Ultrabooks adopt Chipzilla's vPro
Lenovo, Fujitsu first out of the gates with highly-manageable third-gen silicon
Intel has shown off kit galore using the third generation of its Core-i-series PC silicon in Australia, but used the press event at which it did so the emphasise that the new kit is imbued with its vPro management toolkit it aims at enterprise customers with fleets of PCs.
The inclusion of vPro in the new silicon makes it possible to build a highly-manageable enterprise Ultrabook, and two manufacturers have obliged.
Fujitsu is one and showed off the Lifebook U772, which boasts a 14 inch screen and depth of just 15.9mm. Lenovo discussed, but did not display, the forthcoming ThinkPad X1 Carbon, a machine that will have a carbon fibre chassis.
At the Australian press launch of the new chips, Intel Australia managing director Kate Burleigh said Intel conceived of the Ultrabook after considering four “vectors of user experience.” The mobility vector, she said, responds to consumer desires for a computer that works well when schlepped from room to room inside the home. The security vector “doesn't rock anybody's world,” she added, and is therefore not something consumer Ultrabook users will have in their faces.
Consumers' cravings are, of course, rather different to the airport-traversing, constantly-briefcase-egressing life of a corporate laptop. Lenovo's carboniferous exterior is the Chinese manufacturer's way of coping with the exigencies of life on the road. Fujitsu's concessions to the world of work include a fingerprint reader and a dock. Both manufacturers told El Reg these additions were necessary to make the Ultrabook fly as a corporate tool. ®
COMMENTS
Alternatively...
I wander into meeting, join others round the table, put phone on table for wireless/nfc link (or into universal dock if we must), wireless keyboard is available if needed (but I may have one of those lovely folding one's that used to be around, and some were really quite good), when the time comes my phone takes over the presentation display on the wall, I do my stuff, get standing ovation, job done, we all leave for lunch.
Now what's so hard about that? All the tech already exists; where's the imagination to do stuff?
Instead we get more of the same, just a bit thinner, a bit crappier, a bit more/less expensive; even though there are opportunities going begging.
Re: Ultrabook: for consumers or business
Thanks for confirming that this time it's not me ;)
Wonder though - is it your or the missus that's in marketing (SCNR) ;)
Re: Ultrabook: for consumers or business
No misunderstanding when I read it... "[new widget is all things to all people and can shit rainbows]"
True story*, marketing people actually talk like that over breakfast.
; )
* OK, OK... not really a true story but pretty close. Might have been brunch.
Ultrabook: for consumers or business
Now I'm totally confused.
Ultrabooks were conceived by Intel, this Ozzie Intel lady says. The "security vector" is not something consumer Ultrabooks will have (whatever a security vector is... sounds like a disease).
However, the article earlier says Intel's vpro is used in business oriented Ultrabooks, like Fujitsu's and Lenovo's models. Afterwards it reinforces this by describing them to be business-oriented (fingerprint readers and such.
Presumably the "security vector" would be important for business ultrabooks, right?
So, why was this lady talking about consumer ultrabooks when presenting business-oriented chipsets and models? Why did she not mention the security features for the business Ultrabooks?
Perhaps this mixed message sending is normal though, or I misunderstood the article...
