A J.P. Morgan analyst remains unimpressed with the current generation of Intel-powered Windows Ultrabooks, which he believes are “just more of the same.”
Indeed, according to Mike Moskowitz, Windows-based Ultrabooks won’t become “meaningful enough” to drive significant growth in the notebook PC market until at least 2013.
“It seems that everyone wants to be like Apple,” the analyst wrote in an industry note obtained by AppleInsider.
“All of this market emulation of Apple is ironic, in our view, given the initial skepticism that the MacBook Air received.”
Moskowitz also expressed doubt over Intel’s plans to claim 40% of the consumer laptop market by the end of 2012 with its various Ultrabook partners.
“We believe Intel is trying to breathe new life into the PC industry by adopting a page from Apple’s playbook: push a feature-rich, easy-to-use mobile product family that competes on more than just price,” he explained.
“[Yet], we do not believe Ultrabooks can jumpstart the growth trajectory of the notebook PC market in 2012. [Yes], the MacBook Air form factor has been a success for Apple, but [we remain] skeptical similar success can be replicated by Windows-based Ultrabooks in the first generation.”
Moskowitz added that the 2012 Ultrabook scenario was reminiscent of the 2011 tablet push, namely “a lot of sell-in from Apple look-alikes but with little sell through,” as the new Ultrabooks are just “noise” and unlikely to affect the MacBook Air’s “accelerating growth dynamics.”
