Dell is preparing a raft of tablets, hybrids, and
ultrabooks for the Windows 8 launch later this
year.
"The addition of capacitive touch capability into
Windows 8, we think, will be a welcome
addition...and will have a full complement of
products at time of launch," Michael Dell said
today during the company's first-quarter 2013
earnings conference call, in response to an
analyst's question.
"We're totally lined up with Windows 8. You'll
see us introduce tablets," he added.
And he suggests that Windows 8 touch-centric
interface means that current PCs will not be a
good fit.
"This is a transition where you generally are
going to need a new PC, whether it's a tablet or
an ultrabook with touch or a notebook with touch
or a PC with touch or some derivative hybrid of
all of the above type of products," he said.
Dell is pinning its hopes on new
touchscreen products pegged to
Windows 8's launch to boost the
fortunes of its consumer products
division.
Sales of the US firm's notebook
computers and other mobile devices
were down by 10% over the three
months to 4 May, compared with the
same period the previous year.
It blamed competition from cheap
entry-level products in emerging
markets, a category it does not
participate in.
Its shares fell 13% in extended trade.
Net income for the first quarter was
$635m (£404m), a fall of 33%.
Revenue dropped 4% to $14.4bn, with
its consumer unit reporting a steeper
12% decline.
The company predicted only a small
increase in sales over the current
period.
Although it expected to benefit from
falling hard disk prices as suppliers
recovered from last year's Thai floods,
it warned that the savings would be
offset by higher memory and display
costs.
