The appeal of desktop computer is in the history and computer makers are working hard to fight the popularity of the iPad. PC makers are increasingly improving ultrabooks, a thinner laptop to gain back the market share as well as to combat Apple’s sleek MacBook Pro. They are light weight, weighting only 2.87 pounds on average; has a longer battery life averaging around seven plus hours (five minimum); storage capacity has been increased tremendously; 18 to 21 mm thick; wake up from sleep mode within seven seconds; and has much faster processors like Intel 1.7 GHz.
Ultrabooks came into the market in late 2011 and accounted for about five percent of all laptops sold. Ultrabooks generally market between $650 and $1,600. A much lower price compared to Apple’s MacBook Air. Ultrabooks sales are improving much slower than anticipated due to the relentless competition from tablets and smartphones and the dull global economy. The price point of ultrabooks is not helping either. Twenty five percent of the manufacturing cost goes to chips, especially Intel’s Ultraprocessor chips. One other contributing factor is much anticipated launch of Microsoft’s Windows 8. People are holding back purchases of computers of any kind until the release of Widows 8.