Intel Relaunches And Doubles Whitebook Rebates

Intel has reinstated the notebook processor rebate offered as part of its fledgling whitebook program, after some system builders pointed out that the rebate ended before the program developed legs.

Steve Dallman, director of Americas distribution and channel marketing at Intel, said the Santa Clara, Calif.-based chip maker this week extended a rebate program that it originally offered in the second quarter. The new offer will be good through September, and Intel will double the rebate for the last two weeks of August, he said.

"We want to get things going after the delays we have seen in the supply line," Dallman said.

The rebate is good on mobile processors available for the Verified By Intel whitebooks sold through Synnex, ASI, Tech Data Canada and D&H Distributing, according to information on Intel's Web site.

Dallman declined to specify the amount of the rebate, but Intel's site said the rebate is up to $20. Doubling it would presumably increase the incentive to as much as $40.

Microsoft and Seagate are still offering the rebates that were part of the original promotion. Microsoft is offering $10 to $20 off the Windows operating system, while Seagate is providing a 4 percent to 20 percent discount on Momentus 5400 hard drives.

The Verified By Intel whitebook program was rolled out in March at Intel's channel conference for its Premier partners. The initiative was designed to give system builders a high-quality, barebones whitebook and interchangeable parts, such as power supplies and batteries. The rebate was launched shortly thereafter.

System builders were enthusiastic about the program, since a rising number of computer users are migrating from desktop PCs to mobile form factors. But white-box makers said the program has been slow to take off and supply has been constrained.

Dallman earlier this month, however, said Intel had shipped additional supply of the products into the United States and added another U.S-based distributor, D&H.

Many system builders said they have yet to develop traction with the new whitebooks. Nevertheless, they view the program positively and think real growth will begin in the fourth quarter of this year or first-quarter 2007.

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