According to latest reports by IT market researchers Context, Acer is currently leading the way as strongest player in the market for Ultrabooks.

The outfit claims that Acer has 62 per cent of the market through Western European distribution in the last quarter followed by Toshiba, Asus and Lenovo. Context added that there is a general perception that these devices are still too expensive to make a big market impact with average selling price 670 euros, compared to 410 euros for traditional consumer notebooks and 197 euros for netbooks.

Marie-Christine Pygott, senior analyst at Context said that Ultrabooks were launched in a market characterised by strong economic constraints and very tight consumer wallets.

“With traditional notebook pricing decreasing even further year on year, those consumers who are buying notebooks over tablet PCs, are still doing so with price points in mind, rather than a focus on weight and battery life,” she said.

The analysts are expecting pricing for Ultrabooks to come down during the course of the year, notably with the arrival of Intel’s next-generation Ivy Bridge platform. Pygott said that once competition heats up in this market and prices come down further, Ultrabooks stand a good chance in selling in greater numbers.

But as long as the price point is higher than for example that of an iPad, consumers are more likely to choose a tablet PC or cheap, traditional notebook, particularly if the current economic pressures persist, she said.