Acer President Expects $500 Ultrabooks By 2013

[beer]

So, Ultrabooks haven’t exactly been lighting the sales charts on fire. Theoretically, 2012 is supposed to be the year sales take off. Some critics say that can only happen if pricing comes down, but Ultrabook suppliers say it’s hard to shave off more cash because of high manufacturing costs. Well, that might be changing soon. Today, Acer president Jim Wong predicted that Ultrabooks should see $100 to $200 price cuts by midway through 2012. Heck, if that isn’t low enough for you, he thinks Ultrabooks should clock in as low as $500 by 2013.

Intel’s rumored $100 marketing subsidy (which we reported on late last night) would definitely help advance that claim, but Wong says that the real reason price tags could plummet is sheer volume. According to DigiTimes, Wong says that Acer already ships 100,000 Ultrabooks every month, and he expects those numbers to be even higher in 2012 and beyond, both for Acer and its competitors. Higher sales would spur lower price points, Wong claims – presumably partially because manufacturers would be able to acquire better bulk rate pricing from component manufacturers.

Of course, Wong could be shooting that theory in the foot simply by saying it out loud. As we said in the beginning of the article, Ultrabook sales aren’t exactly stellar at this point, and on-the-fence buyers might put off purchasing one if significant price cuts are rumored to be just around the corner. Since Wong’s lower price prediction is based off of high sales volume, a hesitant market could bring the prophecy crashing down.

So what do you say, Maximum PC readers? Would Ultrabooks woo you for $200 less than they are now? What do you want out of an Ultrabook?

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First, I have no idea why the editor posted a picture of an ASUS ultrabook when the article is about Acer. Second, based on pricing trend of the first-gen tablets, I am pretty certain that by 2013 Quad-Core tablets with docking stations would cost notably lower than $500. No idea which market segment they are trying to fit the ultrabooks into with a $500 price-point.

:think: