HP has pulled back the curtain on several new consumer and business-centric ultrathin notebooks, bringing the latest and greatest that Intel and AMD have to offer into slimmer, sleeker chassis. The new models offer fresh takes on existing lines, and entirely new "sleekbooks" that hope to skirt around Intel's ultrabook standard. Follow our coverage right here.
May 9, 2012
HP announces Envy Spectre XT, latest entry into premium ultrabook line (hands-on)
HP Envy Spectre XT Facing Read Article >The Spectre XT introduces a few noticeable design changes to the line, adopting the sloping, tapered edges that have become increasingly popular with ultrabooks as of late. It measures 14.5 mm (just over half an inch) thin — slimmer than the Envy 14 Spectre, which is .79 inches thick. The Spectre XT weighs in at 3.07 pounds; not the lightest available, but certainly not cumbersome. The Envy 14 Spectre, for comparison, weighed in at 3.79 pounds.
May 9, 2012
HP Envy Sleekbook and Envy Ultrabook stretch definitions with AMD processors, cheaper components
HP Sleekbook press stock 1024 HP's just-announced $999 Envy Spectre XT is the company's new premium ultrabook, but there's a cheaper way to obtain an exceedingly light machine. Remember the Envy 4 and Envy 6 that leaked out a few weeks back? Today, the company's made those 14- and 15.6-inch laptops official as the Envy Ultrabook series and Envy Sleekbook series, and they start at just $699.99.
Read Article >Why two different names? They don't refer to size: "Sleekbook" is simply HP's name for a ultrabook-like laptop that doesn't match up to Intel's ultrabook spec, either because it doesn't have a solid-state cache, or (starting June 20) if it substitutes an AMD processor for the typical Intel silicon. So, from the outside, these laptops look exactly the same. Both come in 14- and 15.6-inch sizes, start at four pounds light and 19.8mm thick, and, as you'd expect for their price points, both feel a little bit cheap.
May 9, 2012
HP EliteBook Folio 9740m brings ultrabook style to business-class (hands-on)
HP Elitebook Folio press 1024 stock The just-announced HP EliteBook Folio 9470m lends a bit of HP's business acumen to the company's Folio ultrabook line. Sporting a 14-inch, 1366 x 768 resolution display, it measures in at a (relatively) scant 0.75 inches thick. It's a bit heavier than the consumer model it mimics — 3.6 pounds, as compared to the Folio 13's 3.3 — but a far cry from the business centric juggernauts of yore. Honestly, you might be hard pressed to tell them apart: they share a similar aesthetic in their aluminum shells and hard plastic undersides, as well as serving up a generous assortment of connectors — the EliteBook Folio offers USB 3.0 and a full-size Ethernet jack, as well as DisplayPort and VGA inputs.
Read Article >Dig a bit deeper, and the business-savvy starts to shine through. The underside of the machine offers a docking port that's compatible with existing HP docking stations. The notebook will support up to 16GB of RAM, and while HP is playing coy with the processor specifications, we do know that the EliteBook Folio will be sporting Intel's third-generation Ivy Bridge processors. You’ll also find up to 500GB of hard drive space to couple with an optional mSATA cache solid state drive (up to 32GB), or a 256GB solid state drive if you budget allows. HP will also be bundling in their standard business PC toolset, including an integrated smart card reader, a TPM security chip, and the HP Protect Tools security suite.
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