Just when people thought the price was under control, this happens

Jul 9, 2012 15:12 GMT  ·  By

Even as the threat of mass Apple lawsuits looms on the horizon, Intel is pushing ahead with its ultrabook plans, faster and more boldly than any of its OEMs.

Intel finally agreed to cut the price of one or more Core i3 ultrabook CPUs, since the alternative was to give up on too many other features.

This made us think that those laptops would finally be worthy of the “affordable” moniker, but the situation may not last.

Ultrabooks didn't sell well when they started off, with their $1000+ / 1000+ Euro price tags, but that also means that some people did buy them.

In other words, there is a market for expensive, ultraportable notebooks, and Intel means to milk it for all it is worth. At least, this is what a certain report from Digitimes suggests.

Next-generation models could have sensors, higher screen resolutions and 3D support, of all things. New cases, hinges and security measures will become part of the standard spec sheet as well.

We're not certain how quickly Chipzilla hopes for these wishes to come true, but we doubt it will be in the near future. Still, the move from HD (1,366 x 768 pixels) to Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) is essentially inevitable, and 3D is the next logical step.