BREAKING: Installing Windows 8 Will Not Transform your PC into a Touchscreen Device

An NHK news report warns that installing Windows 8 will not turn your PC display intro a touchscreen. I love that they used the yellow alert graphic! And the host doesn’t look condescending at all!

Here’s a fun story going around the Japanese interwebs, courtesy the good folks over on Reddit. There are Japanese media reports saying that many consumers are misunderstanding what happens to your PC when you install the new Windows 8.

After Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) new operating system became available on October 26, many Japanese consumers installed it with the expectation their PC would suddenly have touchscreen capabilities. Of course, if your device doesn’t have touchscreen capabilities already, Windows 8 won’t magically bestow that functionality upon your display.

This misunderstanding might strike most of us as pretty funny. But the sad reality is that for many consumers who aren’t that knowledgable about computer hardware and software, it really isn’t that surprising that some are confused about what they are getting with Windows 8, given that most of the focus these days is on the new touch features.

Microsoft is spending over a billion dollars to market the launch of its new operating system. And while I think the vast majority of users will be just fine with OS, I do hope the folks in Redmond set aside some cash for support calls too.