Ultrabooks forecast to grow over 30% in 2013: research firm

Taipei, Nov. 1 (CNA) Ultrabooks super-slim notebooks are forecast to boost the computer market in 2013 as costs of key components decline, DRAMeXchange Technology Inc. said Wednesday.

DRAMeXchange, a research arm of the Taipei-based advisory firm TrendForce, said in a report that the market size could exceed 30 million units in 2013, representing growth of more than 30 percent from this year and accounting for 17 percent share of the notebook market.

As Intel and other major manufacturers have lowered their shipment targets for 2012, DRAMeXchange has cut its yearly ultrabook shipment forecast from 15 million to 11 million units, representing only a 6.2 percent share of the notebook market this year.

Ultrabook makers have struggled to reduce their retail prices to the mainstream level because of the high costs of key components, such as solid-state drives, thin displays and metal casings, the research firm said.

In 2013, however, ultrabook shipments are expected to take off as costs of these components continue to decline and Intel places more focus on developing processors for ultrabooks, DRAMeXchange predicted.

Taiwanese computer brands, including Asustek Computer Inc. and Acer Inc., have recently launched ultrabooks using Microsoft Corp.’s touch-enabled Windows 8 operating system, with other vendors expected to roll out similar products in coming months.

The PC industry is facing slower growth due to competition from mobile devices such as tablet computers, as evidenced by global PC shipments falling annually by 8.6 percent during the third quarter of this year, research firm International Data Corp. said.
(By Jeffrey Wu)