vendors I’ve talked to said they can’t keep them on the shelf," she said.

IDC’s O’Donnell said non-touch traditional PCs were not in as much demand. "The non-touch machines are selling below expectations," he said. "If high-end machines are selling better than expected. Great. But that doesn’t make up for low-end volume machines."

Touch-screened PCs sell for nearly double the price as traditional PCs, meaning OEMs have every incentive to deliver them, but so it seems that the demand had just left them flatfooted.  Hopefully they will recover by January and start delivering the new user experiences which buyers current crave.

Via Neowin.net