The research firm IHS iSuppli
on Monday slashed its forecast in half for the ultrabooks, saying high prices
and ineffective marketing have culminated in a failure to lure buyers away from
other hot-selling mobile gadgets.
The survey showed 10.3 million
ultrabooks will ship worldwide in 2012, down from the previous forecast issued
earlier this year of 22 million units. More than half of the shipments for the
year are expected in the fourth quarter.
For next year, iSuppli cut its
forecast to 44 million from a prior estimate of 61 million.
"So far, the PC industry
has failed to create the kind of buzz and excitement among consumers that is
required to propel ultrabooks into the mainstream," IHS analyst Craig
Stice said.
"This is especially a
problem amid all the hype surrounding media tablets and smartphones. When
combined with other factors, including prohibitively high pricing, this means
that ultrabook sales will not meet expectations in 2012."
The latest report said that to
fire up sales, prices need to come down from the $1,000 range to around $600.
It said if ultrabooks using the
new Windows 8 operating system come close to the $600-$700 range next year,
while adding in an new features such as touchscreen, a good chance exists for
strong sales in 2013. Otherwise, consumers may opt for other devices.
"With the economy
languishing, ultrabook sellers may have trouble finding buyers at the current
pricing, especially with fierce competition from new mobile computing gadgets
such as the iPhone 5, Kindle Fire HD and forthcoming Microsoft Surface"
tablet, Stice said.
IHS said that despite the
challenges, ultrabook sales will rise to 95 million by 2016.
The ultrabook is a term for a
lightweight notebook computer coined by Intel. But ISH said Intel's
"stringent" definitions are prompting some manufacturers to shun the
term and call the PCs, "ultrathins," instead.
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