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In 2012, Intel Capital announced a new fund to support startups working on technologies in line
with the company's concept for next generation notebooks. The company set aside a $300 million
fund to be spent over the next three to four years in areas related to Ultrabooks.Intel announced
the Ultrabook concept at Computex in 2011. The Ultrabook would be a thin (less than 0.8 inches
thick notebook that utilized Intel processors and could also incorporate tablet features such
as a touch screen and long battery life.By this marketing initiative and an associated $300 million
fund, Intel hoped to influence the slumping PC market against rising competition from smartphones.
T-series ThinkPad laptop, and it's an ultrabook.
The ThinkPad T431s Ultrabook is another in a long line of T-series laptops that are the mainstay of Lenovo-equipped office workers.
The new T431s is positioned as a high performance, enterprise-class ultrabook. It's got a new chassis compared to previous models,
and is made with carbon fiber an magnesium for durability in everyday lifeThe T431s isbuilt around third-generation Intel Core i5
and i7 processors with integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics, a 14-inch 1,600-by-900-resolution screen, up to 12GB of memory, and
a selection of storage options including up to a 1TB hard drive, 24GB mSATA cache drive, and up to a 256GB SSD.The chassis is
a smidge smaller than the ThinkPad T430s and is in the same weight class (3.6 pounds). The T431s has a 180-degree hinge, so
the screen can fold flat on your work surface, but doesn't flip over like Lenovo's Yoga designs. The T431s continues the requisite
dual pointing mechanisms, with a TrackPoint and glass TouchPad. The TouchPad supports Windows 8 multi-point gestures, and
also has a central scroll button for use with the TrackPoint.The T431s is very thin, with a 0.82-inch (20.6 mm) thickness, is IT friendly
with Intel vPro technology, and is compatible with ThinkPad Series 3 docking stations. Lenovo claims a 9 hour battery life with a
standard 3-cell 47WHr battery. The ThinkPad T431s will be available in April 2013, with a base price of $949. and tablet computers such as the iPad, which are typically powered by competing ARM-based processors. At a presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show, an Intel manager stated that market analysis revealed that screen size motivated some of the reluctance to switch to 13" Ultrabooks. As a result, Intel planned to ensure, through cooperation with manufacturers, a 14 or 15-inch screen on 50% of the 75 Ultrabook models that would likely come to market in 2012
