PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
Intel has revealed that a number of brands will release ultrabooks priced at less than US$1000 before the end of the year.
While notebook manufacturers were reportedly concerned that the high price of Intel chips would make the ultrabook $1,000 price goal unattainable, Intel appear to have treated this as a priority and announced that Acer, Asus, Lenovo and ‘others’ would launch sub-$1000 drives.
The $1,000 price tag is the same as an entry level MacBook Air, the ultra thin notebook widely concerned to be the inspiration behind Intel’s ultrabook.
On that basis the MacBook Air’s price of £850 in the UK is also likely to be the British high water mark for ultrabooks when they arrive.
Despite Intel VIP assurances the DigiTimes maintained that notebook manufacturers at the an Intel organised ultrabook symposium remained skeptical of the end-user price given the bill of materials is said to be US$700.
Intel announced a $300m fund for promoting ‘innovation’ in the ultrabook category.
