Intel denies $100 subsidy on ultrabooks
An Asia-based report had claimed that the chipmaker was offering PC makers a $100 subsidy in order to bring down ultrabook pricing. But Intel today says that's false.
Intel is not providing a $100 subsidy on ultrabooks, the company said today, contradicting an Asia-based report.
In that report, Taipei-based Digitimes asserted that Intel is offering a $100 subsidy for ultrabooks, which, in turn, will allow manufacturers to drop prices aggressively on the ultraslim laptops.
"There is no $100 subsidy for ultrabooks," Bill Calder, an Intel spokesman, told CNET. "The report from Digitimes was false," he said.
Intel does offer various marketing incentives as a normal course of business. An example of an Intel co-marketing campaign includes Intel Inside, where Intel provides some advertising dollars to PC makers.
Another report from Digitimes said that ultrabook prices will fall to $499 by 2013, citing comments from Acer president Jim Wong. The report also said that Acer is currently shipping 100,000 ultrabooks each month--a surprisingly high number--and is expected to ship 250,000-300,000 units by the end of 2011.
Toshiba, Acer, and Hewlett-Packard are now selling ultrabooks for under $900.