In the race to come up with the handiest mobile device possible, it's said that tablet computers are currently ahead of laptops. Some tech pundits are even talking about a "tablet revolution". This is not surprising as the new slates being released are sporting wider screens, faster processors, and more memory, while still maintaining high portability. According to market research firm IHS iSuppli however, laptops could make a strong comeback, and at the vanguard will be a new kind of device called ultrabooks.
There are portable personal computers that we know as laptops. Then there's the ultraportable kind that usually refers to gadgets labeled as mini notebooks or netbooks. Ultrabooks are a relatively new concept that also falls under this latter category. It's actually a trademarked name by Intel which introduced the idea in Computex 2011. The processor giant defines this new type of device as a notebook enhanced with all the advantages of a tablet PC. That means it will have a light and thin form factor, speedy boot up and restart, and the same type of user-interface.
To carry out such features, an ultrabook would be driven by one of Intel's new line of CULV (Consumer Ultra-Low Voltage) processors. It will also have integrated graphics and flash-based solid state drives. Like tablets, it will do away with optical drives. The resulting package would be a device that is less than an inch thick, have around 5 hours of battery life, won't quickly heat up, and perform just as quickly as other comparable Intel powered notebooks.
IHS iSuppli's projections show that 43% of notebooks that will be released in 2015 will likely be based on the ultrabook design. This is a growth rate that starts at only 2% this year. Some of the current devices already available that have the ultrabook label are Acer Aspire 3951, Asus Zenbook UX21 and UX31, Lenovo IdeaPad U300S, and Toshiba Portege Z830. If those projections push through, you're going to see a much longer list of ultrabooks in 2012 and the next few years after.
Source: twice
Ultrabooks – The Future of Laptops is a post from: Eee PC
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