ultrabooks

Remember ultrabooks? Yeah, no one else does either

Ultrabook sales are going to be pretty disappointing this year, according to a report from IHS iSuppli (see its release below). And that's bad news for Intel and the PC makers who use its chips.

IHS slashed its estimates for shipments of the thin-and-light notebooks to 10.3 million this year, down from its previous forecast of 22 million. More than half of those shipments should come in the fourth quarter, the tech research firm said, likely boosted by the introduction of Microsoft's new Windows operating system.

IHS also expects 2013 to be less rosy, with shipments totaling … Read more

Exit the mouse, enter the touch pad

In the run-up to Windows 8, the one keyword you hear most often is "touch." That means touch-screen tablets and slates, touch panels added to traditional clamshell laptops, and touch-enabled all-in-one desktops. It also refers to Microsoft's new emphasis on touch gestures for touch pads, as well as the ambitious plans component companies such as Synaptics have for touch input in Windows 8.

While all this touch talk is going on, there's another trend gaining steam in the background. The standalone touch pad, once a very obscure computer accessory (even the Apple Magic Trackpad failed to … Read more

Intel touts inexpensive ultrabooks

Ultrabooks aren't expensive. That's Intel's mantra these days. So, is the chipmaker right?

"Ultrabook Prices Hit Sub-$750 As Holidays Loom", Intel said in a post today. And, when queried, the chipmaker produced a fairly extensive list of sub-$700 laptops.

Select sub-$700 ultrabooks, as cited by Intel:

$699.99 Inspiron 14z ultrabook (14-inch) $699.99 Lenovo IdeaPad ultrabook (13-inch) $599.99 Lenovo IdeaPad U310 (13-inch) $663.20 Lenovo IdeaPad U310 (13-inch) $679.99 Acer Aspire ultrabook (14-inch) $679.99 HP Envy ultrabook (14-inch)

So, what pushes these models into sub-$700 territory?

Many … Read more

How Windows 8 will shake up the laptop market

Starting October 26, laptop shoppers will be inundated with a flood of new PCs designed around Microsoft's new operating system. In fact, I've counted about 50 new laptops, tablets, hybrids, convertibles, and all-in-ones on my back-of-the-envelope list already.

A handful of these have already been announced, a healthy chunk will be announced early in October, and the rest will simply go on sale on October 26, alongside Windows 8.

Having seen a good number of these upcoming systems in person already, I can safely outline three big trendlines that will drive laptop and related device sales through the Windows 8 launch season and into 2013. If you're looking to buy a laptop anytime soon, keep these in mind as you dig through the dozens of upcoming new choices. … Read more

Ultrabooks: The top technical problems

Owners of ultrabooks face a variety of technical woes, from limited battery life to poor screen quality, according to a new study from FixYa.

Tracking questions and complaints from its site users, FixYa narrowed its scope to seven different ultrabooks, shining a light on the key problems found in each one.

Low memory was the top complaint among users of Apple's popular MacBook Air, followed by thermal shutdown, which automatically turns off the computer if it gets too hot. Some owners also said the Air was difficult to repair and that the speaker quality was poor.

To deal with … Read more

HP adds a handful of new Windows 8 laptops to the lineup

We previously saw HP's big flagship Windows 8 products, the Envy Spectre XT Touchsmart ultrabook and the Envy X2, and now HP is ready to reveal a handful of its more traditional laptops. Like virtually every other Windows 8 laptop we've seen, these are due alongside Microsoft's new operating system in on October 26.

HP Envy m4 This mobile-minded addition to the growing Envy family has a brushed-aluminum design, current-gen Intel Core i-series processors, and a 14-inch display. Options include a backlit keyboard and Intel's Wireless Display.

Like all of the Envy laptops, and a growing … Read more

Dell adds Windows 8 to two new Latitudes

It may not generate excitement on a par with the iPhone 5, but Dell has added two new Windows 8 systems to its business-targeted Latitude lineup. While that's not a product line that usually catches our attention, these are definitely on the more adventurous side for Latitudes.

Latitude 6430u ultrabook This 14-inch Windows 8 ultrabook meets certain MIL-STD-810G standards, which is what we usually see in semi-rugged laptops. To work that kind of rugged design into a 20mm thick ultrabook is noteworthy, especially as most of the ultrabooks we've seen are on the flimsy side.

The 6430u will … Read more

Get a Vizio 14-inch ultrabook for $598

Ultrabooks -- often regarded as the Windows camp's answer to the MacBook Air, but really just a marketing term to describe thin, lightweight laptops. (In my day they were called ultraportables, but whatever.)

Most ultrabooks start at $799, a hard price to swallow given that non-"ultra" laptops packing just as much power often sell for half as much.

So on paper, at least, today's deal is looking mighty sweet: While supplies last, Wal-Mart has the Vizio Thin+Light CT14-A0 ultraportable for $598, with free store pickup. Obviously you'll be on the hook for sales … Read more

Intel's even thinner ultrabook of the future

So, just how thin will future touch screen ultrabooks get? Intel provides plenty of guidance on how to get there.

Ultrabooks these days typically range between 17mm (0.66 inches) and 20mm (0.78 inches) in thickness. With the emergence of Windows 8 tablet-esque ultrabooks with touchscreens, Intel wants to shave off a few more millimeters.

At its annual conference today, Intel released a slide (above) showing a touch screen ultrabook with a thinly-sliced 2.5mm keyboard (Microsoft's Surface tablet has a keyboard that is 3mm thin by comparison), a sub 0.5mm touch panel, and a 5mm hard … Read more