New Ultrabook designs forthcoming, starting at $699

According to published reports, Intel has 75 Ultrabook models already in development for this year, and expects prices to plummet to a low of $699 for base models over the summer just in time for the all-important back to school season. Current Ultrabook models start around $800.

Intel's Ultrabook concept is barely a year old, and models with long battery life and rapid-fire boot times are expected to make these slim PCs nearly as attractive as tablets. The chipmaker invested $300 million into the technology behind Ultrabooks, which spawned 21 such devices.

What's more, Intel plans to offer a variety of choices, ranging from Windows 8-based touchscreen models to hybrids that can serve as either a tablet or an ultra-slim notebook computer.

Lenovo already teased Intel's Ultrabook vision of the future at this year's Consumer Electronics Show with the IdeaPad Yoga. The device will also run Microsoft's Windows 8 software when it arrives later this year, and features a touchscreen display that conveniently converts into a tablet when the mood strikes.

Kirk Skaugen, Intel's general manager of PC Clients, claims the company is kicking Ultrabook awareness into high gear with a "multi-hundred million dollar" advertising campaign aimed at TV and the internet, as well as "Ultrabook experience zones" at retail so consumers can actually get their hands on the devices.

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