Ultrabooks, ultrathins to drive growth for PC mkt

CALIFORNIA, USA: Shipments of ultrathin PCs has been forecasted to reach 2.76 crore units this year. This is way ahead of the 39 lakh units last year. As estimated by IHS iSuppli, the shipments of ultrabooks and ultrathin mobile computers are seen as the major growth drivers of the PC market.

The ultrathin category includes the super-thin Ultrabook computers from Intel, other thin and light Intel-based systems not specifically tagged as Ultrabooks, such as the MacBook Air from Apple, products offered by AMD and upcoming Windows on ARM (WoA) clamshell-type notebooks.

As per the market research firm, Of the ultrathin shipments expected this year, Ultrabooks account for the biggest portion at 80 per cent, equivalent to 2.22 crore units.

These include an approved processor such as Sandy Bridge or Ivy Bridge, specific z-height thickness requirements, extended battery life of five hours or greater, and fast recovery times from deep sleep.

Pending Intel's monitoring of industry launches, the overall number of true Ultrabooks may come down if they don't meet these requirements.

IHS also predicts that, ultrathin shipments will surge another 161 per cent next year to 7.21 crore units to about 18.1 crore by 2016 equivalent to a five-year CAGR of 116 per cent.

For this, the two types of thin mobile computers are seen as the major growth drivers. Compared to the growth of the ultrathin PC market, growth prospects for the general mobile PC market seem to be dull. During the same five year period, where ultrathins and ultrabooks are enjoying rapid expansion rates, the general mobile PC market has been forecasted with only 8.7 percent growth.

By 2016, ultrathins are forecast to make up 56 per cent of the overall mobile market, or 38 per cent of the entire PC space including desktops, notebooks and entry-level servers.

As per IHS iSuppli, ''Whatever Intel's reasons were for first introducing the Ultrabook last year, whether to counter the growing popularity of tablets, jumpstart the PC space in general, or provide a counter-offering to the Apple MacBook Air, the resulting excitement created by both Ultrabooks and ultrathins appears to be in sync with the changing needs of consumers.''