Shipments of the thin and sleek Ultrabook appears to be falling short of projected targets for at least two computer makers, says a report published on DigiTimes. Industry sources speaking to the site have apparently passed along the information that shipments by Acer and Asustek "are expected to reach 100,000 units each by the end of 2011."

While this looks impressive, the figures are some way off from initial targets of 200,000 to 300,000 units, with the blame being pinned on their prices.

Acer's 13.3-inch Aspire S3, for example, is available for about $1,101 in Taiwan, barely beating the 13.3-inch MacBook Air. However, in the United States it is cheaper than the MacBook Air by a margin of about $400. It is not clear if the price disparity is related to the fluctuating exchange rate or inflated by a possible problem with component sourcing.

Regardless, the "unclear market demand" has held Acer and Asustek back from ramping up the orders to make more Ultrabooks. Of course, with the new Ivy Bridge processors from Intel coming early next year, it may be more prudent to just wait a few more months for the arrival of the more than 60 Ultrabook designs that will be released in 2012. Alternatively, as helpfully suggested by The Register, you can simply wait a bit to snap up a first-gen model at a post-holiday fire sale.

For more on this story:
- check out this article at DigiTimes

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