In order to promote Ivy Bridge, Intel will lower processor prices by US$60-70 on average, the sources indicated. Because storage devices account for 10-15% of total notebook production costs, vendors will try to minimize storage costs, the sources noted. As hybrid HDDs cost less than 128GB and 256GB SSDs by more than 50%, vendors will use hybrid drives to offer ultrabook models at below US$700, the sources said.
Acer corporate president Jim Wong predicts prices for ultrabooks equipped with hybrid HDDs will fall to US$600-700 in fourth-quarter 2012, the sources noted. Ultrabooks will account for 20% of total notebook volumes in 2012, lower than Intel's target of 40%, the sources noted.
Most Ivy Bridge ultrabooks to get hybrid HDDs
Posted on Wednesday, February 22 2012 @ 18:29 CET by Thomas De Maesschalck
Sources at Taiwanese supply chain makers told DigiTimes that most ultrabook vendors are expected to adopt hybrid HDD rather than SSDs to achieve a lower price level.