The software company is reportedly spending time with ultrabook vendors to ensure that the designs of those devices will work well with touch-enabled Windows 8 environments.
Mooly Eden, head of Intel's PC unit, shows off an ultrabook with
a transparent touchscreen last year.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)
Microsoft might only be a software vendor, but the company is playing an active role in hardware, according to a new report.
Digitimes is reporting today, citing sources, that Microsoft is "actively involved" in ultrabook product designs. The reason the company is so involved revolves around Windows 8's touch-enabled features. When displays are touched in traditional clamshell notebooks, the screens will shake and move a bit, making it difficult to handle tasks. Microsoft has now placed more stringent specifications on vendors, according to Digitimes' sources, to ensure that the touch screens will deliver a more reliable experience.
The combination of ultrabooks and touch screens is something many vendors believe could be a key ingredient in the form factor's success. Last November, Intel CEO Paul Otellini, whose company developed the ultrabook specification, said that touch-based options will become increasingly important as the devices try to compete against traditional notebooks and Apple's own iPad.
