PCs used to be the geeks of consumer appliances: bland and utilitarian, but smarter than everyone else. Now they've turned into fashion models with cute faces and slim bodies, but not much in the brain department. The implications for PC processors are disturbing. After seeing the popularity of Apple's MacBook Air, Intel kicked off the drive for thinner PCs in 2011, creating the Ultrabook brand and backing it with specifications for thin PCs and with a $300 million marketing campaign (see MPR 9/12/11, "Ultrabooks Drive Innovation"). The purpose of this campaign was to improve Intel's profit margins, but it hasn't worked out that way.
展开▼
