Taiwanese vendors are expected to launch their first ultrabooks early next month in western markets and they expect ultrabooks will have an impact on the tablet market.

Acer VP Scott Lin estimates ultrabook shipments will make up about 30 percent of global notebook sales by the end of the year and they will start to peck away at tablet sales. Lin argues that tablets are oriented towards entertainment capabilities and portability, but some consumers simply need more, an ultraportable machine that can cope with content consumption and content creation. He noted this trend will become obvious next year.

However, there seems to be some wishful thinking on Lin’s part. One of the main criticisms of new tablets concerns their price, yet ultrabooks are supposed to cost twice as much as a high-end Android tablet or iPad.