CES: Intel's Mooly Eden talks up the practical side of ultrabooks

LAS VEGAS: Intel is looking to use the 2012 CES conference to showcase the real-world benefits of its ultrabook platform.

The company launched a marketing campaign that will see Intel's focus shift from benchmarks and statistics to examples of real-world applications that will be addressed by ultrabooks, which combine high-performance chips with ultra-thin hardware designs.

Ultrabooks have been an area of particular focus for Intel in recent months. Once limited to high-end notebooks, Intel sees the platform expanding to include lower-cost designs and hybrid systems that utilise touch-screen tablet components.

As part of that expansion, Intel sees a need to better connect with the needs of consumers and digital content creators.

Mooly Eden, general manager for Intel's PC client group, told reporters that the company was looking to get a better picture of how users both consume and generate content and how Intel can develop platforms to better accommodate those tasks.

"People would like to create in order to express themselves," Eden explained.

"People do not want to wait for the computer, they want the computer to wait for them."

Eden also highlighted several of the key features of Intel's new Ivy Bridge platform. The platform will add support for DirectX 11 and a contactless NFC platform, which will allow users to bind their notebooks with a credit card, creating an automated yet secure method for online purchases.

Additionally, the rollout of Windows 8 promises to bring a number of touch features to ultrabooks. Eden highlighted several convertible tablets that combine touch-screen and multi-touch gesture support with hardware keyboards.

"People do not want to give away the real keyboard, but they want to experience the best of both worlds," Eden explained.

"People will use touch-screen in their notebook and in a few weeks you will be surprised that you could do anything without it."

The continued development of the platform has also brought a number of architectural and design challenges. With vendors increasingly looking to lighten and slim down their designs, Intel has had to take new approaches to such things as battery and processor socket designs.

The company has had to work on not only improving designs, but making the new components affordable to build and deploy.

"The big challenge is if you want to take a 32mm or 40mm notebook and transition it to 18mm, there are many components that need to be redesigned and manufactured in a high enough volume to drive the cost down."