HP selling laptop in messenger bag at Walmart

It looks like HP is doing its part for the environment and, possibly, thieves with its new Pavilion dv6929wm laptop, which does away with the usual excessive packaging and will instead be sold simply in a specially designed "HP Protect" messenger bag. That idea actually came about through a Walmart initiative that asked companies to produce a product that would reduce environmental impact, which HP won, and has now resulted in the laptop being sold exclusively at Walmart stores and Sam's Club locations. Unfortunately, there's not much word on the specs for the laptop itself just yet but, at $798, we wouldn't exactly expect a powerhouse.

[Via Reddit]

[Ninjakamster (PS360 FTW!) @ Sep 3rd 2008 3:54PM]

Very very interesting......

[letstakeawalk @ Sep 3rd 2008 3:55PM]

While I am no fan of Wal-Mart, I do applaud this new initiative. Eliminating wasteful packaging is one of the easiest ways we can reduce our impact. The bag's not too shabby looking either. It'd be really cool if it were made of some fiber like hemp or flax.

[phanbouy @ Sep 3rd 2008 3:58PM]

a hemp bag by HP sold at wal mart? yeah that'll be the day...

[StalematE @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:53PM]

HAHAHAHA

[Student Driver @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:55PM]

Ditto on the cool idea. I like it. Not to mention how much of a pain in the ass it is to get rid of all the packaging.

[Lars @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:04PM]

"a hemp bag ... at Wal-Mart? yeah that'll be the day..."

Why not? They do sell hemp products.

[Steve Childs @ Sep 4th 2008 9:34AM]

Heh, what you don't see is the size of the box the bag comes in ;)

[tiuk @ Sep 6th 2008 4:19PM]

I'm always appalled with all of the wasted packaging that gets thrown out during a standard unboxing. This is an excellent idea.

[Murphy Mac @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:02PM]

very cool idea.

[Flashpoint @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:01PM]

Any DV6xxx will be just about the same as the DV6835nr i am using right now to write this.

My only problem with this series is that the Auxillary audio jack and the headphone jack are located right in the front of the computer. They shoulda put the auxillary jack next to the USB and power input so you could plug tings in without the plug jutting out the front.

The Wifi switch is also located on the front and is very easy to accidently switch off.

They shoulda put it on the left side.

[Boarderwoot @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:03PM]

What a brilliant idea. I never understood why all those cords and plugs and doodads were all placed in their own seperate plastic baggie anyways.

[Paul @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:09PM]

Google is your friend!

Specs:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01532288&lc=en&dlc=es&cc=es&product=3757122&lang=es

[d @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:19PM]

I always said Mac Laptops should be shipped in Incase sleeve and a plain shipping box because it cuts down on packaging, the most of the packaging will be reused, and the sleeves are that good (if anyone out there has a macbook and does not have an incase sleeve, what the heck are you doing? get one now!) Only issue is that it's walmart.

[kjb434 @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:32PM]

Why is Wal-Mart an issue?

Wal-Mart has done more to reduce poverty in US than any other entitiy (whether government or private).

Wal-Mart offers many US residents a more comfortable lifestyle that would not be available if they had to shop at little corner convenient stores with high prices. Wal-Mart is the reason some many common everyday products have not drastically risen in price through inflation. Wal-Mart has challenged all the large and small companies that supply goods to it stores to make their process more efficient to reduce prices.

Also, Target, K-Mart, and Costco are all the same. Wal-Mart just happens to be the biggest and easiest to bash.

Bashing and criticizing is easy. Extensively researching and finding the truth is more work than any common person is willing to do.

[phanbouy @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:35PM]

"Wal-Mart has done more to reduce poverty in US than any other entitiy"

That is single most ignorant thing I've ever read here and that says a lot.

[Juxtah @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:45PM]

Unfortunately 'what you've always said' is not how Apple operates, and they continue to send out laptops with quite a bit of over packaging, not saying many other companies are much better but Apple isn't exactly leading the pack on this one...

[BeniRose @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:45PM]

While I don't agree with everything you said, I think it's ridiculous that people put so much blame on Walmart. I always make fun of my hipster friends that refuse to shop at Walmart, but then immediate go to Target like it's having the same economic effects.

[BeniRose @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:47PM]

gah... NOT having the same economic effects. Damn the lack of an edit button!

[phanbouy @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:49PM]

yeah, i shed a tear of exquisite pain for the Righteous and Unfairly Maligned walmart.

here's a good site to start with for something other than good press and lobbying that Billions can buy: http://walmartwatch.com/

[Eddie W @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:51PM]

@kjb434

This is a much more complicated issue than you make it out to be. Yes, it's true that people who make low wages can afford to buy more at Walmart, but they also pay low wages to their employees, even people who have very high sales figures (I know someone who works at Walmart and given his devotion to the company and the amount of time he puts in, he should be paid much more).

And this efficiency that you mention in producing products is just a nice way of saying, "companies now have to make everything in China". Research what happened to Rubbermaid and the loss of jobs when they were forced to sell their products at a loss, thus necessitating closing of factories in the US.

I'm not saying you're entirely wrong here, but Walmart isn't working to help out people who are poor, they are working to line their pockets, and there are many people who loose in the process. We could, however, point to the whole tech industry in general... notice where all this tech is coming from? What do you think the life of a factory worker in China is like.

[Juxtah @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:57PM]

While I'm probably not in a great state to comment being on the other side of the vast Atlantic ocean. But I'd like to point out that finding a site devoted to finding out the bad stuff Wal-mart does is likely to come off not in their favour. Just as I could do the same with any company I wished if I wanted to compile a list of the stupid things they've done they'd probably not come off very well if that site was the only source of information.

[phanbouy @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:02PM]

"if I wanted to compile a list of the stupid things they've done they'd probably not come off very well"

well that depends on how many "stupid things" done then, doesn't it?

That's ok, walmart only has the wall street journal, network news, the US government, and everyone else in their pocket to trumpet their praises. Oh, and servile revisionists like kbcdefg434

[Juxtah @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:06PM]

Considering how easily I could make a pretty big list for companies like Apple, yes pretty much any company will come off bad if you compile a list of just the rubbish stuff they've done.

[phanbouy @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:12PM]

@Juxtah

it's not the size of the list, it's the magnitude of the evils. but thanks for playing the relativism game.

[Prokanda @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:03PM]

I watched a special that came on HBO not too long ago about walmart's HORRIBLE business practices.. the things that they do to companies and to the workers that make some of the uber cheap products. I'm guessing that those of you defending walmart haven't seen it. I mean, I do some shopping at walmart, shopping for groceries in the middle of the night just happens to be more convenient for my schedule, but defending them and acting like they're saints... that's bullshit.

[Urza @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:08PM]

"Wal-Mart has done more to reduce poverty in US than any other entitiy"

...You're joking, right? I remember when Wal*Mart came to my town. We lost two malls with fairly good paying jobs ($7+ an hour when minimum wage was around $5/hr) for a much smaller amount of poor, low-paying jobs. Not to mention all the work they do to fight unionization, preventing their workers from ever getting a decent wage. And they don't provide benefits, making the government pay for their employees' health care. When you buy something at a local store, even a franchised store, most of your money goes to the owner and workers at that store. When you buy something at Wal*Mart, that money goes to the corporate overlords. Wal*Mart destroys local economies and helps concentrate the wealth in the hands of a small number of wealthy individuals. But then again, any business that is efficient does the same damage. Which is why as technology increases we will slowly move closer and closer to a socialist economy.

[Mikey @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:42PM]

Eddie: Some reasons this makes sense for aiding to help line the pocket books--

1) Wal Mart pays less to distribute the products to the stores (as they can fit more product on the trucks)
2) Going green is the in fad & they will milk it as much as they can to bring in more customers
3) Being able to cram more on the shelves increases the likelihood of making a sale

However, the excessive packing is also a security feature on many smaller items. Its harder to conceal a larger package than a small electronic device.

[kyphros @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:59PM]

There is a huge difference between Walmart and the other companies you listed. Costco for instance actually pays their employees enough for them to not require welfare assistance.

[steven @ Sep 3rd 2008 8:46PM]

Two malls went out of business? Maybe they should have lowered their prices. Look, you know why WalMart doesn't pay it's workers a lot is to keep the costs of products down. I applaud them for not being a union, where workers get ridiculous wages and can't be fired, no matter how lazy they are. If you don't like the wages, ask for a raise or quit. It's as simple as that.

[Yeah right @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:25PM]

Yeah HP is really environment friendly and they never uses too much packaging..

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/18/hp_packaging/ oh wait..

[mike @ Sep 3rd 2008 8:49PM]

What kind of bumpkin would buy a computer at walmart?

lol, enjoy your Windows.

[kjb434 @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:33PM]

If by bumpkin you are refering to the majority of citizens in the US, then lots of them.

Sure, make fun of the real majority of working people in this country.

[Ninjakamster (PS360 FTW!) @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:34PM]

Thanks, enjoy your wonderful OSX. : )

[phanbouy @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:41PM]

KBGB's: oh please stop being a sanctimonious twat for once

[mike @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:43PM]

Ok, I will.

The majority of working citizens in this country are moronic meat puppets who have no semblance of taste if they would buy:

1.) An HP computer, and or
2.) A computer from walmart

[Juxtah @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:48PM]

Actually HP laptops are pretty nice, not leading the pack but in my opinion they beat Dell for looks (just not for price), have some nice features (and support where HP have always done well in my experience) and are pretty well priced.

[Serial 8-Ball Mouse @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:50PM]

@mike

"Ok, I will."

ZING! Got him!

[Eddie W @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:59PM]

I haven't had luck with HP, I've been unimpressed with the way they're built and supported. My favorites have been the built in burn a backup disk that only works once (thanks for that level of protection, HP/Microsoft!) and the hard disk that you couldn't get at without removing the CPU cooler. Plus, HP laptops don't seem to ever play nicely with Linux, whereas Dell's do.

I do appreciate this gesture though, and while it won't entice me to buy this laptop, I do hope that this type of thing becomes an industry standard - provided the cases aren't effectively disposable.

[ethana2 @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:01PM]

I bought mine online from Dell. Coupon codes from gotapex.com are amazing :)

[telepheedian @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:32PM]

Ok, so you're reporting on this, and you still manage to totally gloss over Google Chrome. What's the problem, Engadget?

[rivetgeek @ Sep 3rd 2008 8:12PM]

enGADGET.

software != gadget.

get over it.

[ethana2 @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:03PM]

OH MY GOSH, OSX 10.5.4.79.3!!!!¡!¡¡!¡¡¡¹¡

No. Software isn't a gadget. Engadget, may I remind you that Google chrome uses a rendering engine developed by KDE and --Apple--?

..that should do it.

[telepheedian @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:54PM]

I realize that software isn't a gadget, but they announced Safari 3 for windows, and plus, the chrome news could also potentially relate to android and other initiatives google is now shooting for.

[Quikboy @ Sep 4th 2008 1:30AM]

Well they didn't mention IE8 Beta 2 either. Funny how similar Google Chrome and IE8 are. Like tabs running a separate process, fancy address bar, new style of tabs, better coding, etc. Just my opinion, but any browser seems more chock-ful of the important features I like most, while Chrome is way too simple.

[Gravy @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:40PM]

The computer may come in a bag, but the bag comes in a box... filled with styrofoam... wrapped in plastic...

[Quikboy @ Sep 4th 2008 1:50AM]

Check the "Read" link in the article. The HP site shows a diagram where there's like 3 laptops encased in their messenger bag, to one box. NO excessive packaging, stryofoam, plastic, etc.

This is a really practical design. I wish HP and other hardware makers could do it this way all the time anywhere.

[mike @ Sep 3rd 2008 4:44PM]

@ Ninja

Enjoy your virus scans and WIndows Defender.

Hahaha, oh lawd.

[deyanimay @ Sep 3rd 2008 5:15PM]

wd is for spyware

[ethana2 @ Sep 3rd 2008 6:06PM]

"@ Ninja"

Faith in the engadget comment system is at an all time low. "at least this way it can't make me reply to the wrong person.."

[Kevin @ Sep 4th 2008 12:22AM]

Thats nothing new... We've had that at Sam's for about a month and a half. They look amazing. They do away with the tradition bag and give you the brown messenger which I'm not going to lie to you, looks amazing.