Tokyo: Fujifilm Holdings Corp., a manufacturer of camera and film, may help Microsoft Corp. and industrial personal computer (PC) to compete with the Apple Inc..
Experienced Fujifilm produces cheaper touch screen can help as laptop and PC with touch function is expensive to produce.
This follows the sensor is made of material called indium tin oxide or ITO.
Fujifilm and several other companies including Atmel Corp. and Uni-Pixel Inc. produces new and cheaper approach that relies on different metals.
It is to help the industry reduce dependence on ITO thus overcoming one of the biggest obstacles to add functionality to a touch screen PC.
Increases the challenge
Only 13 percent of laptops this year will offer touch functionality, increases the challenge to Microsoft and PC manufacturers such as Hewlett-Packard Co. and Dell Inc. is trying to increase competition to Apple began selling the device with a touch screen since 2007.
"The whole industry is working to replace ITO over the years," said Cody Acree, an analyst with Williams Finan-cial Group Inc in Dallas in an interview.
Insert function touch screen 23 to 27 inches will involve cost up to U.S. $ 180 (RM557.75), Acree said.
He estimated, smaller and tablet computers with screens up to 11.6 inches, it will add to cost around U.S. $ 45 (RM139.94).
PC sales were less angry
Windows 8 from Microsoft, the first operating system designed with touch technology sold in October.
It is however difficult path due to lackluster demand amid the economic slowdown, high prices and lack of touch screen functionality.
PC sales will shrink 1.3 percent this year after falling 3.7 percent last year, according to IDC.
"We see increasing challenges in the ecosystem to learn of the need for new screen sizes and a variety of options for the device," said Mark Martin, a spokesman for Redmond, Microsoft subsidiary based in Washington. - Bloomberg
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