Computex 2012: Intel continues its Ultrabook push with 110 new designs

Intel has announced that up to 35 new Ultrabook models will hit the market this month, with the total number of models crossing 110 during its current processor generation's lifespan. Ultrabooks based on third-generation Core processors will offer better responsiveness and increased security, besides being available in a wider variety of sizes and form factors. Exactly a year after first introducing the concept of Ultrabooks at Computex, the company showed off models from Samsung, Acer, Asus, LG, Lenovo, Toshiba, NEC, HP and Dell, among others.

Costs are expected to stay above the US$ 699 mark, though advances in materials design will allow for more durable and attractive devices with improved specifications, such as touchscreens, additional sensors and Thunderbolt. Ultrabooks must also wake from sleep in seven seconds or less, and can wake briefly at intervals to keep users' online activity feeds up to date. Ultrabooks for business will use Core vPro processors, which allow for improved flexibility and security when used within corporate IT infrastructure.

110 Ultrabooks expected in the future

Intel Senior VP Tom Kilroy also announced a new investment in touch panel technology, specifically focused on producing touchscreens larger than 13.3-inch. The company expects Windows 8 to be a big upgrade motivator when it releases later this year, especially because it enables new form factors, such as convertible tablets.

Ultrabooks are likely to make up for 43 percent of all notebooks by the year 2015, according to research reports. At the end of the 2011, they only made up for 2 percent, but this number is said to swell to around 13 percent in 2012 and 38 percent in 2014. The Ultrabooks movement is being pushed, primarily by Intel and partners are jumping onboard and launching new models starting this year. Ultrabooks were expected to be priced at under the Rs. 50,000, prices are slowly dropping.

The next step for improvement for Ultrabooks will be when Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 8 operating system is released, officially. The demand for Ultrabooks should hopefully boost the semiconductor and component market that hasn’t been doing too well over the past year.