HP’s Back-to-School Laptops, Hybrids Offer Many Choices, Colors

by Todd R. Weiss

Easily convertible from a laptop to a tablet via spiral-gear-equipped rear hinges, the Pavilion x360 comes in 11- or 13-inch models that have high-definition In-Plane Switching (IPS) displays. The 11-inch model comes in Natural Silver, Sunset Red, Violet Purple or Minty Green.

The 11- and 13-inch HP Pavilion x360 models will be available in the United States on May 13 directly from HP and through select retailers starting June 21 at prices ranging from $409.99 to $529.99, depending on configuration. They feature new Bang & Olufsen audio capabilities.

The 11-inch HP Pavilion uses a fanless design and is available with a choice of Intel Core M-5Y10C, Celeron or Pentium processors. The 11-inch Pavilion x360 can be purchased with up to 8GB of RAM. Also featured are improved sound systems from Bang & Olufsen audio.

The larger 13-inch Pavilion x360 supports fifth-generation Intel Core i3 and i5 processors with hard drives up to 1TB or solid-state drives up to 128GB. The 13-inch machines can be equipped with up to 16GB of RAM and come in Natural Silver or Sunset Red.

The Envy x360 includes fifth-generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processors, up to 16GB of RAM and hard drives up to 1TB or solid-state drives (SSDs) up to 256GB. The machines have 48-watt-hour batteries as well as more efficient processors and system tuning, which provide longer battery life.

The HP Envy x360 can be flipped and configured into a notebook mode for working, a standing mode for watching video content, a tent mode for playing games or a tablet mode for on-the-go use. It will go on sale on June 18 at prices ranging from $679.99 to $899.99.

The Envy x360 has a new aluminum top and keyboard deck as well as a 15-inch diagonal IPS touch display available in either HD or full HD, as well as the latest Bang & Olufsen audio. It has battery life to up to almost 9 hours, compared with up to 7 hours in the previous version.

The latest Pavilion notebooks are highly customizable and include a redesigned unibody chassis. They can be purchased with HD or full-HD displays that include touch-screen or non-touch-screen options in 14-, 15- or 17-inch diagonal sizes.

The Pavilion machines can be equipped with either sixth-generation AMD A-Series or fifth-generation Intel Core i3 through i7 processors and hard drives up to 2TB. Memory choices up to 16GB are also available, as well as several AMD Radeon or Nvidia graphics processor options.

The Pavilion notebooks come in Natural Silver, Blizzard White, Sunset Red, Cobalt Blue, Violet Purple, Peachy Pink or Twinkle Black, and will be available in the United States on May 13 at prices ranging from $549.99 to $629.99.