The Ultrabook concept revolves around the devices in this new class of laptops being priced aggressively by PC vendors. The basic idea is that sub-$1000 pricing will be enough to lure consumers to these ultra-thin and light computers. So with affordable pricing being such an integral part of the whole idea, it’s always going to be an important thing to consider when looking forward to upcoming Ultrabooks like the Asus UX21 and UX31.
Despite the recent change of guard at HP, the company is still considering spinning off or selling its market-leading PC business. But whatever be the final outcome, it’s business as usual at HP’s PC’s division. Although the company has yet to reveal its Ultrabook plans, it’s a given that the world’s leading PC vendor will join the Ultrabook fray sooner or later. Earlier this year, in fact, there were rumors that HP could be the first company to launch an Ultrabook. One thing is certain that even if HP is not the first it won’t be too far behind in launching an Ultrabook.
Asus is kicking off the week with the introduction of three all-in-one (AIO) desktop PC models of varying size, including the 21.5-inch ET2210, 23.6-inch ET2410, and 27-inch ET2700. All three feature Full HD 1080p LED backlit touchscreens, second generation Intel Core processors, and up to 8GB of DDR3 memory.
AMD today rolled out its E45M1-Pro micro-ATX motherboard built around AMD's Fusion-powered "Zacate" platform. Browsing through Asus' product pages, it's the only board we could find to come embedded with AMD's dual-core E-450 APU (accelerated processing unit), AMD's fastest Zacate APU to date with a 1.65GHz clockspeed and integrated Radeon HD 6320 graphics.
There have been conflicting reports about the price of the first few manifestations of Intel’s Ultrabook concept. Doubts persist about the ability and willingness of PC vendors to sell ultra-thin and light laptops with standard voltage processors for less than $1,000, as laid out by Intel in its Ultrabook manifesto. But price is not the only concern.
The big question facing Ultrabooks right now is whether or not notebook makers will be able to sell them for less than $1,000, as Intel is encouraging them to do. To help manufacturers drop retail pricing to three digits, Intel 
The Computex trade show in Taiwan never disappoints – major manufacturers show up in full force for the event, dragging hot new gear and gargantuan announcements behind them. For Asus, the PadFone garnered the most attention, but they were also showing off other pieces of cool new tech – like the F1A75-I Deluxe motherboard. Even though Computex was months ago, the F1A75-1 only became official yesterday, as Asus issued a press release announcing the F1A75 line, including the F1A75-I Deluxe, the itty-bitty motherboard with big-time connection options.
Some people thought Asus was downright crazy when it said it was building a $200 netbook. That's not a whole lot more than an eBook reader, and it's certainly cheaper than most tablet PCs that are supposedly cannibalizing the netbook market. Well, Asus is proving the skeptics wrong with its $199 Eee PC X101, an ultrathin netbook that now has an official product page.
Perhaps Asus knows something the rest of the industry isn't aware of yet, or maybe the company is reacting to recent news of AMD delaying its Bulldozer processor launch. Either way, it appears Asus isn't ultra-confident in there being a high demand for motherboards in the third quarter and has reportedly asked its parts and component suppliers to only ship enough materials to produce between 1 million and 1.5 million motherboards.
When is a chipset truly a new chipset? That’s a question that many PC enthusiasts will ponder when they see the specs for Intel’s Z68 chipset, which is at the heart of the Asus P8Z68-V Pro board.
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