The author is dead on for one thing - an ultrabook needs to be cheaper than the comparable MacBook Air, or the average consumer will buy a Mac, because most people think Apple products are better, but "too expensive", even PC people.
Intel and Microsoft spent the last decade making PC's cheap for the masses, but they cheapened the brand experience in the process with bloatware and lazy hardware design.
Microsoft seems to get this and is willing to make their own bloatware free hardware. They're even partnering with companies like Vizio to get rid of bloatware while doing some nicer hardware design, even for relatively cheap.
Even still, most consumers at the same price will buy a Mac because it's seen as a better computer. Ultrabooks need to hit say $500-700 to be interesting, but then they're competing with the iPad 3, which is pretty popular and very nice.
I agree the problem of ultrabooks is price.. they are far more expensive than the previous generation of ultra-portables. I see this as just like the tablet market was; trying not to knock down the high price apple had set.
But an iPad does not compare to an ultrabook. There is an argument that they compare to a netbook, but not even close to an ultrabook. I wish people would stop trying to compare an iPad to high end laptops.
Intel and Microsoft spent the last decade making PC's cheap for the masses, but they cheapened the brand experience in the process with bloatware and lazy hardware design.
Microsoft seems to get this and is willing to make their own bloatware free hardware. They're even partnering with companies like Vizio to get rid of bloatware while doing some nicer hardware design, even for relatively cheap.
Even still, most consumers at the same price will buy a Mac because it's seen as a better computer. Ultrabooks need to hit say $500-700 to be interesting, but then they're competing with the iPad 3, which is pretty popular and very nice.