What's better than a handful of new Ultrabook models? How about 15 such handfuls of new designs this year, including hybrid models that can morph from a tablet into a notebook -- all at prices starting at a mere $699?
According to published reports, Intel has 75 Ultrabook models already in development for this year, and expects prices to plummet to a low of $699 for base models over the summer -- just in time for the all-important back to school season. Current Ultrabook models start around $800.
Strength in numbers
Intel's Ultrabook concept is barely a year old, and models with long battery life and rapid-fire boot times are expected to make these slim PCs nearly as attractive as tablets. The chipmaker invested $300 million into the technology behind Ultrabooks, which spawned 21 such devices.
What's more, Intel plans to offer a variety of choices, ranging from Windows 8-based touchscreen models to hybrids that can serve as either a tablet or an ultra-slim notebook computer.
What to expect
Lenovo already teased Intel's Ultrabook vision of the future at this year's Consumer Electronics Show with the IdeaPad Yoga. The device will also run Microsoft's Windows 8 software when it arrives later this year, and features a touchscreen display that conveniently converts into a tablet when the mood strikes.
Kirk Skaugen, Intel's general manager of PC Clients, claims the company is kicking Ultrabook awareness into high gear with a "multi-hundred million dollar" advertising campaign aimed at TV and the internet, as well as "Ultrabook experience zones" at retail so consumers can actually get their hands on the devices.
From: PCWorld
