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HP fills in pricing and availability details for its sprawling Windows 8 line-up
HP has just announced pricing and availability for its burgeoning Windows 8 lineup of hybrid PCs, notebooks, all-in-ones, desktops and business PCs. The company seem to be wooing every niche out there with a huge (and confusing) array of products running the newfangled OS, and though we already knew the score on many, the picture is now (almost!) complete. The 11.6-inch Envy x2 hybrid (shown above), powered with an Intel Clover-Trail flavored Atom processor will come on the scene on November 14th starting from $850, for instance, and we also have the scoop on the HP Envy TouchSmart Ultrabook 4, HP Phoenix h9 desktop PC and HP Pavilion dm1 (with new 4G connectivity) after the break. Finally, HP still hasn't released pricing or details on its once-mysterious ElitePad 900 business tablet, but they did say that customers who nab one early next year will receive a 50GB Box cloud storage account, gratis. To see the company's entire range, along with dates and prices, the PR is also after the fold.
HP announces Spectre One desktop, three other all-in-ones
Didn't you hear? All of HP's top-shelf product consumer products will henceforth have the word "Spectre" in the name. So, it makes sense that the company would expand beyond laptops and release a futuristic desktop bearing the same branding. Indeed, the company just announced the Spectre One, a 23.6-inch all-in-one with a skinny design and nice-to-have features like NFC. Though that aluminum frame and tilting 1080p display are pleasing to look at, the real story isn't what the Spectre One has, so much as what's missing. You see, in order to get the system down to 11.5mm thick, the design team had to forgo certain features you might otherwise expect -- features like a TV tuner, touchscreen and even an optical drive. It's a gamble, to be sure, but HP is betting that fashion-forward, tech-savvy users won't really mind. (The jury is out on whether a Windows 8 all-in-one without touch is a missed opportunity.) In any case, HP did include four USB ports (two of them 3.0), HDMI input, an Ethernet jack, Beats Audio and a memory card reader, with optional discrete graphics and SSDs. The components are also easily serviceable via a back door, if tinkering is your idea of fun. Lastly, the One ships with a keyboard, Magic Trackpad-style wireless touchpad and two NFC tags, which can be assigned to favorite websites. In addition to the Spectre One, HP also trotted out three other all-in-ones. At the mid-range, you'll find the Envy 20 and 23, which have 20- and 23-inch screens, respectively, with 1,920 x 1,080 resolution. Rounding out the list, the company announced the low-end Pavilion 20, another 1080p system. Put simply, the two Envy systems have touchscreens, Beats Audio and will be offered with Ivy Bridge processors only; the Pavilion is non-touch, and will be offered with both Intel and AMD chips. Whichever you choose, HP's old Magic Canvas UI for Windows is gone; in its place, the "Connected Suite," which includes a mix of desktop and mobile apps for sharing photos, streaming music and remote access. Though the mobile applications work with iOS and Android devices, you'll need a Windows 8 laptop on one end of the setup -- specifically, an HP PC. That's right: for now, at least, the software will only work on the company's own computers. The Envy 20, Envy 23 and Pavilion 20 will all be available on October 23rd, with the budget Pavilion going for $499 and the two Envys starting at $849 and $1,099, respectively. The Spectre One doesn't arrive until November 14th, but when it does it will cost $1,299.
