Intel: Ultrabooks must have touchscreen feature

Santa Clare, CA, United States (4E) – Intel, the largest semiconductor chip maker in the world, announced during the Consumer Electronics Show presentation that PC makers have to include a touchscreen feature in order to receive the company’s prestigious “ultrabook” branding. Microsoft immediately supported Intel’s vision for touchscreen PCs.

Its Windows 8 OS is a testament to this. Windows 8 works great on mobile devices and desktops but really shines on touchscreen devices.

Intel wants PCs to be faster and sleeker. It feels that PC makers haven’t taken full advantage of the latest advancements in chip processing technology.

The Santa Clara-based company mistakenly predicted that ultrabooks would grab 40 percent of total notebook sales by the end of last year. But ultrabook sales have been disappointing overall because of its expensive pricing, which usually fetches fees for up to $1,000.

Intel predicts the price of ultrabooks will drop to the $500 range by the end of this year. New models of ultrabooks will run on Intel’s Haswell chips, which are made exclusively for ultrabooks. It will help PCs encourage the touchscreen feature more prominently.

According to Intel PC client group head Kirk Skaugen via CNN Money, “the processors can provide ‘all-day battery life’ and are designed to work ‘naturally’ with voice and touch.”

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