What laptop we weigh in on the Ultrabook vs
Macbook Air debate
We’re familiar with the ultraportable
laptop, but it’s only over the last six months that the Ultrabook (the standard
is fully trademarked) has risen to prominence. The immediate reaction to
tentative announcements from Lenovo, Asus and Acer during the summer months was
surprise and excitement, - not leas from those commenters eagerly anticipating
the inevitable clash with Apple’s newly-revamped Macbook Air for the coveted
title of premium ultraportable.
The reaction should have been relief that
the industry’s big hiters had finally seen sense and decided to involve
themselves in a sphere of the market that Apple has dominated since 2008.
That’s not to say that the ultraportable
had been neglected or spurned by PC OEMs. Models like the Sony Vaio Z-Series,
Dell’s Adamo XPS and Samsung’s 9 Series are all highly accomplished
ultraportable laptops, but they have failed to capture the public imagination
in quite the same way as the Macbook Air.
Real contest
Windows
could be the winning factor in the race against Apple
Ultrabooks will be different. For the first
time since 2008, there will be a realistic alternative to Apple’s creation –
not just in the minds of technology enthusiasts, but also f the general public.
This is because the unifying effect of Intel’s Ultrabook design and performance
stnadrads 9less than 20-21mm thick, a price under $1000, long battery life and
quick startup) is akin to Apple’s unwillingness to compromise on the quality of
its own in-house ultraportable.
Intel also created a 300m fund dedicated to
developing Ultrabook hardware and software in partnership with manufacturers.
‘Ultrabook devices are poised to be an important area for innovation in the
$261 billion global computer industry,’ said Arvind Sodhani, president of Intel
Capital and Intel executive VP when the fund was announced in August. The Intel
Capital Ultrabook Fund will focus on investing in companies building
technologies that will help revolutionise the computing experience and morph
today’s mobile computers into the next ‘must have device,’ he said.
The collaboration involved in producing and
developing the Ultrabook is new to the laptop industry. OEMs might give up a
measure of individuality, but they will gain the confidence of the consumer in
exchange. Apple has taken a long time to build up this confidence, but it’s now
almost unshakable. Matching it will require a concentrated roadmap of future
planning and development.
Thankfully, Intel’s involvement also
extends to the long-term planning of the brand, which will factor in the
replacement of Sandy Bridge with ivy Bridge, and finally Haswell chips in 2013.
Intel claims the Haswell range of processors will need half the power of
current models. The company is equally confident about Ultrabooks – at Computex
in June, Intel’s executive vice president Sean Maloney predicted that the new
slimline laptops will make up 40 per cent of the market by the end of 2012.
Looks familiar
Lenovo’s
IdeaPad Ultrabook
The most obvious similarity among the first
set of Ultrabooks is their appearance. Lenovo’s IdeaPad Ultrabook I milled from
a solid block of aluminium and measures 14mm at its thickest point, while the
Asus Zenbook Ultrabook boasts a 17mm thick aluminium chassis with a much
vaunted concentric circle design. To the casual observer, these machines could
be the same. Sticking to Intel’s guidelines necessitates the use of materials like
aluminium, and the overall effect will unite the devices in the minds of
consumers – even though Intel says it isn’t going to be pushing Ultrabook as
brand identity.
the
Asus Zenbook Ultrabook
‘The overall effect will unite the devices
in the minds of consumers’
Of course, Apple was using aluminium
unibody designs back in 2008, alongside other features like custom-fit lithium
polymer batteries. This head start means Cupertino doesn’t need to worry just
yet. Apple can order specific components in large quantities, safe in the
knowledge that it will sell devices in their millions and doesn’t need to
produce endless variations, which means it can get better pricing deals.
Despite being famed for premium prices, Apple also sells the cheapest Macbook
Air just $1,275, prompting Intel to ask OEMs to not just match it on pricing,
but undercut it.
