On an Ultrabook, people will be switching between using a cursor and touching the screen without thinking about it, he said.

Ultrabooks may also be a way to draw users to Intel's higher-end Core chips and away from its Atom and Celeron processors, McCarron said. Atom sales dropped during Intel's second quarter, primarily due to a slowdown in netbook sales, which were hurt by demand for tablets and low-cost laptops with larger screens.

Intel has said Ultrabooks in the future will resemble Apple's MacBook Air, with models less than 21 millimeters (0.8 inches) thick, and at mainstream prices. The company has showed Asus' upcoming UX21 ultraslim laptop as an example.

Intel may look to price Ultrabook at around $800 or lower, McCarron said.

The first models will come later this year and have new chips based on the Sandy Bridge microprocessor. The second wave of Ultrabooks will be released early next year and have Ivy Bridge chips, which are faster and more power-efficient.