PC Makers Put Their Money On ‘Ultrabooks’

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3:54pm UK, Thursday January 12, 2012

Computer manufacturers are hoping 2012 will be the year of the ultrabook, a new type of Intel powered super-thin laptop hot on the heels of Apple’s Macbook Air.

It seems every PC maker is showing off at least one version of such a device at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world’s largest gadget trade show currently taking place in Las Vegas.

The ultrabooks have been developed in reponse to the popularity of tablets like the iPad and along with compact and slim dimensions, promise extended battery life and quick start up times.

Toshiba claims its Portege Z series ultrabook can run for eight hours on one charge.

Robert Mantell from chip maker Intel said: “We expect there to be 75 more models to come to market in the near future”.

The company is planning its largest advertising campaign since it introduced Centrino chips for Wi-fi-capable laptops in 2003 to promote the technology.

The ultrabooks – manufactured by Toshiba, Samsung, Lenovo, HP and LG – are among 20,000-plus products exhibited at the show, which has also featured powerful new smartphones, wafer-thin flat-screen TVs and dancing robots.

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Another possible future trend could be android-powered smart watches that allow net surfing on the go.

Sony and an Italian startup i’m Watch have both exhibited timepieces that enable wearers to browse email, music, websites or other online content.

The touch-screen i’m Watch, which links wirelessly to smartphones, can connect to an online shop for applications or music or be used to make phone calls.

Sony said at CES that it would release its touch-display SmartWatch, capable of connecting to mobile phones wirelessly using Bluetooth capabilities, by the end of March.

Applications will be tailored for SmartWatch, which will be priced at $149.

The Consumer Electronics Show 2012 has had over 3,100 exhibitors showing more than 20,000 products this year, making it the biggest ever say officials.