Intel's Ivy Bridge launch and Ultrabook presentation

Yours truly from Pinoy Teens New Media along with other members of the Davao Bloggers were lucky to get an exclusive peek at Intel’s latest processor offering, the 3rd Generation Core Processors.

Intel’s 3rd Generation Core Processors are dubbed Ivy Bridge, and yes, as you guessed it, they are the ones replacing the 2nd Generation Core Processors codenamed Sandy Bridge (duh!).

If you thought the Sandy Bridge Processors were powerful already, wait until you see the Ivy Bridge ones – along with the newly introduced Ultrabooks that Intel has been campaigning about.

Ivy Bridge – Intel Core Processors getting better and better

There’s a whole feature set to discuss about Ivy Bridge, but before I bore you to death (as I’ll be talking about Ultrabooks below) let me present you my favorite new features of Ivy Bridge:

• Intel HD 4000 (also noted below) –  is now built right into the processor! This integration means lower latencies and leads to superior mainstream gaming and enhanced 3D experiences.
• Intel Clear Video HD Technology – enables rich media experiences with crystal-clear image quality by using a host of advanced graphics technologies that support optimised, high-definition video playback and allows you to view images and HD video the way they were meant to be seen—sharper, smoother, and richer.
• Intel Wireless Display – lets you wirelessly stream all the things you love—movies, photos, websites, and more—live from your Ultrabook™ (or PC) to your HDTV.3

What’s an Ultrabook in the first place?

An Ultrabook combines the lightweight and mobility of the laptops onces known as Netbooks, while leaving no compromise in performance packed by the bulky Laptops you used to know before. In short, it takes the best of both worlds (lightweight & mobility + workhorse & efficiency) and provides the best computing experience yet.

Ultrabooks have been around for quite some time already, but it’s only now, with Intel’s 22nm Ivy Bridge Processors that the new category of laptops got on the roll.

Macbook Air gains head start in Ultrabook race

Remember the Macbook Air? Apple’s most portable Macbook yet that has received a new update earlier this year? Well, let’s not just look at the present year, but examine the last couple of years. The Macbook Air has been around for some time already – while being elegant looking, very portable and performing much better than the “netbooks” of the old days, the price it came with was quite hefty whilst the performance was not THAT good. The pricing the Macbook Air then just didn’t justify it’s performance or existence… up until Apple decided release an 11″ beast at just $999.

And now, with the most recent iteration of the Macbook Air, Apple’s got one of the best Ultrabooks out there (and also one of the first to sport Ivy Bridge along with it’s brothers MBP and rMBP).

Intel HD Graphics in Ivy Bridge = More powerful and efficient

One reason that led many people to lay off from going the Macbook Air route or any other Ultrabook route before Ivy Bridge, was the so-so performance of Intel’s integrated GPU (Intel HD 3000). It was a deal breaker for most gamers and multimedia artists.

The good news is that Ivy Bridge, being faster than Sandy Bridge isn’t the only standout point, but the new Intel HD 4000 as well.

You can now play more titles on an Ultrabook sporting Ivy Bridge and creating multimedia content in a breeze, specially with those Ultrabooks that feature a Solid-State-Drive.

Intel’s “Ultrabook” campaign to wrap up 40% marketshare

Apple isn’t the only OEM targeting the Ultrabook Market, many others do as well. Most of them are part of Intel’s Ultrabook campaign with which Intel is optimistic about reaching 40% marketshare as this year ends. OEMs part of the Ultrabook campaign include but ain’t limited to our very own local brand, NEO, Acer, Asus, Toshiba and many more.

The way I see it, the potential market of the Ultrabook is huge – including students (who need powerful machine, good video card for gaming, portability to take it anywhere and good battery life that these laptops provide, thanks to Ivy Bridge), first time laptop buyers and netbook owners. In short, Ultrabooks are the future in computing, since there’s no compromise made between portability and efficiency of these devices!

What’s your favourite Ultrabook?

 

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