Maybe, but it will still be cheaper than a similar geared MacBook.
A combination of new hardware and a price bump from Microsoft could mean an increase in the cost of laptops, according to recent claims.
The price increase in notebooks will come from pressure from Microsoft to use touchscreens even on notebooks, not just tablets, plus the price of the software will stay high. That’s what notebook OEMs are telling Taiwanese tech pub DigiTimes, which can be hit or miss when it comes to the veracity of its rumors.
It goes on to say that Intel is not willing to sacrifice its profits to reduce CPU prices, while PC brand vendors are also not willing to sell their products at losses. They barely make money on these things to begin with.
Touchscreen notebooks will need to be able to slide or rotatable their panels, and that will add cost, to say nothing of the cost of a touchscreen itself. DigiTimes said OEMs will need new displays capable of sliding or rotating, since so few use this design, and that they would not be available in the market until 2013.
So now it comes down to who blinks first: Intel, OEMs, or Microsoft. More than one analyst has told me Ultrabooks are not selling because of their cost, especially with tablets being so much cheaper. Do these guys want even more unsold inventory? Those are the two most frightening words in the tech hardware business because this stuff depreciates so fast.
Plus, they have the severe headwinds of economic problems here in the U.S. and elsewhere, and what would appear to be consumer apathy toward Windows 8. Computerworld’s Gregg Keizer reported that Windows 8 beta use is considerably lower than Windows 7 at the same point in the beta cycle.
Using Net Applications metrics isn’t a foolproof method for determining interest. I continue to point to the large number of beta users who said they would not recommend it. I know I’m beating this drum over and over. If and when it all hits the fan, I want to be able to say “I told you so” rather than “I wish I’d spoken up.” Windows 8 should be split between tablets and PCs. This one-ring-to-rule-them-all strategy is not going to work.
