Low sales prompt them to reduce their sales aims, apparently

Nov 10, 2011 10:38 GMT  ·  By

Ultrabooks really aren't even getting close to having the same success netbooks or even tablets had when they first came out, and Acer and ASUS are showing just how underwhelming their sales were.

Even with analysts saying that Ultrabooks will account for almost half of all notebooks in three or four years, so far the laptops haven't impressed anyone.

Certainly, they have performance, they have the form factor, they are sturdy enough and everything else, but their prices are simply too high.

Even if they do end up holding 43% of the worldwide notebook market, it will happen because of something else instead of an early sales explosion.

We already mentioned how non-ultra Ultrabooks had turned out to be from a marketing standpoint.

Now, Acer and ASUS are confirming that sales have been weak, according to this Digitimes report.

Where they once ordered 250,000-200,000 units, the two have reduced the figures to 150,000-180,000. In other words, they cut their ultrabook orders by a hefty 40%.

Vendors are hoping that demand will take off once Windows 8 is launched, in May 2012.

Until then, though, they will have a hard time, especially if Intel continues to refuse to lower the CPU prices.

There is another issue they will have to contend with as well, that being a new generation of tablets, especially those powered by Tegra 3.

Regardless of what ASUS says, Ultrabooks were conceived as a means to win back notebook share from tablets, something that will be hard to pull off with against the mighty Kal-El that was finally released.

Things aren't made any easier by how Windows 8 will support ARM too, making it rather obvious that this Tegra 3 platform will power both Android and Windows devices, with or without detachable keyboards/docks.

As it stands, Ultrabooks really need that price cut companies and consumers alike have been asking for.