Once seen as the PC industry’s only hope in the “post-PC era,” the number of Ultrabooks expected to ship by the end of this year is now estimated to only be half as much as projected. According to an IHS iSupply report, only 10.3 million Ultrabooks might be shipped this year as opposed to the 22 million previously forecasted. IHS iSupply says “nebulous marketing and unappealing price” are the two biggest factors holding Ultrabooks back.
iSupply specifically points to Intel’s (INTC) constantly changing definition for what is and isn’t an Ultrabook as a prime example of poor marketing. And by price, the research firms says that Ultrabooks are too expensive at the $1,000 price point and will only see growth if prices dip to around $600 to $700.
Still, the IHS iSupply expects Ultrabooks to see a resurgence later this year when Microsoft launches Windows 8 and Intel launches its Haswell microprocessor in mid-2013. Perhaps new form factors that combine a tablet and keyboards such as HP’s ENVY x2 will give Ultrabooks a boost too.
