Report: Ultrabooks to capture 10 percent of 2012 notebook market

Just as tablets have taken the IT world by storm in the past few years, Ultrabook™ computers are expected to spark the next wave of computing development, according to market research firm TrendForce.

The ultra-thin, lightweight Ultrabooks are expected to bridge the gap between tablet computers and traditional laptops. According to TrendForce, the computers will feature a range of technologies, including solid-state and hybrid disk drives for faster access times, low-power consumption RAM and low-voltage LED displays.

The first round of Ultrabooks will be introduced in the fourth quarter of 2011 and the first quarter of 2012. The research firm predicts the devices will be an immediate hit, especially with businesses, which may not be ready to make the jump to tablet computers. If this proves to be true, Ultrabooks could account for at least 10 percent of the computing market by the end of 2012, TrendForce estimates.

Chipmaker Intel®, which has pioneered the Ultrabook movement, evidently has even higher expectations for the upcoming notebooks. In a 2011 statement, the microprocessor manufacturer asserts that Ultrabooks will account for 40 percent of the consumer laptop market by 2012.