It remains to been seen whether Intel actually can create yet another segment in the mobile device category, but it is going to try with its new "ultrabook" approach to PCs. If ultrabooks fail, it won’t be for lack of research. Intel has long studied what people want in future computer chips and computing devices.
In 2009 the company decided to take a different approach with a project focused on the idea of "performance." Some might think that is too much a focus on speeds and feeds. Intel will argue the idea of performance actually extends beyond "speeds and feeds."
The notable contrast is that although most executives would take comfort in extensive research, it is the diametrical opposite of what Apple traditionally has done, which is decide what people need, even when they cannot explain it to you, and then build products that address unarticulated needs.
Some will suggest that there is not enough here to create a new category of high-performance PCs. They might say it is just a "Macbook Air."
Why People Will Want Ultrabooks
