Ultrabooks with Windows 8 are going to be available next year, but what price can we actually expect?
Windows 8 Coming For Ultrabooks in 2012
Microsoft’s upcoming operating system Windows 8 is expected to power the next big thing in computing- ultrabooks, starting from the coming year. An Intel executive stated that Windows 8 is expected to catapult the demand for ultrabooks. More than sixty designs for ultrabooks will be witnessed by the next year and eleven designs are expected to be out by the end of this year.
The General Manager and Senior Vice President of the worldwide sales at Intel, Tom Kilroy, reckons that using Windows 8 on ultrabooks will bloat the demand for ultrabooks by the second half of 2012, especially during the period when schools reopen and students ponder over the options for an upgrade to their computing devices like phones and laptops.
Ivy Bridge Microarchitectured Core Processor
These Ultrabooks will also be loaded with the next-generation Ivy Bridge processors that provide high power graphics and processing power with a small size and power footprint. In the light of the given features, Kilroy also reckons that four out of every ten laptops sold would be ultrabooks by the end of 2012. He further stated that it is a very realistic goal per se, judging by the enthusiasm and excitement in the market.
Ultrabooks: Release and Pricing
There hasn’t been any announcement from Microsoft on the release of Windows 8 although a developer preview was released the last month. The beta release is now awaited in all eagerness. Paul Otellini, CEO of Intel, predicted that price of the ultrabooks might drop from next year onwards from a current price of approximately $1,000. He further stated that a year down the line, considering where the ultrabooks stand now, their price may be seen at $699 and up.
Intel has been promoting ultrabooks as light and thin laptops, designed in response to the Macbook Air line by Apple. Ultrabooks are designed to be thinner than the Macbook Air and boast regular laptop features along with long battery life. PC makers Acer, ASUS, Toshiba and Lenovo have already released a few ultrabooks, though these feature Sandy Bridge processors, while the ones expected to come in 2012 will feature Ivy Bridge processors.