Lenovo Executive Says Industry Underestimated Touch Computer Popularity

From DailyTech: There’s no question that the popularity of touch-based tablets like the Apple iPad caught the PC industry off guard. Once it became clear that the iPad wasn’t just a simple fad that would go away, the industry responded to get their own competing products out the door.

According to Gerry Smith, Lenovo's president of the North American region, the computer industry as a whole underestimated demand for touch on computers. However, he went on to say that the PC industry itself is still strong and that Apple's iPad isn't exactly stealing Lenovo's lunch money.

Smith noted, "Lenovo's a little different from other companies. We're still seeing strong growth and a strong premium to the market overall...And this quarter, we're seeing strong growth across all product segments."

Touch-based desktop and notebooks/convertible notebooks typically occupy the premium sector of the computing market, and at least for Lenovo, the demand appears to be there from consumers.

However, we’ve been getting some conflicting reports when it comes to the popularity of touch-based computers and Windows 8. Some analysts cited by CNET have said that computer manufacturers are having a difficult time meeting customer demand for Windows 8 touchscreen PCs and we could see shortages in the near future. On the other hand, The Seattle Times recently said that limited availability for Windows 8 tablet devices has led to decreased customer demand.

Smith also promises that while Lenovo is currently number one or number two on the global computer market, depending on which numbers you believe, it's gunning for even more growth. Lenovo also wants to be tops in the U.S. market where it is still significantly behind competition like HP, Dell, and Apple.

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