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Capturing such a large share of the market is an ambition that could be facilitated by the drop in Ultrabook pricing that is expected to occur over the next few months. Regis said that the $699 price point, in particular, will become a more common one. This is a hefty drop compared to the $1,300 price tag found on some Ultrabook models, such as Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon, on the market today.
"We projected that OEMs will be able to hit entry-system price point of $699 by the holidays. And I think the reports that I have read and stuff that I have seen on online retail, there are multiple systems now being offered at that price point, and it's not just one or two," Regis said. "So $699, yes, it's doable."
To ensure these price points are attainable, Regis said that some of the new features set to launch with next-generation Ultrabooks, such as voice activation, gesture control and touch, won't be added to Intel's list of required specs OEMs must meet to bear the Ultrabook brand. Instead, they will be optional features OEMs can choose, or not choose, to adopt.
Intel does plan to capture some share in the smartphone and tablet markets with its upcoming Clover Trail Atom line of processors, which will go head-to-head with low-power ARM-based processors from rival chip makers such as Qualcomm and Nvidia. But despite these new markets, Intel's commitment to PCs doesn't appear to be waning any time soon.
"We get really excited by the quantity, the diversity of systems that are in the market. I think there is something for everyone in Ultrabooks, and now we are starting to see a lot of ... systems moving down to more accessible price points, so we're really encouraged by that," Regis said. "With the new wave of systems expected to come to market for the holidays ... we think that there is a lot of promise there."
PUBLISHED SEPT. 12, 2012
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