More ultrabooks breach Macbook Air’s territory

The war for the best ultrabook is at its peak and with the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) due in January 2012, the competitors are fighting for consumer trust in terms of price and technology.

Apple, despite being pioneer of the category, are facing troubling times with the launches and releases of a host of ultrabooks in the latter half of 2011.

Currently, these companies, mainly HP, Lenovo, Asus and Acer, are not only fighting on the price front but are in neck-and-neck competition with each other in terms of specs.

Among these new entrants Apple’s Macbook Air probably still stands out as a winner in terms of the specs if price factor is scratched out. However, these contestants are prying the ultrabook-market, considering the money factor pretty seriously.

The market is waterlogged with slim notebooks starting from $799 (Toshiba) to $1299 (Apple). However, considering the array of specs offered by tech goliaths in between makes it harder for consumers to pick the best one.

The main contender for the best choice in all respects still includes Macbook Air. However; Toshiba Protégé because of the cheapest price tag; HP for a musical combination of price and specs; and Asus for being the closest to the Air in looks, are still
jumping the high poles.

With the most economical price, the user will have to compromise on the specifications in Protégé. This notebook has a slower processor in the horde, Intel’s second generation Core i3. However, with 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB SSD storage device in the 13-inch
version the processing deficiency—which is still good for everyday computing—is eclipsed.

HP Folio with a faster processor—a core i5—with 4 GB RAM and 128 GB SSD drive for a humble $899 makes the top of wish list. The shape is uniform and the thickness is still within the threshold of 18mm.

Asus Zenbook UX31, announced in October, has the closest shape to the Macbook Air. The specs are upright to the latest available in the market. Core i5, 4 GB RAM and 128 GB SSD, all nestled in a 13-inch chassis. However, the price starts at $1099.

The Macbook, although undoubtedly the best in quality, has low specs for a higher price. Only a 64 GB hard drive with 2GB RAM in 11-inch body are available for $999. The 13-inch version with competitive specs like 4 GB internal memory and 128 GB storage
takes dough of $1299.

To remain competitive in the market, Apple will need to compromise on price, which seems unlikely as the company has always been stubborn in bargains. However, the best solution for Apple would be to dump the 64 GB SSD and add a 128 GB drive for the sake
of competition.

Moreover, the director of research at Consumer Electronics Association, Shawn DuBravac said that around 30 to 50 more ultrabooks are expected to pour in the upcoming 2012 CES.

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Posted by Usman Khalid on Nov 23 2011. Filed under Sci-Tech. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry