BETA
This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here

More From Forbes

Edit Story

CES: For The Chip Sector, A Focus On Ultrabooks, ARM

This article is more than 10 years old.

The Consumer Electronics Show isn't just about the latest gadgets. It's about what's inside them.

The latest edition of CES officially kicks off Monday night with a keynote from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, then runs for the rest of the week; press proceedings get started on Sunday. While there will be plenty of new gizmos, there will also be some key developments for the chip industry. UBS analyst Uche Orji this morning offers a rundown on some key trends to watch at the show from the semiconductor business.

  • One of the key trends will be the arrival of a new generation of super-thin ultrabooks based on Intel's Ivy Bridge family of microprocessors. Orji notes that the buzz on the new ultrabooks has been positive, with generally upbeat reviews. The analyst contends that "the momentum can continue." A key issue in driving consumer adoption, he says, will be price: he thinks they need to be in the $600-$800 range..
  • CES should see a new round of competition in the application processor market. He thinks there could be tablets based on Nvidia's Tegra 3 chip in display, as well as smartphones and tablets based on the Texas Instruments OMAP 4 processor, and LTE smartphones based on Qualcomm's MSM8960 part. And he notes that Intel could announce wins for its Medfield processor. But he also thinks that tablets are likely to generate less excitement in 2012 than in 2011, giving the looming arrival of the Apple iPad 3, and the pending next generation of Amazon Kindle Fire tablets.
  • Another key discussion point will be Microsoft Windows 8, and in particular the debut of a new version of the OS that runs on ARM-based processors. But Win 8 isn't expected to debut until the second half of next year, so it might be a little earlier to see devices on the show floor. Orji sees ARM-based tablets arriving in the second half, but thinks it could take a little longer for ARM-based PCs to arrive.
  • Orji takes note of Cavium's recent deal to enable its PureVu chips to allow TVs to wirelessly receive video from PCs and smartphones using the new WiDi standard. The combination, he says, "is incrementally positive, supporting consumer growth for Cavium and assisting Intel's ultrabook initiative."

For complete CES coverage, see our special section on the show at forbes.com/CES.