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HP Back-to-School Laptops Include 3D, Intel Core, Redesigns
by Nicholas Kolakowski
HP Envy 14 Beats Edition
Marketed as a multimedia powerhouse, the HP Envy 14 Beats Edition includes either Intel Core i5 or i7 processors, AMD ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 graphics, and Beats Audio sound technology developed in collaboration with Dr. Dre.
Colorful Design
The HP Envy 14 Beats Edition features a black-and-red design that stands out from the rest of HP's line. Artists and students may gravitate toward it, but business users (no matter how audiophile) may choose something more conservative.
Backlit Keyboard
The HP Envy 14's red-backlit keyboard.
Palm Integration
HP has already integrated its two key assets from Palm, the Pixi Plus and Pre Plus smartphones, into its product lineup.
Pixi Plus
The Pixi Plus features a 2.63-inch multitouch screen, hot-spot capability for up to five devices, a 2-megapixel camera and 8GB of flash memory.
Pre Plus
The Pre Plus has a 3.1-inch touch screen, a sliding QWERTY keyboard, a 2-megapixel camera and GPS support.
Colorful Choices
Aiming to appeal to as wide a demographic as possible, HP is offering consumer netbooks and accessories in a variety of colors.
Targeting the Young
HP seems to be aiming for more of a student/younger demographic with many of its products.
HP Mini 210
The redesigned HP Mini 210 notebook offers 10.75 hours of battery life, and a choice of Intel N455, N475 or N550 processors.
Sleek Chassis
Part of that HP Mini 210 redesign includes a sleeker chassis, as well as five color options.
Feature Options
HP Mini 210 optional features include GPS with the HP Navigator mapping application, an HD display and the Broadcom Crystal HD Enhanced Video Accelerator.
Pavilion dm3
HP designed the Pavilion dm3's hardware architecture and software to minimize heat. The hotter running components now sit under the keyboard, the side vents are large, and the HP Thermal Assistant software automatically shifts between performance and cooling modes.
Pavilion dm3
The HP Pavilion dm3 lists a 13.3-inch HD display, an optional backlit keyboard and a metal body with soft-touch surfaces.
HP Envy 17 3D
The HP Envy 17 3D leverages the recent 3D trend, with HP Active Shutter 3D glasses that integrate wirelessly with the laptop's 17.3-inch display.
Powerful Chips
To power that multimedia experience, the HP Envy 17 3D offers a choice of quad-core Intel processors and AMD ATI Mobility Radeon HD graphics.
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HP is introducing refreshed laptops for the back-to-school season, with new features baked into everything from the HP 210 Mini notebooks to the higher-end HP Envy series. More entertainment-centric features include 3D and Beats Audio sound technology, but more powerful processors and graphics will likely appeal to a broad range of consumers, students and businesspeople. HP also seems determined to enliven the look of its laptop lines, with new colors and sleeker designs. Some of this redesign is performance-related, such as the HP Pavilion dm3's heat-dispensing architecture; but much of it simply intends to set HP apart from other manufacturers.