The 2011 MacBook Air line will face stiff competition from Acer, Asustek, Dell and Lenovo very soon according to a report from DigiTimes. The industry insider has confirmed mass production of Intel-powered ultrabooks are scheduled for September. Leading the charge will be the Asus UX21 with its Core i7 processor and SanDisk SSD.
Since the Asus UX21 will be the first Intel ultrabook to come to market, it’s only fitting that we retouch its highlights. The UX21 features a second generation Intel i7 mobile processor, the same chip offered as an optional upgrade on the new MacBook Airs. It also features a 13-inch display, USB 3.0, weighs 2.4 lbs and is 17mm at its thickest point. Like the MacBook Air, it lacks an optical drive and uses a SSD for instant on and speedy boot times.
The biggest obstacle standing in the way of ultrabook mass production this September is “low yield rates over panel production.” For the second half of 2011, Acer has placed orders for 400,000 to 450,000 ultra-thin notebooks each month with 100,000 units being ultrabooks. Unfortunately because of the low yield rates over panel production, both the production volume and schedule may be delayed.
On paper the Asus UX21 and other ultrabooks from Acer, Dell and Lenovo sound promising. Their success largely depends on price and whether production volume allows for a timely release. If given the choice between the UX21 and the 13-inch MacBook Air, assuming both offered i7 chips and were equally priced, which would you choose?
via DigiTimes
