Ultrabooks:  Is this what everyone’s been waiting for?

They say you can never be too rich or too thin. It’s an adage that’s as true today as it ever was, particularly the thin part, and especially when you’re talking about computing devices.  Case in point:  the super thin, unbelievably light and high performing ultrabook—one of the year’s most talked about computer products and a much anticipated highlight of the Consumer Electronics Show starting tomorrow in Las Vegas.

 Matching the Wish List of Consumers

The ultrabook is the result of a seven-year effort by Intel to develop a computing device that delivered all the features consumers were asking for. Research showed that users wanted technology that allowed them to do all the things they could do on a larger device, but with the portability of a smaller laptop. And they wanted to do that easily and comfortably, with a keyboard they could really type on and a screen they could really see.

They also wanted a battery that lasted longer than the movie they were watching; quick response times; and security that ensured the safety of their private information.  And they wanted all of this wrapped tight in one lightweight, sleek and attractive package.

And in 2011, combining the best of the notebook and the tablet, the ultrabook was born.

Ultrabooks are what some are calling the PC industry’s answer to the Apple’s MacBook Air.  As for Intel, stringent criteria must be met before it will call any device an ultrabook.  It can weigh no more than 3.1 pounds, be no more than 0.71 inches thick, and provide five or more hours of battery life. It must also have flash-based storage, and incorporate Intel ® Rapid Start Technology for lightning fast boot times, providing users with ultra quick access to their data and applications.

The Next Big Thing?

Intel unveiled the ultrabook in May 2011. The company called it a game-changer, bringing together the power of laptops and the convenience and power efficiency of tablets. According to Intel, ultrabooks are expected to make up 40 per cent of the consumer-PC market by the end of 2012.

Some say this is a highly ambitious prediction—the company sold only one million ultrabooks worldwide last year. But the firm continues to hold fast to its ultrabook sales projections for 2015, which assume a 342 per cent annual growth rate.

Again, some say it’s a highly ambitious forecast, especially when you consider that the entire PC market is projected to grow less than five per cent. Time will tell if we see these predictions come to fruition.

See It Tomorrow

What you can be sure to see is a whole lot more excitement about the ultrabook; much of it starting tomorrow at the Consumer Electronics Show. While some companies’ devices have already hit the market, other companies, including Dell, are expected to introduce models in Las Vegas.  In fact, you can expect to see 30 to 50 ultrabook models from Dell, HP, Toshiba, Acer, Asus and Lenovo.  A few of these already have ultrabooks in their catalogue of shipping products.

The general consensus among most analysts is that the ultrabook category has some staying power. For the most part, consumers are hungry for what Intel is promising: an emerging breed of no-compromise computers that will increasingly combine best-in-class performance, improved responsiveness and battery life, and built-in thin, elegant, must-have mobile design.

But most also agree that the device’s success may be determined by its price tag–many of next year’s ultrabooks will be in the $1,000 to $1,200 range, perhaps limiting their appeal to mainstream, price-conscious consumers. However, it’s also possible that the price could eventually come down, particularly in light of Intel’s $300 million investment in a fund to help lower the cost of the components that go into making the device ultra thin and ultra lightweight.

Will the ultrabook be ultra-successful?  Stay tuned.

And tune in right here tomorrow for a closer look at some of the ultrabook models that will be featured at this year’s Consumer Electronic Show.