The chipmaker launched the idea of so-called Ultrabooks back at Computex, aiming to seize about 40 percent of the notebook market. Ultrabooks are basically ultrathin notebooks that promise to offer a lot more performance than current ultrathin designs, or defunct CULV designs for that matter.
Digitimes claims that Intel has allotted generous funding for vendors who take up the idea. Intel is also offering a new marketing strategy and putting its resources at the disposal of interested vendors. It appears that subsidies and support are necessary at this point, as Ultrabooks are projected to cost up to $1,000, which is almost MacBook Air money.
In addition, vendors who got burned with CULV notebooks two years are rather cautious and doubt the viability of such a concept. Although CULV products got very positive reviews and cost half as much as upcoming Ultrabooks, the market was not too keen to embrace them, hence vendors aren’t willing to make the same mistake twice.
Frankly we would rather see a proper successor to the dirt cheap CULV series than pricey Ultrabooks, but then again AMD could fill that gap to some extent with its E-series Fusion parts.
More here.
