Asus Reportedly Launching 5 to 6 Ultrabooks in October
Asus plans to host an Ultrabook conference in New York City this October, and will reportedly reveal five to six Ultrabooks slated for release this year.
Asustek Computer is slated to host a product launch conference for Ultrabooks in New York City this October. According to company chairman Jonney Shih, Asus will reveal five to six different Ultrabook models it plans to launch this year. These will range in price from $899 USD to $1,999 USD, and will also feature screens measuring 11.6-inches and 13.3-inches.
Shih also stated that Asus has been able to lower the overall cost of its Ultrabooks thanks to the recent price drop of several key components such as panels and DRAM. He also expects both Asus and Acer to rule the Ultrabook market for a while given that Dell and Toshiba are supposedly taking a cautious approach, and because HP is "abandoning" its PC business (something HP denies).
Sources from upstream component players claim that Intel still isn't listening to requests from downstream partners to lower Ultrabook CPU prices. However, the CPU giant is offering "extra assistance" to allow partners to launch models under the $1000 USD pricetag.
Asus expects 20-percent of its laptops shipments for 2012 to consist of Intel's Ultrabook design, whereas 2013 will likely provide a larger percentage. Previously Asus chief executive Jerry Shin indicated that Intel's projected 40-percent target was "aggressive," and would likely not be achieved before 2013.
"The CPU for Ultrabooks is very powerful, so there is a heat problem that is very difficult to resolve," Shin said. He also added that the supply chain producing specialized components for the Ultrabook design is currently limited -- Asus alone will only be able to manufacture 200,000 units maximum per month. To push past this limit, additional investments will need to be made in order to boost capacity.
We already know that the Asus UX21 will likely be the first Asus Ultrabook out the door in October, measuring 7-mm at the back and thinning out to a mere 3-mm at the front. It will be powered by Intel's 1.7 GHz Core i5-2557M processor (up to Core i7) and feature metal chiclet keys, a glass touchpad, 64 GB or 128 GB of storage, a mini-DisplayPort, a mini-HDMI port, USB 3.0 ports and more.
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Kevin Parrish has over a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and product tester. His work focused on computer hardware, networking equipment, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and other internet-connected devices. His work has appeared in Tom's Hardware, Tom's Guide, Maximum PC, Digital Trends, Android Authority, How-To Geek, Lifewire, and others.
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DjEaZy ... next? Apple sues asus and intel...Reply
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/macbook-air-patent-intel-ultrabook,13241.html -
RabidFace zankutoThe HDD offerings seem a little tad small for those prices.Almost positive that it would be a SSD, so for those prices, it's about right. Also considering the CPUs, the form factor, and the design that went in to the chassis to dissipate the heat to keep things stable.Reply
Just like the Razer Blade. Yes, the specs seem a bit weak for the price, but it's really not when you think about the quality of the laptop itself and design. Quality products come at a premium price. Of course you can get the specs of the Blade for less, but you won't get the aluminum body, multi-use LCD screen and 10 adaptive LCD keys. -
aglarond I hope there will be some ultrabook with new AMD APUs. It would be much more powerful in graphics, games and some calculations.Reply -
vaughn2k I don't think you need a Core I7 for an ultrabook...Reply
It is too overkill, if you'll do rendering and other stuff that would utilize the I7's prowess...
I'll stick with APU though... -
dickcheney phexacLooks a lot like my Macbook Air...Reply
Apple does not own the rights to ''making a thin laptop'' you know... -
ojas __-_-_-__I love those metallic keyboards.no word about the gpu?Reply
most probably the intel IGPs.
aglarondI hope there will be some ultrabook with new AMD APUs. It would be much more powerful in graphics, games and some calculations.
Can't really say much, the ultrabook is intel's baby. I don't think it'll let it's partners create "ultrabooks" that use AMD processors. At least i 'm sure they won't be funding it.
vaughn2kI'll stick with APU though...
Sandy Bridge processors are APUs. I think you meant AMD's APUs?