HP Back-to-School Laptops Include 3D, Intel Core, Redesigns

by Nicholas Kolakowski

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.

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.

The HP Envy 14’s red-backlit keyboard.

HP has already integrated its two key assets from Palm, the Pixi Plus and Pre Plus smartphones, into its product lineup.

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.

The Pre Plus has a 3.1-inch touch screen, a sliding QWERTY keyboard, a 2-megapixel camera and GPS support.

Aiming to appeal to as wide a demographic as possible, HP is offering consumer netbooks and accessories in a variety of colors.

HP seems to be aiming for more of a student/younger demographic with many of its products.

The redesigned HP Mini 210 notebook offers 10.75 hours of battery life, and a choice of Intel N455, N475 or N550 processors.

Part of that HP Mini 210 redesign includes a sleeker chassis, as well as five color 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.

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.

The HP Pavilion dm3 lists a 13.3-inch HD display, an optional backlit keyboard and a metal body with soft-touch surfaces.

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.

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.