Intel lowers sales outlook but aims at hotter fourth quarter

2012/09/10 -By Stacey Wu and Jamie Wang

Weak PC sales have prompted chip and core processor maker Intel Corp. to recently lower its third-quarter revenue outlook, but the company can expect hotter sales in the fourth quarter with the anticipated release of Windows 8-based ultrabooks.

According to a press release issued Sunday by research firm Gartner Inc.'s Taiwan office, the slow global economy limited consumers' spending on PCs. Similar alternative products, such as tablets and smartphones, also influenced how the public allocated budgets for consumer electronics products, it said.

Hurt by the slowing buying demand, Intel cut its third-quarter revenue outlook Sept. 7 to US$13.2 billion from its previous estimate of US$13.8 billion-US$14.8 billion.

Intel said, however, that more than 40 ultrabooks equipped with touch control screens and over 10 convertible ultrabooks are expected to hit the market around the Christmas season and that many of them are expected to be sold at relatively affordable prices.

Some analysts believe Intel's forecast regarding affordable ultrabooks with touchscreens seems to suggest the design of such lightweight notebook computers will be more similar to tablet designs, except that ultrabooks come with a keyboard.

In related news, the 2012 Intel Developer Forum will take place Sept. 11-13 in San Francisco with a focus on ultrabooks.

A touchscreen is expected to become the main feature of an ultrabook, with an estimated 80 percent of such gadgets to be equipped with the touch control function.