In "Tech.pinions" op-ed (http://macte.ch/cua42) Creative Strategies analyst Tim Majarin -- reiterates what others have said: the iPad is putting a beat-down on the ultrabook market.

"We have been privy to some very interesting research that shows that the market for laptops appears to be bifurcating into one that is focused on low cost notebooks and the other on the higher end of the notebook market," he writes. "The research suggests that the mid market for laptops is declining and that laptops priced at $699-$899 may be going away as users either opt for low cost laptops or if they want more powerful laptops, buy up to laptops in the $999-$1299 range instead. Part of this lack of overwhelming interest in the $699-$799 price range is also due to the iPad. The interest in the iPad remains high, and right now from our research we are learning much higher than notebooks by the mass market."

Because of that ultrabooks priced around the range of the iPad seem to of less interest. It appears for the mass market next generation notebooks need to be lower cost than the iPad or much higher and include valuable innovations in the upper end to make it attractive, adds Majarin.