New HP Laptop Crop Match Colors with Performance

by Chris Preimesberger

HP showed off a total of 14 new notebooks April 27 in San Francisco, all ranging in size from 13 to 17 inches, including new Envys, Pavilions, ProBooks and a Mini.

This colorful butterfly pattern is an option on this Envy 14-inch notebook, which features ATO Mobility Radeon graphics, Intel dual-core processor, HP TruVision, an HD Webcam and Beats Audio.

The Envys, besides offering attractive casings like this one, also feature backlit keyboards, a slot-loading optical drive and plenty of surface style. Pricing for the Envys starts at $1,000 and runs up to $1,700 or more, depending upon which power, storage and audio/video options you select.

The EliteBook 2740p convertible Tablet (left) features multitouch capabilities (much like an iTouch or iPhone), can be used with a pen or finger, has zoom and rotate touch functions, comes with an outdoor view (backlit) display, and can turn digitally handwritten notes into text.

HP is including new standard software called PowerTools, which keep the user up-to-date on everything important about the machine, including battery life, application CPU usage and other metrics. Another new standard feature on all the new HP laptops and notebooks is something called HP DayStarter, an app that runs in the BIOS while the computer is booting up. DayStarter displays the next 12 hours of events on the user’s Outlook calendar and displays exactly how much battery power is left via a power meter.

AMD’s powerful new multicore chips are optional in the HP 425 and 625 business notebooks, available in either 14-inch or 15.6-inch screen sizes. They are full-function machines that are priced starting at a mere $549.

A close look at the HP Envys shows the all-aluminum casings and intricately patterned exterior designs.

This pink noteboook appears as though it would be something strictly for younger women, but HP reports that this particular look is very popular among men in the Far East and in Europe.

Rap artist Dr. Dre is helping market this high-end sound system that completely transforms the standard laptop system into one that could be used for public entertainment purposes. eWEEK was able to test this headset and software against the standard system and the sounds are much deeper, richer and clearer by a wide margin.

Thanks to the powerful new Intel and AMD multicore proccessors and high-end ATI graphics processors it features as options, HP has several machines that have enough horsepower to run popular games like “Dirt.” The sharpness of the video is extraordinary.

HP keeps coming out with new laptop/notebook models about every quarter. These will be the ones you’ll see on retail shelves for the holidays later this year. Prices range anywhere from $549 to over $2,000 with many feature options available.

The HP 425 Notebook is powered by the newest AMD dual-core processors and features an energy-efficient 14.0-inch diagonal LED-backlit display, optional 2 MP webcam15 and integrated WiFi. It also comes with AMD Vision Pro with ATI Mobility Radeon HD Graphics and an HDMI port allows you to connect directly to high-definition displays.

HP’s ProBook 6450b Notebook PC provides business-level performance with Intel Core i74 and i54 processors and a 14-inch diagonal HD, LED-backlit display. It features connectivity that includes optional HP Mobile Broadband; the new Central Management for HP ProtectTools is a much-requested addition. Users get a choice between UMA or high-performance discrete graphics cards.

With a weight of only 4.71 pounds (2.14 kg), the HP ProBook 4425s is easy to move around. It features low-power consumption ATI integrated graphics and the new ArcSoft TotalMedia Suite that allows users to play, edit and create video and audio files. Multimedia controls for video, such as play, rewind and fast forward, are now integrated into the keyboard, simplifying work with video and audio files. Lastly, it comes with an HDMI port that allows you to connect directly to high-definition displays.

The HP Pavilion notebooks are amazingly thin and can fit into just about any-sized briefcase or other portfolio.