The ASUS Zenbook Prime UX32VD looks nice, performs well, could be a casual gamer’s dream!

We’re surprised that so many 2nd-Generation ASUS Ultrabooks have found their way into the hands of reviewers. Considering the Ivy Bridge processors inside them are under NDA you would think that Intel could have kept a tighter control. Instead we’re getting reviews that don’t list CPU part numbers or CPU/GPU performance figures. There will be a huge number of updates on June 5th! Despite that, the UX32VD impresses and because the GT640M GT620M GPU isn’t under NDA, you can see some impressive gaming results.

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We wrote recently about a ground-breaking low price for the Acer Aspire M3 Ultrabook. At that point we mentioned that the device would be delivered with a Core i3 CPU. We got word today that that not only is this model packing a non-Turbo Core i3 but it’s also devoid of any discrete graphics. Be careful when you reach for the €599 version in Europe.

Here’s the PR we got from Acer Germany. It may not apply to other countries.

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Update: It wasn’t too difficult to spot the 01.04 on this right? Sony seems to have done very well with the joke though which was probably set up by a PR company. Search for a Sony Ultrabook on Google now and you’re likely to see the Series Q listed.  I suspect this is just the start of a Sony Vaio Q Ultrabook campaign.

Just how do Sony manage to do this every time? They led the way with their high-powered handheld UX-series UMPCs and it looks like they’re doing it again. This time round it’s an Ultrabook.

The Sony Vaio Ultrabook looks incredible.

256GB SSD, 1080p display and discrete graphics.

You wonder just how far behind even the high-end Ultrabooks are going to look when this one launches. Video below.

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Calling all Ultrabook designers, manufacturers, OEMs. Putting discreet graphics in Ultrabooks is not going to help the Ultrabook and it may come back to bite you. Mainstream buyers don’t understand what it means, gamers aren’t interested, video editors use Apple rigs and that just leaves the niche market of mobile geeks that do a bit of gaming on the side, a big bunch of impressionable bloggers and anyone you can tease with marketing, advertising and a bunch of stickers. Well, maybe that’s what it’s all about; the ability to market a product. I still think it will hurt the Ultrabook though.

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For those not familiar with Euro pricing, €599 for the Acer M3  (M3-581T-32364G34M) is a breakthrough for the Ultrabook segment.  Average price for an Ultrabook in the European region is near €1000 with the lowest-priced offers down at around €700. To see a launch price of €599 is going to raise eyebrows across the industry because not only is the Acer M3 a cheap Ultrabook, it’s got some premium features too. But there’s a price to pay. This 15.6” chubber weighs 2.3KG!

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I don’t believe any of the Gen-1 Ultrabooks should be taken off the market to be replaced with Ivy Bridge models but there’s a risk that they will be if manufacturers adopt a two-prong approach with low and high-end Ivy Bridge devices. News just in via The Verge says that new Ivy Bridge Ultrabooks, the UX32A and UX32Vd, will start at $800. Does that leave any space for price drops on the UX21 and UX31?

While old stock may go for cheaper prices in Q3 we think it’s unlikely that the UX21 and UX31 will continue on the production line.

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Let the Gaming begin! Using the Ultrabook branding, Samsung have officially announced two interesting Ultrabooks that extend the category in a number of directions. The Samsung Series 5 Ultrabooks will offer a larger screen option, terabyte storage and AMD HD7550M discreet graphics in some models.

Samsung Series 5 Ultrabooks launched in homeland, South Korea today.

The press release  introduces two models…

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