Ultrabook prices to hit 'sweet spot' by 2013

Several reports have pointed to high prices being the one roadblock to the immediate success of the Ultrabook™ computer. However, according to technology news provider DigiTimes, it may not be long before notebook manufacturers overcome this obstacle and begin offering devices with a price tag that more consumers can agree with.

Early iterations of the Ultrabook have cost in the ballpark of $900 and up. But industry sources say that prices could drop as low as $599 by early 2013.

Manufacturers are already working to reduce the cost of the Ultrabook, with some models projected to dip to $799 by the second quarter of 2012, DigiTimes reports. Production costs are hindering this development to a degree, particularly given the high demand for the solid-state drives that run on the super-slim laptop computers.

Despite some hesitation over cost, Ultrabooks are already garnering a great deal of enthusiasm. According to analyst firm Juniper Research, the Ultrabook market will grow three times faster than the tablet computer market during the next five years, reaching 178 million units sold in 2016.