With less than a week remaining until CES 2012 kicks off in Las Vegas, HP has started teasing what appears to be their second Ultrabook after the 13.3-inch Folio was revealed in November. Dubbed "Spectre", the video below gives away very little details about the device, but an FCC filing leaked last week suggests it'll sport a 14-inch display and include Intel's upcoming 'Ivy Bridge' processors – due in early Q2.
Ultrabooks are expected to take center stage at the Consumer Electronics Show and boost lagging PC sales in 2012. As many as 50 new Ultrabooks will be launched in Las Vegas, according to CES representatives, with manufacturers lining up to challenge Apple's popular MacBook Air. Intel, which is championing the ultra-thin form factor, will deliver a keynote address to announce the company's latest generation of chips.
The idea behind so-called Ultrabooks is to take some of the advantages of tablets – like portability and instant-on capabilities – and combine them with the performance and convenience of notebooks. IHS iSuppli projects ultrabooks will make up 43% of global PC shipments in 2015, up from 2% in 2011 and 13% in 2012.
Pricing will be a decisive factor in the success or failure of Ultrabooks, but after an initially lukewarm reception, it looks like things could improve with the second wave devices seeing how some are already selling for around $800-$900 – like the Toshiba Portege Z835 or HP's own Folio 13, for example. Along with lower prices, Ultrabook sales will undoubtedly benefit from the upcoming release of Windows 8 later in the year.