LG Ultrabook Z330

Over the past few months, so many companies have talked about their new "Ultrabooks" (especially at CES) that I've gotten a bit confused as to what an Ultrabook really is. Since "Ultrabook" is a trademark of Intel, I asked Karen Regis, Intel's Director of Ultrabook Marketing Strategy, to explain the concept in more detail.

Essentially, the Ultrabook combines a vision, a marketing strategy, and a plan for Intel to work with the system makers and component vendors to help enlarge the market, thus reducing the cost of thinner components and thinner laptops.

The first thing to note is that there are, and have been, thin-and-light notebook computers for years. In some respects, all Intel is really doing is assigning a new name to a set of specifications that resolve around its latest processors and chipsets and launching a massive marketing campaign. Indeed, Intel introduced its first ultra-low-power CPU twelve years ago, and Ultrabook just refines the concept. Some manufacturers will create laptops with the same chipsets that don't meet those specifications; some will use the general concepts but will pick different processors; others will meet the specifications but choose not to use the Ultrabook name. Yet given Intel's marketing push, most PC makers will create multiple versions of products that fit under the moniker.

As Regis explained it, Ultrabook refers to a long-term vision for notebooks. Features like touch screens, instant on, and a more natural user interface (including touch, voice, and gestures, in addition to the keyboard) will make them more like tablets.

Intel Ultrabook Vision

Not all the features that Intel would eventually like to have are in the Ultrabook roadmap, however. Regis noted that Intel does not require touch, voice, or gesture controls, nor does it demand hybrid or convertible machines. In part, that's because touch adds significant cost at this point, Regis said.

The Ultrabook program is based around four "experience pillars," Regis said. The first of these is "mobility without compromise," which includes things such as long battery life and seamless connectivity. The second is "expression of self," meaning the laptops should be sleek and stylish, with great aesthetics. Thirdly, it should also allow for "flow," or responsiveness and performance—not so much peak performance levels as simply working without any interruptions. Finally, it should allow the user to feel "in control" through security and context awareness features.

The Ultrabook definition is meant to set the bar for end-user experiences, but Regis hopes that system makers will innovate beyond the baseline.

The initial specifications are now out around the company's "Huron River" platform, based on the Sandy Bridge platform and the Cougar Point chipset, sold under the 2nd Generation Core platform label. Only these "Core" processors—Core i3, i5, and i7—qualify as Ultrabooks. (The less-powerful Pentium or Celeron-branded chips that use the same chipsets aren't eligible.)

Under the current Ultrabook definition, a machine needs to be less than 18mm in height and have a display less than 14 inches. (Most of the machines I've seen with the moniker have 13.3-inch or smaller displays.) Systems with 14-inch or larger displays can be up to 21mm (0.83 inches) thick, in part because larger systems often have optical drives, Regis noted. In addition, an extra 2mm of thickness is allotted for touch-screen laptops, hybrid, or convertible designs, as touch-enabled screens are thicker.

One big requirement is that the machine must have a "fast resume," moving from a near-zero power hibernation state to the point where users can type on the keyboard in less than seven seconds. To do this, Regis said, most manufacturers will implement Intel's RapidStart, which uses a non-volatile NAND flash memory cache in addition to the main disk drive. Effectively, this stores the contents of the system's memory on a fast solid-state drive (SSD) cache that can be quite small—just the size of the system DRAM. Most Ultrabooks will use this cache in addition to a traditional hard disk drive, though some will use a full solid-state drive.

In addition, Ultrabooks must have more than five hours of battery life on MobileMark 2007, although more than eight hours is recommended. Most models are doing better than that, though smaller systems with 11-inch screens often are at the low-end of the scale simply because they are so light and have such small batteries.

Ultrabooks are supposed to have their BIOS/firmware enabled to expose Intel Anti-Theft and Intel Identity Protection Technology. The actual technologies are not required yet, however, as they have not been fully rolled out in software and all geographies. There are no cost requirements, and Ultrabooks will be available at a wide range of prices.

Intel will gradually heighten the requirements over time and Intel has completed the specifications through the company's 2013 roadmap, although not all the details are public yet.

The big push is coming this year, around the "Chief River" platform and the Panther point chipset, using both the 32nm Sandy Bridge and the 22nm Ivy Bridge processors. (The marketing will be focused on the 3rd Generation Core processors known as Ivy Bridge, but since the chipset takes both generations of processors, either could qualify.) A new version will come out in 2013 around the "Sharks Bay" platform, based on the next 22nm processor, known as Haswell, and the Lynx Point chipset.

For the Ivy Bridge generation, the Ultrabook specification is more of an evolutionary change, although Regis did indicate it would be possible for Ultrabooks to also include Intel's vPro technology, typically used in corporate-managed machines.

The bigger change will come in the Haswell generation, where Intel plans to promote the "notebook redesigned," as the chip promises a twenty-fold reduction in "active standby" power requirements. This should mean a typical machine could update email and social networking feeds for days with the screen off, and then could be turned on instantly.

Regis wasn't ready to give specifications for that generation, but she did mention that meeting some of goals of the long-term vision would require more hardware changes. For instance, to have true voice control, laptops will need array microphones.

While it's not specifically part of the program, it seems likely that Windows 8, with its new touch-screen features, will make multi-touch notebooks, and hybrid/convertible lines more popular.

Intel hasn't really started its consumer marketing campaign yet, but it will be bigger than the Centrino campaign that popularized the company's Wi-Fi initiative a few years ago.

As I mentioned, you'll also be seeing thin-and-light machines without the Ultrabook branding. Indeed, AMD has been pushing its concept, called "ultrathin" laptops, for a while. AMD doesn't have specific requirements or a big marketing push, but said its processors will allow system makers to sell ultrathin laptops at lower price points, in the $600 to $800 range. Intel won't officially talk prices, but most of the systems I've seen are slated to sell for $700 and up, with many around $1,000.