New York – Hewlett-Packard is entering the back-to-school
selling season with new, larger and heavier Ultrabooks and the company is
introducing a new category that it has dubbed the sleekbook.
A sleekbook is similar to an Ultrabook, but it does not
quite meet Intel’s criteria to receive that designation, said David Conrad,
HP’s product marketing manager, personal systems group.
The sleekbook’s primary differentiator from the Ultrabook is
it can be equipped with an AMD processor and graphics, and it will not use
solid-state storage, he said.
The sleekbooks will ship under the Envy-series name and come
in 14- and 15.6-inch screen sizes. Configurations will include either AMD or
Intel processors, and it will have Beats audio sound. It can be equipped with a
variety of storage and memory options. The 14- inch model will ship on May 9
with a $699 suggested retail, and the larger version hits stores on June 20 at
$599.
On the same days HP will also make
available two new Ultrabooks based on the same display sizes. The Envy
Ultrabooks differ greatly in size and weight from the company’s first-generation
Ultrabook, the Spectre.
The new models have displays larger
than the Spectre’s 13.1-inch, and at 4 pounds are just more than half a pound
heavier than the earlier models.
Conrad said HP’s customer research
found that people wanted all the new features found on an Ultrabook tied to a
larger form factor.
The Ultrabooks will have the latest
generation of Intel Core processors, solid-state drives for storage, Beats
audio and about nine hours of battery life. Other features include Intel Rapid
Start, Intel Identity Protection and Smart Connect.
The 14-inch model will carry a $749
suggested retail, while the larger model will come in at $799.
Despite the introduction of bigger
Ultrabooks, HP is not shying away from the smaller, sleeker form factor.
On June 3 it will ship a new
Spectre, said Alison Connor, worldwide launch manager for HP’s personal systems
group. This Spectre will retain the 13.3-inch screen size, weigh in at 3 pounds
and is 0.57 inches thick.
The Spectre will use a third-generation
Intel processor and have a 128GB solid-state drive. It also comes bundled with
two years of Norton Internet Security protection, Beats audio, an HD webcam,
backlit keyboard and the full version of Adobe’s Photoshop Elements.
The Spectre will carry a $999
suggested retail.
HP also did a total refresh on its
traditional laptop lines.
The dm1, which HP positions as a
device a step up from a netbook, was reworked to include a new rubbery-like
covering for better grip, said Cara Baez, HP’s personal systems group category
manager.
The laptop has an 11.6-inch LED
display, AMD processor, 500GB hard drive, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, Beats Audio and the
full version of Adobe Photoshop Elements 10. It carries a $629 suggested
retail.
The Pavilion g6 and g7 also received
a new look. HP replaced the splashier colors and design elements with a more
classic look, Baez said. The laptops will carry respective suggested price tags
of $479 and $549.
The Pavilion 14-inch dv4, 15.6-inch
dv6 and 17-inch dv7 also received facelift, obtaining a tapered edge for
creating a better grip and a smaller profile. These models are being targeted
to customers interested in the sleek styling normally found in an Ultrabook,
but while retaining the optical drive, Baez said.
The dv6 and dv7 have a new Midnight Black
metal finish, while the dv4 has a plastic covering and will come in Midnight
Black, Black Licorice, Linen White and Carmine Red.
All three will ship on June 20 with
a price of $549 for the dv4, $579 for the dv6 and $799 for the dv7.
The Pavilion m6 is new to HP’s
laptop line. The laptop weighs about 5 pounds, has a 15-inch display, optical
drive and will only be available at select retailers.
It will carry a $699 suggested price
and ship sometime in June.
For the first time, a printer was unveiled
at the company’s annual spring computer event. This addition is part of the
recent company-wide reorganization that HP underwent that saw the merging of
the printing and computer groups. A company spokesman said this will happen
with more frequency moving forward.
The printer is the Photosmart 5520e
all-in-one. The printer focuses on wireless printing and features HP’s Wireless
Direct technology, which allows any Wi-Fi device to send items directly to the
printer instead of having to gain access to the network via the router.
The 5520e will ship in June; pricing
has not been set.
