If it feels like you've already gotten a full helping of new laptop, desktop, and tablet PC news very recently, you're right. That's because Microsoft's new Windows 8 operating system launched at the end of October, and with it, dozens of new and updated computers from every major PC maker.
While it's great that we've seen so many new systems, including inventive hybrids and convertibles, very recently, it also means there may not be much left for CES 2013, especially compared with last year's ultrabook-heavy lineup. That said, there are still some major trends we expect to see, even if through only a handful of announced examples.
Touch screens on everything
The biggest surprise of the Windows 8 launch was the number of laptops of all shapes and sizes that included touch screens. This wasn't just hybrid or convertible systems that are designed to spend part of the time as a slate-style tablet, but also traditional clamshell laptops.The reason is Windows 8 and its tile-based UI -- it just works better with touch added as a secondary input method.
The biggest surprise of the Windows 8 launch was the number of laptops of all shapes and sizes that included touch screens. This wasn't just hybrid or convertible systems that are designed to spend part of the time as a slate-style tablet, but also traditional clamshell laptops.The reason is Windows 8 and its tile-based UI -- it just works better with touch added as a secondary input method.
Just as importantly, we saw touch screens on laptops under $550, meaning that just about any system above the lowest-end budget laptops can afford to add this feature, and for 2013, that's exactly what we expect -- almost every new midprice-or-better laptop will either feature a touch screen, or at least offer it as an option, making it the new mainstream.
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