Acer CEO: Tablets are Passe, Ultrabooks are the Future (AAPL) (MSFT)
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Fads come and go on a regular basis. Bell bottoms, neon spandex, netbooks, and now tablet PCs.
According to reports this morning, Acer CEO JT Wang said tablet PC fever is already waning, touting his own wares in the process. Wang says more customers are being attracted to Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) Ultrabooks and Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) Windows 8.
Acer is launching an Ultrabook in September with a price starting at $799.
Others in the industry have agreed with Wang, saying that tablets are marketed more as entertainment devices, while notebooks are still portable workhorses of the industry. Sources also point out once consumers buy a tablet PC and the market becomes saturated, they are less motivated to replace a tablet when compared with a notebook.
Some may say Acer is more than bullish on the prospect for ultrabooks. Acer President Jim Wong said Ultrabooks, while only accounting for a portion of shipments in 2011, will gain a 25 to 35 percent market share in 2012. Intel currently sees Ultrabooks claiming a 40 percent share by the end of 2012.
Obviously, JT Wang and Jim Wong were aiming at Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPad initially. Acer also makes a tablet in the Iconia Tab, so it wouldn't want to lose that revenue stream; it just doesn't want Apple to bogart the industry. Wang and Wong might also want to inform analysts of their view, with IHS recently boosting is tablet shipment as well as iPad outlook through 2015.
Ultrabooks, first mentioned by Intel this year, are aiming to close the gap between traditional notebooks and tablets PCs. The units are generally thin, have longer battery life, and maintain tablet-like features like instant on. Samsung has something similar in its Series 9 notebooks, which are currently on the market.
One feature that might seriously disrupt tablet sales would be if Ultrabooks had touch screens. Assuming Ultrabooks have similar width as tablets (or something not that far off), being able to eschew a keyboard for touch interactivity would certainly be a plus for the devices. However, prices starting at just under $1000 may not make that a feasible option... yet.
According to reports this morning, Acer CEO JT Wang said tablet PC fever is already waning, touting his own wares in the process. Wang says more customers are being attracted to Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) Ultrabooks and Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) Windows 8.
Acer is launching an Ultrabook in September with a price starting at $799.
Others in the industry have agreed with Wang, saying that tablets are marketed more as entertainment devices, while notebooks are still portable workhorses of the industry. Sources also point out once consumers buy a tablet PC and the market becomes saturated, they are less motivated to replace a tablet when compared with a notebook.
Some may say Acer is more than bullish on the prospect for ultrabooks. Acer President Jim Wong said Ultrabooks, while only accounting for a portion of shipments in 2011, will gain a 25 to 35 percent market share in 2012. Intel currently sees Ultrabooks claiming a 40 percent share by the end of 2012.
Obviously, JT Wang and Jim Wong were aiming at Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPad initially. Acer also makes a tablet in the Iconia Tab, so it wouldn't want to lose that revenue stream; it just doesn't want Apple to bogart the industry. Wang and Wong might also want to inform analysts of their view, with IHS recently boosting is tablet shipment as well as iPad outlook through 2015.
Ultrabooks, first mentioned by Intel this year, are aiming to close the gap between traditional notebooks and tablets PCs. The units are generally thin, have longer battery life, and maintain tablet-like features like instant on. Samsung has something similar in its Series 9 notebooks, which are currently on the market.
One feature that might seriously disrupt tablet sales would be if Ultrabooks had touch screens. Assuming Ultrabooks have similar width as tablets (or something not that far off), being able to eschew a keyboard for touch interactivity would certainly be a plus for the devices. However, prices starting at just under $1000 may not make that a feasible option... yet.
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