Intel's Ultrabook PCs unveiled at Computex

By Richi Jennings (@richi) - June 1, 2011.

Intel Corp. (INTC) is talking up its Ultrabook concept at the Computex show in Taipei. It promises thin-and-light laptops for the rest of us. Asus is demonstrating one of the first PCs to meet Intel's specifications: the UX21. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers refuse to make MacBook Air comparisons.

Your humble blogwatcher curated these bloggy bits for your entertainment. Not to mention: an Epic panhandler sign in Miami...

James Niccolai reports:

The new class of "Ultrabooks" ... will have "thin, light, beautiful" designs and be priced for the mainstream market. ... Intel expects the new systems to [represent] 40 percent of consumer laptop sales by the end of next year.
...
An initial crop of Ultrabook PCs will go on sale ... in time for the holiday shopping season ... this year. ... They will be less than ... 0.8 inches thick and priced under $1,000. ... A second wave ... ... in the first half of next year, based on Intel's ... Ivy Bridge. ... A final wave is due in 2013, based on ... Haswell [which] will half the power consumption ... compared to today's laptops.  

 
John Morris adds:

The ultrabook is essentially a very thin ultraportable with a mainstream price. ... The size, performance and features of these ultrabooks will evolve ... as Intel introduces new processor technology. ... Haswell [is] a new microarchitecture that will cut the thermal design point ... to 15 watts reinventing the laptop.
...
The Asus UX Series ... measures only 0.67 inches at it thickest point.  

 
Stan Schroeder has more:

Don’t expect anything revolutionary ... the Asus UX21 ... is a thin and stylish 11.6-inch laptop, powered by an Intel Core i5 ... sporting a USB 3.0 port, a mini-HDMI port, SSD storage ... at 2.2 pounds.
...
Asus claims the UX21 can resume from sleep mode in two seconds.  

 
And Richard Fichera talks Ivy Bridge:

"3D Trigate" transistors ... hold out the hope for ... improved performance as well as power efficiency. ... They change the fundamental geometry ... from a basically flat “planer” design to one with more vertical structure. ... Leakage current is reduced to near zero, resulting in very efficient operation. ... Power consumption ... is reduced by approximately 50% from Sandy Bridge’s already improved results.
...
Moores Law is alive and well, at least for the next several generations of process down to 14 nm. ... Intel has no intention of yielding primacy as the world’s leader in semiconductor process.  

 
But Dan Ackerman ponders pricing:

Though thinner, more powerful laptops are always a laudable goal, is Intel's claim ... realistic? Considering some of the most popular laptops ... are already reasonably thin ... and cost well under $1,000, the Ultrabook may be ... a solution in search of a problem.
...
Netbooks were largely an organic phenomenon--consumer demand for these small, low-cost machines forced PC makers to embrace the previously obscure category. A top-down pronouncement on what consumers want from companies looking to sell new hardware is a much tougher sell.  

 
And Finally...
Epic panhandler sign in Miami
 
 
Don't miss out on IT Blogwatch:

• Follow @richi, your humble blogwatcher, on Twitter
• Subscribe to the Computerworld Blogs newsletter
• Catch up with posts from the previous few days

Richi Jennings is an independent analyst/consultant, specializing in blogging, email, and security. He's the creator and main author of Computerworld's IT Blogwatch -- for which he has won American Society of Business Publication Editors and Jesse H. Neal awards on behalf of Computerworld. He also writes The Long View for IDG Enterprise. A cross-functional IT geek since 1985, you can follow him as @richi on Twitter, pretend to be richij's friend on Facebook, or just use good old email: itbw@richij.com. You can also read Richi's full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.