What barriers must Ultrabooks overcome?

Just as tablet computers have dominated the technology industry for the last couple years, the Ultrabook™ is expected to garner significant attention going forward. However, though a great deal of talk about Ultrabooks is anticipated, consumers will still need to be convinced that the new breed of notebooks is worth their attention.

Storage and necessity are likely to be the Ultrabook's greatest barriers. Similar to tablet computers, Ultrabooks will not feature extensive on-board storage, but will instead rely on cloud- and application-based services. Initially, this may confuse some users who are unfamiliar with such practices, but most agree that consumers will come around eventually as the industry continues to shift in this direction.

Necessity may be the more prominent point, with consumers asking whether they need another computing device. For many, having either a tablet or a laptop computer will suffice, but others will find that the Ultrabook offers the best of both worlds, combining the portability and extended battery life of the tablet with the functionality of the laptop. For these users, the Ultrabook may prove to be an invaluable -- if not essential -- tool.

Many expect the Ultrabook to be an instant hit. Research firm IHS iSuppli anticipates Ultrabooks will account for 40 percent of consumer notebooks sold in 2015, up from only 2 percent in 2011.