Intel Promises That Ultrabooks Will Hit $699 This Year
Intel is ramping up its Ultrabook marketing campaign.
According to Kirk Skaugen, general manager for the PC Client group at Intel, there are currently 75 Ultrabook designs with different form factors, including hybrid models, in development. The executive also expects prices to drop sharply and reach $699 by the back-to-school season.
Skaugen's words are in contrast to Digitimes, which recently reported that second-generation Ultrabooks with 22 nm Ivy Bridge processor may not be able to touch $699, unless Intel is reducing its processor prices. Digitimes referred to computer makers in Taiwan, who implied that Intel should not be focusing so much on marketing, but providing lower CPU prices to notebook makers.
At this time, some entry-level Ultrabooks can be purchased from about $800, while the majority of devices are at $1000 and above. Higher volumes are likely to offer room for lower prices, which Intel appears to be targeting at the launch of Windows 8 and against the trend of pure-play tablets. Skaugen said that Ultrabooks "can deliver the best of a tablet, and the best in what (users) know in a notebook."
It has also become clear that Intel is highly protective of the "Ultrabook" brand. The company previously said that only Intel-equipped notebooks can carry the Ultrabook designation and Skaugen added that Ultrabooks will have to deliver on the form factor requirement: "If it's too thick it won't be called an Ultrabook. It won't be allowed to be called an Ultrabook because Ultrabook is a trademark of Intel and we can protect the trademark."
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Douglas Perry was a freelance writer for Tom's Hardware covering semiconductors, storage technology, quantum computing, and processor power delivery. He has authored several books and is currently an editor for The Oregonian/OregonLive.
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jdwii ReplyIf it's too thick it won't be called an Ultrabook. It won't be allowed to be called an Ultrabook because Ultrabook is a trademark of Intel and we can protect the trademark.
Sounds like Intel, Oh well if all goes well Amd will have some "Ultrathins" at around ivy launch well maybe a month or 2 later. -
tomfreak Great move,great news but not good enough get it down to $400-$500 range, I wanna see it replacing all the $400-$500 notebook which those notebook usually use Sandy bridge IGP.Reply -
blazorthon buttluvLousy performance for both graphics and CPU, but hey, it's really, really thin.I guess this is Intel's version of AMD's "abandoning the high end desktop". Intel is going to move backwards a few generations in performance so your lazy arse can carry a laptop that only weighs 2 pounds instead of 3.Reply
A lot of laptops are more like 5-8 pounds. Y0u have a point, but you under-exaggerate the weight of a laptop. Maybe some 13" laptops are 3 or 4 pounds, but 15" and up is not. -
slicedtoad @buttluvReply
umm i havent seen any mention of them abandoning the high end market...
They're just competing. Can't let apple own the only laptops in this segment. This doesn't mean they aren't still working the high end. -
cheepstuff slicedtoad@buttluvumm i havent seen any mention of them abandoning the high end market...They're just competing. Can't let apple own the only laptops in this segment. This doesn't mean they aren't still working the high end.Reply
Umm...
Last I checked, Apple used Intel CPUs int their MacBooks.
As far as I can tell, Intel should be perfectly happy with Apple's business. -
DjEaZy .. i could buy it, if the hardware is 1to1 with MacBook Air's hardware... it could make a good, cheep hackentosh for learning purposes... if not... why should i buy a windows laptop with s#!tty GPU?... i wait until AMD comes out with APU thin thingy with good GPU in it...Reply