PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
Ultrabook manufacturers are set to drop the prices of first-generation units in the new year as they make way for next-generation Intel Ivy-Bridge based units, according to a DigiTimes report.
To facilitate the move, Intel is preparing to drop the price of Sandy Bridge processors by 10 to 15 per cent according to supply chain sources cited by the DigiTimes.
The prices could mean that Intel Core i5-based ultrabooks could fall between US$800 and $900. Given that the first batch of US$1000 priced ultrabooks are now on the street for around £850 in Blighty, it seems plausible that models under £700 might appear.
The new fancy 22nm Ivy Bridge processors such as the upcoming Core i5-3450 and Core i7-3370 aren’t that much more expensive than the current CPU prices, around $10 to $15 in quantity.
On that basis it seems likely that second generation Ivy Bridge ultrabooks will probably go on sale for around the price that the first generations are today. For anyone else in the market for a super thin and light beefy laptop, there could well be some January bargains to be had.
