Speaking yesterday at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF), Mooly Eden, vice president and general manager of the PC Client Group, said the personal computing experience is undergoing another fundamental transformation as the company leads the creation of Ultrabook, a new category of mobile devices.

 

To define the Ultrabook category, Intel began with what people want most out of their personal computing devices, both from an emotional and a rational perspective. Ultrabooks, such as the recently announced Toshiba Portégé Z830 Series, are designed to give people the power to create and consume in a sleek, light, secure and elegant device that offers a responsive experience without compromising performance, all at mainstream price points.

 

“Not since the introduction of Intel Centrino technology more than eight years ago have we witnessed such a fundamental transformation of personal computing,” said Eden. “Today’s devices powered by our 2nd generation Intel Core processors are giving people a personal computing experience that they’ve never had before and we won’t stop there. We know people desire and demand more from their computers  ?  to create, consume and share  ?  which is why we have challenged ourselves and the industry to make Ultrabook the most adaptable, complete and satisfying device.”

 

 

The first Ultrabook devices, scheduled to be available during this year’s holiday shopping season, are based on 2nd generation Intel Core processors. They will come in range of sleek form factors and will wake up almost instantly from even the deepest sleep using Intel Rapid Start technology.

 

The 2nd generation Intel Core processor family introduced earlier this year delivers a new visual computing experience as a result of improved performance and processor graphics. Eden said that to-date, Intel has shipped 75 million 2nd generation Intel Core processors, making it the fastest-shipping processor in the company’s history. It also underscores the continued strong demand for personal computing worldwide, as approximately 1 million computers are sold each day, led by growth in emerging markets.

 

Eden shared the stage with Microsoft to show off the Windows 8 operating system working and running several applications on Intel-based Ultrabook devices. They highlighted the broad collaboration between the two companies and pointed to the future opportunities that Windows 8 will present across multiple compute devices such as tablets, hybrids and new form factors like Ultrabook. (Although Intel is now also hooking up with Google to enable their Atom processors to better run the Android OS)

 

Eden also turned the spotlight on Thunderbolt technology, a new, high-speed, dual-protocol I/O technology designed for performance, simplicity and flexibility. Thunderbolt enables high-speed storage, media capture devices and displays to all connect via a single, thin cable. He gave attendees an early look at a prototype with Thunderbolt technology running the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system.

 

The Acer Aspire S3 Ultrabook

 

The IDF audience also received a preview of the processor that will power 2012 Ultrabook devices -- the 3rd generation Intel Core processor (codenamed “Ivy Bridge”). Expected to be available in systems in the first half of 2012, it will deliver greater performance and energy efficiency. Intel also redesigned the processor graphics to provide better video and gaming experiences.

 

Eden previewed six pre-production Ultrabook designs that are based on 3rd generation Intel Core processors and said he expects a large selection of devices for people worldwide in 2012.

To provide the peace of mind that people desire, security features will be built into Ultrabook devices with processor-based Intel Identity Protection technology and Intel Anti-Theft.

 

Building on the capabilities offered today, next-generation Ultrabooks, notebooks and desktop computers can benefit from the collaborative effort between Intel and McAfee to jointly develop a McAfee anti-theft service for Ultrabooks. Available in 2012, the McAfee solution will be the first to take advantage of unique, Intel chip-level technologies and will provide device and data protection for consumers such as device lock, data wipe and location tracking.

 

Challenging the entire personal computing industry to work together to deliver the thin, light and most complete computing devices, Eden touched on the component technologies including panels, keyboards, battery technology and chassis that require further innovation to meet the Ultrabook vision. Leading the innovation charge, Intel demonstrated a new laptop power savings technology that limits screen refreshes when the Ultrabook screen is static, thereby saving energy.

 

LG Display, a leading panel vendor, will be one of the first to bring a power-optimised panel self refresh display to market for Ultrabooks using its Shuriken Technology that features edge-to-edge design, smaller footprint and low power.

 

The Asus UX21 Ultrabook

The Ultrabook vision is a multi-year, industry-wide effort that will roll out in three phases. Eden said phase one is in process and will be realised this holiday season with the introduction of the first Ultrabook devices, while phase two will begin with the launch of Intel’s 3rd generation Core processors in the first half of 2012. In 2013, Intel will introduce its next-generation, 22 nm “Haswell” processor, signalling phase three of the transition to Ultrabook devices.

 

Eden demonstrated “Haswell” running multiple applications at one time on stage at IDF. Devices powered by the future chip will ultimately transform the personal computing experience as a result of the new levels of power savings in the processor that will help provide more than 10 days of connected standby battery life, as well as give people the most complete and satisfying computing experience.

 

Below is a video from IDF showcasing some of the new Ultrabooks on display.

 

 

In recent Intel news, the chipmaker has announced that it’s still committed to the MeeGo mobile operating system co-created with Nokia.