To be sure, hybrids with detachable or twistable screens do not yet account for a significant proportion of global PC sales, and consumers still need to be sold on their benefits.
Previous attempts by PC makers to reinvigorate the market have had limited success. Pushed by Intel, manufacturers launched a series of slimmed down laptops early last year with features popular on tablets, like solid-state memory.
They were too expensive, often at more than $1,000 apiece, and failed to arrest the PC decline.
Almost half of the Windows laptops rolled out this year may have touch screens.
Microsoft's Windows 8 launch in October brought touchscreen features but failed to spark a resurgence in PC sales many manufacturers had hoped for. A round of finger-pointing ensued, with PC and chip executives blaming a shortage of touchscreen components and others saying it was the manufacturers that sharply underestimated consumer demand for touch devices.
Regardless, the entire PC ecosystem is onboard for 2013. Almost half of the Windows laptops rolled out this year may have touch screens. Of those, most will be in convertible form, according to IDC analyst David Daoud.
Further blurring the distinction between kinds of devices, about a quarter of upcoming Windows 8 gadgets will be tablets that can easily act as laptops with the help of keyboard accessories, he added.
But buyers may have to wait until the second half of the year to see many of them.
"The most likely scenario today is for the industry to have these products ready for the back-to-school season," Daoud said.
-
Asus ZenScreen Fold OLED MQ17QH reviewReviews A stunning foldable 17.3in OLED display – but it's too expensive to be anything more than a thrilling tech demo
-
How the UK MoJ achieved secure networks for prisons and offices with Palo Alto NetworksCase study Adopting zero trust is a necessity when your own users are trying to launch cyber attacks
