Ultrabooks starts to succeed tablet
Tony
Bradley appraises the influence of the ultrabook on the growth in sales of
tablet.
A
report from Juniper Research forecasted that the sales of the ultrabook would
increase by 3 times in comparison with the sales of the tablet in the next 5
years.
Consciousness
and initial prediction about the ultrabook which was reported last year is
definitely impressive. However, if we take statistical figures into
consideration, tablets don’t really endanger by new laptops.
Firstly,
Juniper Research rejected the claim comparing the growth rate of the ultrabook
and the tablet by pointing out that the sales of the tablet was higher than the
ultrabook. Juniper Research forecasted that there would be 253 million tablets
that were sold in 2016, compared with 178 million ultrabooks.
‘Ultrabook’ definition
There’s
no doubt about the great success of the ultrabook. Nevertheless, we have some
concern about calling ultrabook as a new type of laptop. It’s just the natural
evolution of netbook and laptop.
Ultrabook
may be different from the current laptop and netbook in some respects but they
are still laptops. The issue is whether “laptop” umbrella is appropriate or
not, or its role as a mobile computing device has been permanently possessed by
the increasing popularity of tablets.
Growth Prospects
There’s
an assessment that the growth of the ultrabook will increase by 3 times in
comparison with the tablet in the next 5 years. Yes, the growth speed of the
ultrabook can be larger than 3 times, but the tablet market is more matured,
while ultrabook is a product which is quite new.
We
only use these numbers to illustrate, however, the rise from 100 to 200 is a
100% growth in technology, but it is not as impressed as the growth rate of 10%
from 100 million to 110 million.
Windows 8: friend or foe?
Windows
8 will play the key role in promoting the acceptance of the ultrabook. Features
such as long battery life, always on and connecting, and other functions which
are expected with the upcoming operating system of Microsoft will help to gain
interest the ultrabook segment.
Of
course, Windows 8 can stimulate the explosion of tablet sales. There are a lot
of users who are eagerly waiting to see what Windows 8 provides. If the
operating system can supply performance and stable features in a tablet design
with an acceptable price, it is also able to decrease ultrabook sales.
Acts of reconciliation
Daniel
Ashdown, the author of Juniper Research report, explained: “While the control
over brand of Intel makes sure that the ultrabook stands out from traditional
laptops, providers are facing an act of reconciliation with product strategy.
The respond of the specification of Intel ensures prestige and money but the
significant step from the laptop means that the ultrabook is too expensive for
customers at present.
Ultrabooks
need an investment more than low-cost laptops which you can find in local
supermarkets. However, for rich customers, they combine power and capabilities
of a Windows laptop with features and benefits of a tablet to create a hybrid
device which is pre-eminent among traditional laptops and tablets.
The
challenge for ultrabook vendors is to find the middle point where the price
meets performance, where the crowd can tolerate. Besides that, they have to
avoid cuttingdown sales of desktop and traditional laptop.
