Intel announces updated ultrabook requirements

The term ultrabook has become quite common. For most of us it equates to thin, ultra portable, Intel Core powered laptops. What many people don't realize is that Intel invented the term and sets the requirements for a computer to earn the name. With the release of Intel's new line of Haswell processors, the company has raised the bar for devices to qualify.

Perhaps the largest change is that the designation has grown. Intel is actively encouraging the design of convertible laptop/tablet models and has now included these devices in the category along with more standard configurations of laptops. Allowances are made for the extra thickness of convertibles which are allowed to be up to 23mm thick (0.9") as opposed to the 21mm (0.82") of non-convertibles.

Also, it won't be enough for manufacturers to make use of the Haswell chips in current designs. Ultrabooks will need to conform to a fairly long list of new requirements including better graphics performance and longer battery life (at least 9 hours while idle in Windows 8, at least 6 hours of HD video playback, and at least 7 days standby).

Gone too are the days of ultrabooks without touch enabled screens. New products must not only support touch but also voice control, and are being encouraged to integrate new security features such as facial recognition.

We expect a number of these new ultrabooks to be announced at Computex in Taiwan next week.

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