We reported yesterday that according to market research firm, iSuppli, their predictions of the number of Ultrabooks shipping in 2012 have been slashed in half. Could pricing be a reason behind their revised predictions? While it might have been a consideration, the folks at Digitimes have put out a report that suggests that come 2013, it seems that we can look forward to Ultrabooks that will cost a pretty affordable $699. Of course there will still be higher-end Ultrabooks made with aluminum, SSDs and the likes, but the report has suggested that the $699 price tag will be for entry-level Ultrabooks.
These cheaper Ultrabooks are expected to still maintain the slim form factor which defines an Ultrabook, although instead of more “premium” materials, these cheaper devices will turn to fiberglass-reinforced plastic, or metal-plastic hybrid builds with HDD/SSD hybrid drives and etc. which will help keep retail prices down to around the $699 level. Perhaps they might not be as sturdy or as zippy as their higher-end counterparts, but perhaps the $699 price tag might be an attractive purchase to those looking for a slim mobile computer but don’t want to fork out $1,000 or more. What do you guys think? Would you sacrifice build quality and a bit of performance for a cheaper Ultrabook?
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