Notebook makers plan to employ touch panels for ultrabooks to accommodate new features in Windows 8 so as to regain market share eaten out by tablet PCs, according to industry sources.

Suppliers of LCD panels and touch modules have begun delivering samples to notebook makers, indicated sources.

Back-light unit (BLU) makers have adopted either open cell or hinge-up processes to mount lighting devices, optical films, and light guide panels on to the upper covers of notebooks to reduce the thickness of ultrabooks, the sources revealed.

Shipments of Acer's Aspire S3 and Asustek Computer's Zenbook have so far met with market expectations, noted the sources, adding that shipments of Aspire S3 from ODM Wistron have reached 200,000-210,000 units as of the end of November, while ODM shipments of Zenbooks from Pegatron Technology are expected to top 150,000-170,000 units by year-end 2011.