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Taiwan's struggling computer makers will use next week's Computex show to promote a new generation of ultra-thin laptops that might be their last hope of turning back the seemingly unstoppable momentum of Apple's iPad and other hot-selling tablets.
The brainchild of Intel, the sleek laptop-tablet hybrid known as Ultrabook is 0.8 inches (20 mm) thick and features instant log on and ultra-sharp visual images.
Taipei's Computex, the world's second-largest computer show, will display more than a dozen 12- to 17-inch Ultrabook models powered by Intel's new generation of "Ivy Bridge" processors, which were unveiled in April.
Ultrabook's success is crucial for computer makers and others in the industry. World PC sales have stalled since Apple's 2010 launch of the slickly designed iPad made personal computing and the Internet even more portable for consumers.
The onslaught of the iPad and a host of imitators has cut deeply into the revenues of Taiwan's top two brands – Acer and AsusTek Computer. Acer has slipped to the world's fourth largest PC vendor from No. 2 amid stalled sales, while AsusTek comes in fifth.
"All the companies are pinning their hope on Ultrabook, which in fact may be their last hope," said Stephen Su, a market analyst at Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute.
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