14 DAY TRIAL // Demand on the PC market hasn't been the best, and it won't be in 2013 either, unless developers and manufacturers manage to score better component deals.
Cheaper components will result in lower-cost laptops and, by extension, a higher demand for them.
Currently, ODMs (original device manufactures) are trying to cut overall costs by 20-30%.
Such a decline in component prices would surely be welcomed with open arms, even if it doesn't transfer fully to the finished product (as in, even if the final models are cheaper by less than 20-30%).
Integrated circuit design houses are reluctant to agree to this, however, as they are doing poorly enough as it is, financially.
Fortunately, at the moment, a small workaround exists. Some designers are offering single-chip power management ICs (PWM) that can help reduce the number of MOSFET devices used in notebook production, saving costs.