Intel Corp yesterday said that it expected the unit price for Ultrabook laptops to hit a sweet point between US$699 to US$799 in the second half of the year after global PC brands launch new models powered by Intel’s latest affordable processor.
The US chip giant yesterday said it would stick to its original expectations that Ultrabooks would account for 40 percent of consumer-oriented notebook computers by the end of this year, shrugging off the potential impact of Microsoft Corp’s newly unveiled Surface tablet.
“We have no plan to change the figure,” Intel’s Taiwan manager Jason Chen (陳立生) told reporters on the sidelines of a media briefing.
“Tablets and Ultrabooks are two different products,” Chen said.
Microsoft’s Surface tablet can be regarded as a form of Ultrabook, Chen said, because one of its versions is powered by Intel’s Core i5 processor, which is part of Intel’s Core processor family for Ultrabooks.
“Ultrabooks are not necessarily clam shells,” he said.
Chen also said Intel has no immediate plans to cut processor prices to quicken the adoption of Ultrabooks.
“There will be no change in the prices for notebook and Ultrabook processors. The prices are reasonable,” he said.
Instead, Intel pinned its hopes on sales of new models during the shopping seasons in September and December to boost uptake. Most of the 110 Ultrabook designs from its PC partners are expected to hit the market in the third and fourth quarters, Chen said.
Kevin Lin (林福能), general manager of sales at Asustek Computer Inc (華碩電腦), the world’s No. 5 PC brand, said yesterday the company planned to launch its first Ultrabooks, equipped with Intel’s entry-level Core i3 processor for the ultra-thin notebook, next month or in August.
“We think the unit prices for Ultrabooks will drop to a mainstream level of between US$699 and US$799 as some have expected in the second half,” Chen said.
An entry-level Ultrabook, equipped with Intel’s Core i3 and a 13-inch screen released by Chinese PC brand Lenovo Group (聯想) on June 11, was priced at a higher level of NT$26,900 (US$897) per unit. Lenovo has not set a date for sales yet.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: The chipmaker last month raised its capital spending by 28 percent for this year to NT$32 billion from a previous estimate of NT$25 billion Contract chipmaker Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (力積電子) yesterday launched a new 12-inch fab, tapping into advanced chip-on-wafer-on-substrate (CoWoS) packaging technology to support rising demand for artificial intelligence (AI) devices. Powerchip is to offer interposers, one of three parts in CoWoS packaging technology, with shipments scheduled for the second half of this year, Powerchip chairman Frank Huang (黃崇仁) told reporters on the sidelines of a fab inauguration ceremony in the Tongluo Science Park (銅鑼科學園區) in Miaoli County yesterday. “We are working with customers to supply CoWoS-related business, utilizing part of this new fab’s capacity,” Huang said, adding that Powerchip intended to bridge
Microsoft Corp yesterday said that it would create Thailand’s first data center region to boost cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, promising AI training to more than 100,000 people to develop tech. Bangkok is a key economic player in Southeast Asia, but it has lagged behind Indonesia and Singapore when it comes to the tech industry. Thailand has an “incredible opportunity to build a digital-first, AI-powered future,” Microsoft chairman and chief executive officer Satya Nadella said at an event in Bangkok. Data center regions are physical locations that store computing infrastructure, allowing secure and reliable access to cloud platforms. The global embrace of AI
INFLATION WATCH: A rate hike in March would help keep inflation at 2.16 percent this year, although a weak currency and higher electricity rates are an issue, S&P said Moody’s Ratings and S&P Global Ratings have reaffirmed Taiwan’s sovereign credit ratings at “As3” and “AA+” respectively with a stable outlook on the back of high income and wealth levels, a strong institutional framework and robust external positions. The affirmations came as Taiwan’s economy is gaining momentum after quarters of slowdown induced by stubborn global inflation and monetary tightening. Taiwan’s strong fiscal and external buffers have improved relative to peers as evidenced by recent shocks linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing US-China technology dispute, the two ratings firms said. “Taiwan stands as the epicenter of the global semiconductor supply chain, accounting
RIDING AI WAVE: : Most of its NT$15bn capital budget would be spent on packaging technologies used in AI and HPC chips and advanced testing technology, it said Chip testing and packaging service provider Powertech Technology Inc (PTI, 力成科技) plans to increase this year’s capital expenditure by 50 percent to expand capacity to meet growing demand for advanced memorychips used in artificial intelligence (AI) products. The company proposed to spend NT$15 billion (US$460.94 million) to expand advanced capacity and equipment, compared with a budget of NT$10 billion it planned three months ago. “We are seeing a recovery in market demand as well as new business opportunities. We will spend heavily on advanced packaging” equipment, Powertech chief executive officer Boris Hsieh (謝永達) told investors on Tuesday. “We will focus on ramping