Sleek notebooks are expected to spur an 8.8% year-on-year growth for the notebook industry

The trend in notebooks at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is evident. Ultra-thin and light form factor notebooks made with premium materials are poised to become the next growth engines for notebook computers in 2012. According to market research firm TrendForce, ultra-light and sleek notebooks are expected to spur an 8.8% year-on-year growth for the notebook industry in 2012 and Notebook shipments will reach 213.5 million units in 2012, up 9.4 percent from 195.1 million units in 2011 globally. In the Middle East specifically, notebooks sales are forecast to record a compound annual growth rate of 21 percent by 2015, according to IDC.

As a result of this expected growth, thin and light premium notebooks are set to resonate with consumers in the region because they offer an ideal mix of portability and computing power, thereby letting users run modern applications at full speed. Furthermore, these notebooks offer superior performance capabilities where users can run their desktop applications — word processors, spreadsheets, web browsers, games and many more.

The new Samsung Series 9 and Series 7 premium notebooks are products that best exemplify this category. super-thin and sleek laptops. These super-thin and sleek laptops create a new baseline for mobile computing for both consumers and businesses alike. “Consumer needs are constantly changing, today technology has to also evolve to keep stride with these changes and requirements. If anything, technology and IT products depict our way of life and as people are more on-the-go than ever before, they need PCs with high-speed and slender designs that enhance their mobility.  As a result, the Samsung Series 9 and Series 7 line-up represent Samsung’s most advanced and innovative craftsmanship in the premium notebook sector, that deliver on these needs.” said, Denzil Dsouza, Head of Notebooks at Samsung Gulf Electronics.

Samsung’s ultraportable Series 9 actually predates the creation of the ‘ultrabook’ category, coined by Intel, and helped set the bar for all that followed. With an upgraded Intel Core i7 processor, a 1,600-by-900 resolution screen and a handful of easily accessible ports, the Series 9 is the notebook to impress in the boardroom. The matte black finish and thin factor straddle the line between professional and cool.

On the other hand, the Samsung Series 7 CHRONOS notebook delivers exceptionally high PC performance while maintaining an ultraportable form factor. The high-spec Series 7 CHRONOS features the latest Intel Core i7 Quad Core processor, the ExpressCache technology, 6GB of DDR memory and Samsung's proprietary FastStart feature. With the Series 7 CHRONOS which incorporates 'MAX screen' technology, consumers no longer need to make a compromise. Besides, a Windows 7 operating system means enterprises can easily incorporate these premium notebooks into their existing IT infrastructure.

While Samsung may not actively embrace the ‘ultrabook’ category that dominated the notebook news coming out of CES 2012, there is no question that Samsung is setting the tone for this category. The lightweight notebook market is primed for some changes in 2012, as the continued growth in sales of Samsung’s Series 7 and 9 cause a significant shift in the market hierarchy.