Report: Intel to Pay for $100 of Your New Ultrabook

[de5_Roy]

Whats the point for Intel of wanting ultrabooks to get cheaper and cheaper? Mac Airs have intel too, right? And normal notebooks are mostly Intel, right? So whats the diference for Intel wich model sells?

and besides, since when Intel is the only part of a ultrabook? What about the other components manufactures lowing their price too, heh?

Btw, besides the Air, there is another model wich the Apple tax does not apply to, it is the macmini. You cannot build a similary priced configuration with any hardware combination.

if you didn't know already, intel was actually apple's second choice for macbook air. they almost built a llano based air but apple backed out of it because glofo couldn't produce enough llanos. glofo has always had 32 nm production problems and that hindered amd as a result.
intel knows deep down that if amd starts producing sufficient number of cpus they can get the apple deal again. that's why they are pushing so hard for an apple competitor - ultrabooks. amd has already succeeded with their apus in the laptop market and they have more apus on the way.

 

[Guest]

to leadrodafontoura -

Intel want to maintain an environment where there are many pc/notebook makers. This way it continues to be more powerful that their customers and can price their processors higher.

If Apple has a very large market, it can be in a better position to negotiate for lower cpu prices.
Apple can even design or ask someone to design a new chip and ask someone to make the
chip which they can use in their products.

 

[digiex]

I love it when Intel is repeating its anti trust mistake. Then AMD will sue, then Intel will pay AMD. Lol!

 

[Guest]

@digiex

actually rebates played a very small role in the grander scale of things, Intel found a far better incentive, inventory withholding, AMD's capacity is not even 1/10 of Intel. Intel found that they can force OEM to not support AMD chips simply by restricting chip supply to anyone entertaining the idea of using AMD chips, the inability to fulfill orders would cost a company far more than any lack of rebate and there was no way in hell AMD can supply chips in the numbers that Intel was able to withhold. The vast majority of chips sales are done through the OEM channel, Intel for all intent and purpose has stopped AMD dead in it's tracks just by simply threatening to withhold chips

 

[hector2]

So Intel is rebating $100 to manufacturers for every Ultrabook sold (with Intel chips inside). We all agree that rebates are good for the consumer, right ?

So tell me again why the EU fined Intel $1.5 Billion back in 2009 for giving manufacturers rebates to sell their chips ?

 

[pocketdrummer]

[citation][nom]willard[/nom]As a person who actually knows a thing or two about computers, I can honestly say you don't. Apple components aren't magically better because Apple has stamped them with their seal of approval. In fact, many of the parts are literally identical to non-Apple counterparts, they've just been digitally signed by Apple. In some areas, components are actually inferior to what you can get on a Windows machine (particularly, video cards) because Apple sometimes lags behind a generation on adopting the new hardware. It's actually pretty rare for Apple to offer new hardware before retailers like Dell or DIY builders can get their hands on it for a Windows build.And Apple computers are most certainly not a similar price, with the exception of the ultrabooks. The phrase "Apple Tax" exists for a reason, and that reason isn't because Apple hardware is similarly priced.[/citation]

While I agree with this, the previous poster has a point on build quality. The components will be the same or worse on a mac, but they put a lot more work into the design of the chassis. I have yet to see a "PC" laptop that compares to the minimalistic aluminum/glass design.

For the record, I'm using a Desktop PC I built myself to type this (Lian-Li chassis). So, don't go saying I'm biased.

 

[GreaseMonkey_62]

Intel and manufactures should worry less about hitting the $1000 mark and more about building something people will want to buy. It doesn't matter what price you sell it for, if people don't buy it. If a manufacturer can make an ultrabook that people want to buy, eventually economies of scale will start to bring the price down. Plus the manufacturer will discover ways other ways to bring the price down; such as more efficient build process, better part sourcing, getting better shipping rates, etc. I'm not sure if I'd buy one myself, but it will be interesting to see a fiberglass body.

 

[republicano]

ultra books ment to be thin,cheap and disposable but with a 1000 price range, no one wants to spend so much on disposable laptops, for the price you pay, you rather get something more useful, i swapped my tablet for a netbook so i could use it effectively

 

[tlmck]

Who says they need to be so fancy? Take an Acer Aspire on and stretch it to 13" and sell it for $350 to $399. Of course that would be in big demand and the manufacturers can't have any of that.

 

[Nintendork]

AMD Trinity will kill ultrabooks in the same way E-350/E-450 killed Atoms. Trinity will have way better yields and availability than Llanos.

 

[alidan]

[citation][nom]Kaiser_25[/nom]Those are fairly accurate numbers but in the ‘fabs’ the overhead there... not the fab construction (the building alone) but the machines inside to make the wafers, photolith, etch, implant etc, photolith machines alone can cost up to 100 Mill $ each….and intel/amd has…HUNDREDS of theres machines, the overhead is insane. Not to mention the employee cost…[/citation]

i forgot to write the rest and failures. but i did mention those factors in the several billion to build it, and employee... its honestly a far lower cost than you are imagining. remember right now if its built, 80%+ of the chips are intel, with exception of mobile and consoles.

 

[eddieroolz]

I really would like to know what the sales figures for these ultrabooks. Have they taken off? Have they fallen flat? Most of the time when I hear about an ultrabook, I hear "expensive" along with it.