Dell And HP Ultrabooks By Q1 2012 Tips Supply Chain

HP and Dell's ultrabook plans have leaked, with the two companies expected to jump into Intel's MacBook Air rivaling segment in Q4 this year and Q1 2012 respectively. Dell's model will feature a 14-inch display, DigiTimes' supply chain sources tell them, and is expected to debut at CES 2012 in January, though beyond that no specifications have been suggested.

As for HP – which was tipped to be readying its own Ultrabook last month, after adverts suggesting a model was incoming were spotted in among Google search results – details are similarly unclear, but ODM Quanta Computer is apparently readying production for the new ultraportable by the end of 2011. Meanwhile, Dell is reportedly looking to Wistron for its design.

That suggests both firms will trail ASUS, Toshiba, Lenovo and Acer into the market, with all three expected to launch their ultrabooks imminently. It could well be that HP and Dell have been holding out for Intel's next-gen Cedar Trail processors, which are tipped to deliver longer battery life as well as other advanced features. Intel had originally hoped to have Cedar Trail on the market in time for the holidays, but that now looks to be over-ambitious, with an early 2012 release more likely.