Although we’ve already had two IDF (Intel Developer Forum) events this year it’s the San Francisco event starting in September that’s the highlight. It kicks off a new technology year for Intel and allows attendees to gauge what might happen in the next 12-18 months. You get to watch one of the leading technology companies in the world dance around some its leading technology. Read between the lines and you’re able to gauge a whole lot more than what the marketing reveals.
The earliest indication that you get of the marketing slant is the official keynote and session list. In years past we’ve seen ultra mobility and networks taking center stage. Last year we saw a huge push for Atom, this year the priorities look different. IDF is likely to be the springboard for Ultrabooks.
Intel will put a huge amount of money into promoting Ultrabooks and key features of Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge and advising their customers how to get the best out of the platforms. Take a look at some of the Ultrabook-related sessions that are on offer…
Ultrabook™ Power Management.
Lecture Session
Barnes Cooper, Principal Engineer, Intel Corporation
Hot Topic Q&A: Ultrabook™ Mobile PC Track
Ultrabook™ Track Speakers
Ultrabook™ System Design Requirements, Solutions and Ecosystem Synergy
Lecture Session
Nickolas Willow, Senior Platform Technologist, Intel Corporation
Ultrabook™ Mechanical and Thermal System Integration, Lecture Session
Tod Byquist. Principal Engineer, Mechanical Design,Intel Corporation
Dynamic Thermal and Power Management: Optimizing for Ultrabooks™
Lecture Session
Dan Huynh, Manager, Thermal Platform Execution, Intel Corporation
Gregory Nielsen, Thermal Initiatives Enabling Engineer, Intel Corporation
Next Generation Display Technology for Ultrabook™
Lecture Session
Kamal Shah. Director, Extended Battery Life Enabling Initiative, Intel Corporation
David Choi, Vice President of IT System Solution and Product Planning, LG Display
That’s 6 sessions dedicated to the Ultrabook. For comparison, there are 3 sessions dedicated to the netbook, 5 sessions dedicated to Meego, 8 sessions dedicated to the Atom CPU and 13 for the whole laptop segment. The Ultrabook is getting a big focus. It’s in the keynotes too…
If you take a look at the keynotes, you’ll see only one focused session and that’s by Mooly Eden, GM of the PC Client Group (desktop and mobile)
Mooly Eden, vice president and general manager of the PC Client Group, will expand on Intel’s PC strategy—the experience that it delivers in the new digital world for consumers to create, share, and view their moments and memories. With over one million PCs being shipped every day, Mooly will discuss how these computing devices have become indispensable in our lives today and continue to innovate. The Ultrabook™ transition is the next major milestone in this remarkable journey. Come see how Intel® architecture-based PC solutions are evolving to deliver outstanding user experiences any time, any place.
The Ultrabook is the only ‘brand’ mentioned in any of the keynote summaries.
I’m hoping to be at IDF this year to cover the Ultrabook segment from the floor. Is Intel still confident that Ultrabooks will be 40% of their laptop market by end of 2012? Do customers want to pay the premium for ‘thin’ and will they recognise the benefits of some of the unique features of the Ultrabook or will they be happy to take ‘almost as thin’ for a price reduction?
