Netbooks, Ultrabooks can coexist, expert says

The rise of the Ultrabook™ has led many in the laptop industry wondering what will become of the netbook. While some believe consumers will have to settle for one and not the other, Kathryn Gill of Intel® says the two devices can coexist.

Both devices have been profitable for the chipmaker, with the netbook driving an Intel resurgence several years ago and the company being responsible for the creation of the Ultrabook platform.

Moving forward, Gill stated in an interview with PCWorld, each device, along with tablet computers, will continue to serve a purpose in both the consumer and enterprise sectors.

"From Intel's perspective, netbooks, tablets/hybrids and Ultrabook devices each provide distinct and unique value propositions," Gill says. "The worldwide landscape for computing devices will continue to grow, not decrease. In other words, for the foreseeable future, we see devices coexisting and serving different market segments as well as different user needs."

The second generation of Ultrabook devices is imminent as Intel gears up to launch its Ivy Bridge platform. But any such move will have to wait, as a recent DigiTimes report notes that the company has pushed mass production of Ivy Bridge back to June.