Ultrabooks boost Windows laptop market sales

Ultrabooks, the very light and thin notebooks that Intel championed as alternatives to Apple's MacBook, are giving a boost to a struggling Windows laptop market, particularly in the high end, according to market research firm NPD Group, eWeek reports.

Ultrabooks now account for 11% of sales of Windows notebooks that cost more than $700, NPD Group said in a 28 June report. The systems, which can run from $800 to well over $1 000, particularly helped shore up sagging Windows notebook sales in the premium space, the analysts say.

Overall sales of Windows notebooks fell 17% in the first five months of 2012. However, for systems priced at more than $700, the decline was only 3%, while sales of systems costing $900 or more jumped 39%.

According to NPD, ultrabooks have made consumers spend more on laptops than before, The Inquirer says.

Acer, Asus and Dell have released high-profile ultrabooks that are priced far too close to Apple's Macbook Air to have any real chance of sales success, but given that the premium Windows laptop market is in trouble, it is no surprise that improved design and a performance boost from the use of solid state drives have made some punters spend a bit more.

Stephen Baker, VP of industry analysis at NPD Group, says: “Ultrabooks have helped establish a market for more premium-priced Windows notebooks at retail. The share of sales that the $700+ notebook segment represents jumped from about 12% in 2011 to nearly 14% in 2012 as a result of the solid market acceptance ultrabooks have gained.”