Asus and Acer may be planning Ultrabooks with touchscreen displays

It’s safe to assume that both Ultrabooks and tablets will become increasingly thinner and more powerful as both markets continue to evolve. But, will the two distinct products ever merge?

According to notebook supply sources close to DigiTimes, both Taiwanese manufacturers Asus and Acer will be offering Ultrabooks with touchscreens before the end of the year, possibly even by July or August. An important challenge is the physical design of the “transforming” Ultrabook, the source claims, as the product would need much stronger hinges to support a more free-roaming display and at the same time must be ergonomic enough for the user to use as both a notebook and a tablet. A sliding form-factor, similar to the Asus Transformer, could also be considered.

An Ultrabook with a touchscreen is not a completely new idea as Lenovo showed off its Yoga Ultrabook at CES earlier this year. The intriguing notebook is expected to ship during the second half of this year, possibly even on time for Windows 8 and Ivy Bridge. If successful, we imagine that other vendors would follow suit in the race for Ultrabook and tablet hybrids, although high Ultrabook prices may still be a huge hurdle to both manufacturers and consumers.

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