Intel Ultrabooks to be Priced Below $1,000, Competes Strongly with Apple

In the realm of ultra-thin notebooks, many companies complain that they cannot compete on price with the industry's juggernaut Apple and its MacBook series. However, Intel has just developed a ready-made spec for its upcoming ultrabook part costs that, according to the company, will help placate Windows PC builders who are affected by prices.

According to Intel, the raw build of materials before assembly is said to be between $475 and $650 for the slightly thicker 0.8" models and between $493 and $710 for the thinner 0.7" models, similar to the MacBook Air. A total of five templates currently exist for the thinner category, with the UX21 and larger UX31 from Asus matching that specification.

A rumored meetings is supposed to take place next week that will gauge how well the bill of materials lines up with the specs PC builders are looking for. Intel, along with the initial partners, are supposedly all aiming for starting prices below $1,000, even with requirements like metal shells and solid-state drives.

In addition to that, up to and including ultrabooks that are based on Intel's upcoming Ivy Bridge 22 nanometer processors, all of the 11" to 13" models that will be closely following Apple's formula must be no thicker than 0.7". Manufacturers will still be able to make an ultrabook at 14" to 17", which will give them the leeway to increase the thickness to 0.8".

The first round of Windows-based ultrabooks are said to be hitting store shelves this September, when the UX21 ships. Other companies, like Acer and HP, will be joining in later. Intel has not yet stated publicly its reasons behind embracing the concept of an ultrabook, but only did so after the MacBook Air was released in 2010.

Intel has been looking for a way to keep ultraportable notebooks relevant as the tablet PC market chips away at the PC market and it looks as if the company has taken Apple's idea of a very thin, lightweight, instant response, long-living system as a way to offer things the tablet gives you in the form of a conventional laptop.

Source: Electronista - Intel ultrabook spec keeps parts sub-$710 to spar with Apple

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HP TouchPad Available in July

On Thursday, June 9 HP announced that it will be releasing its TouchPad tablet in The United States on Friday, July 1. The TouchPad was first revealed to the public back in February. The 9/7-inch device will come complete with a 1,024 x 768 capacitive screen, a 1.2-GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 1.3 megapixel webcam, Beats Audio technology, stereo speakers, and video calling support. The device weighs 1.6 pounds and is 13.77mm thick. It will also include Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and fun features like a gyroscope, accelerometer and compass. Basically, it’s got plenty of things to keep you occupied for quite some time!

HP feels that the webOS operating system that is found in the TouchPad will set this device apart from its competitors like the Apple iPad 2, the Motorola Xoom and the RIM BlackBerry PlayBook.

"What makes HP TouchPad a compelling alternative to competing products is webOS,” said Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager, Palm Global Business Unit, HP. “The platform’s unmatched features and flexibility will continue to differentiate HP products from the rest of the market for both personal and professional use. This is only the beginning of what HP’s scale can do with webOS.”

According to HP, retailers will be stocking the Wi-Fi version of the device. Customers will have the option of the 16GB tablet for $499.99 or the 32GB tablet for $599.99. If you don’t want a Wi-Fi version of the TouchPad, HP has said that AT&T will offer a 3G version of the tablet a little later in the summer, so you could wait for that.

HP said that they will begin taking preorders for the U.S. and Europe starting Sunday, June 19, and the TouchPad will be arrive in the U.K., France, Ireland and Germany just a few days after it hits the U.S. It will also go to Canada in mid-July and Italy, Spain, Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore sometime later this year.

There are a variety of stores that are expected to stock the HP tablet in the U.S. including: Best Buy, Staples, Office Depot, Walmart, Sam’s Club, OfficeMax, Amazon.com, Fry’s, Microcenter and HP’s online store.

"The iPad, which has single-handedly dominated the tablet business since its introduction last year, will account for the bulk of the DRAM demand in the market in 2011 and the following years," IHS principal DRAM and memory analyst Mike Howard noted in an email. "However, competition to the iPad is seeping into the market, driving further DRAM demand."

It will be very interesting to see how the TouchPad does when it hits the shelves. The tablet market is the place to be right now, so hopefully HP will hit a homerun with this new device.

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