With a new generation of Ultrabook computers set to steal the show as the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES), industry experts are pegging both the event and the hardware as key opportunities for IT retailers and manufacturers the likes of Intel.
With the backing of Intel, all current leaders in PC technology are looking to showcase their own Ultrabooks or future plans to the world – which are essentially a new standard in state-of-the-art, super-thin and lightweight laptops.
The arrival of Ultrabooks has already been predicted as likely to deliver a sizeable blow to demand for contemporary netbooks and with new touchscreen technology could even go so far as damaging tablet PC sales.
The largest impact of all however is likely to be in relation to business IT.
According to key industry analyst Charles King, “The Ultrabook is really about creating a new baseline for mobile computing for consumers and businesses alike. Since Ultrabooks are mostly Windows-based machines, they should actually be easier for enterprises to incorporate into existing IT management and security schemas than Apple products.”
Exactly what defines an Ultrabook is still a matter of some debate, though criteria the likes of thickness under 0.8 inches, weight of less than 3.1 pound and extensive battery life of up to eight hours seem be of standard expectation. What’s more, super-fast boot times are also expected as is current the standard with high-end tablet PCs.
