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HP debuts a tablet for artists at Cannes for some reason
HP chose the Cannes festival as a way to draw attention to its latest creativity-oriented high-end laptops and hybrid tablets. The most interesting device is the Spectre x2, a Surface Pro-like tablet with a detachable keyboard and stainless steel kickstand. HP is targeting Windows Ink users and other graphics pros with the 2.5-pound tablet, which has been significantly updated from the last model with an Ink-certified, pressure sensitive stylus, 3,000 x 2,000 pixel 12.3-inch touchscreen and detachable, full-size keyboard.
HP's new PCs include an updated convertible, a thin-and-light and some all-in-ones
Of all the products HP is announcing this morning, its Surface Pro competitor is likely to get the most attention. That said, the company's new line of PCs doesn't end there. HP is making some minor tweaks to its premium Spectre x360 convertible, which we liked very much the first time around. For those with simpler tastes, the firm unveiled a new thin and light notebook that keeps its weight (and waistline) down by forgoing a touchscreen and sticking with a basic clamshell design. And, completing the gamut, HP also introduced some new all-in-one desktops.
HP slashes Envy 13 price to $999 with $450 rebate
First it was the Adamo, now it's the Envy. HP has joined Dell in deeply discounting its aging 13-inch ultrathin, though unlike its Round Rock competitor, it hasn't bothered to give it any spec bumps. Consequently, even with this interest-building $450 rebate, the Envy 13 loses out to the Adamo 13 in a straight spec fight -- a 1.6GHz CPU, 3GB of DDR3 RAM and a 5400RPM hard drive are all either slower or smaller than Dell's offering -- but it does still have a pair of aces up its sleeve to get latecomers to part with their cash. Those include an external SuperMulti DVD rewriter and a discrete ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 GPU with 512MB of dedicated memory. Sure, it's not much, but then neither is the new price.
HP Envy 14 and 17 officially official, Envy 13 slowly waves goodbye
The existence of the 14- and 17-inch Envys may not be a shocker, but HP has surely been able to keep some of the more juicy details to themselves -- well, until today that is. Let's start with the external updates that have been made to the all-aluminum machines: both versions now have backlit keyboards, slot-loading optical drives, and on-board DisplayPort, HDMI, and VGA jacks. That's pretty much everything we asked for in our review of the Envy 15, but here's where we politely tell you that the beautiful systems still have the same touchpad, or ClickPad as HP calls it, though it has apparently been significantly retooled on the software end. In our few minutes playing around with the systems it did seem less finicky when we kept one thumb on the left button and used our index finger to navigate the desktop. Oh, and we're not done with the meaty updates. Taking the place of the Envy 13 is the $999 14.5-inch Envy 14 -- oh yes, we just said it starts at under a grand -- which packs a Core i5 processor, ATI Mobility Radeon discrete graphics and 7,200rpm hard drive options. Unfortunately, we don't get any of that Optimus graphics technology here, but HP's still claiming up to eight hours of battery life with the discrete GPU turned off. Obviously, the Envy 17 steps it up a notch in the performance arena -- come May 19 the 17-incher will be available with Core i5 and i7 options, ATI graphics that support Eyefinity technology, and up to 2TB of storage. Told ya there were still some good nuggets! We promise we'll eventually have a full review, but in the meantime check out the hands-on pics and official PR below. %Gallery-92216% %Gallery-92219%
How would you change HP's Envy 13 / 15 laptops?
It's still sort of weird to see an Envy laptop and not see a Voodoo badge following along, but as Rahul Sood has so eloquently explained, it's HP's burden to bear from here on out. We got a chance to toy around with the smaller of the two a few months ago, and since then, the company lowered the asking prices for both while simultaneously updating the specifications. For those who've managed to procure either of the editions, we're curious to hear what you think about HP's first Voodoo-free Envy laptops. Is the trackpad up to snuff? How's the display? Is the performance satisfactory given the price? Can you use it without torching your lap? Spill your innermost thoughts in comments below -- you know we won't judge you.
HP updates Envy 13 and Envy 15 laptops, lowers prices significantly
HP's Envy lineup was introduced way back in the dark ages of last decade, so it's clearly due for a significant update. In all seriousness, the refresh that popped up today for both rigs probably has a lot more to do with Intel's Arrandale unveiling than anything else, but whatever the case, we'll take it. The Envy 15 now starts at just $1,299.99 (down from $1,699.99), and it includes Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit), a 2.4GHz Core i5-520M processor, 4GB of DDR3 memory and a downright delicious 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5830. The 13-incher has seen its base price lowered by $300 to just $1,499.99, with specs now including a 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo SL9300, an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 (512MB) and a 4-cell battery. Both models can be customized right now, but you should probably wait 'til CES concludes before making any rash decisions about the here and now. [Thanks, Sean]
HP Envy 13 review
In more ways than one, the HP Envy 13 seems like a "new generation" of PC laptop for HP or even the industry. Intentional or not it bears more in resemblance with Apple's lineup than its own predecessors, it's part of the very first wave of computers with Windows 7 pre-installed, it places a large emphasis on battery life but still manages great performance, and it's a "luxury" PC that actually provides some pretty good excuses for its inflated pricetag. We've spent a nice solid week with the laptop, so find out if the Envy 13 can live up to its promise after the break.
HP Envy 13 unboxing and first impressions
We've got one of HP's sexiest laptops ever staring us down here, the brand new Envy 13. It hits the streets on October 18, running Windows 7 and brazenly demanding a $1,700 base price tag. Worth every penny? Perhaps. We'll be going more in depth with the laptop over the next few days, but here are a few first impressions. This is one sexy laptop. It's incredibly quality in its construction, and intensely attractive. The screen in particular is a knockout, showing up very bright and vibrant behind its glossy, mirror-tastic sheen The single button trackpad is severely miscalibrated, and perhaps an altogether bad idea. We're having trouble scrolling consistently, but clicking is also a hit or miss affair -- having multiple fingers on the trackpad at the same time seems problematic, with our cursor glitching this way and that. It's also actually possible (likely even, if you're as bad at mousing as we are) to "click" the pad and yet have nothing happen, which seems very counterintuitive. The keyboard is comfortable, but has a bit of a loose, pushover feel to the key action -- not cheap, but not really best-in-class either. Boot time is pretty snappy, even with the quick boot Envy "Instant-On Solution" Linux acting as a pit stop along the way. With a full Core 2 Duo processor inside and a real feeling of heft and thickness compared to other laptops in "thin and light" land, it's surprising that the Envy 13 goes with the same external Ethernet dongle of its predecessor, the Envy 133. That full-powered processor? Snappy. It takes on YouTube HD, the real computer killer of our times, without breaking a sweat. The great thing about a "luxury" laptop like this (as HP dubs it) is that there's so much more to explore, including an external Blu-ray drive in the box, the endless wire-free adventures promised by the optional slice battery, and of course the real prowess of the GPU when faced with 3D gaming and some HDMI output. Good times shall be had, we promise you that. %Gallery-74293%
HP Envy 15 FCC filing reveals magnesium casing, Linux options
Okay, so here's a big way the HP's new Envy 15 isn't like the MacBook Pro: its case is made of magnesium, not aluminum. Take that, haters. Of course, there's still the note-perfect reproduction of the MBP's unibody looks, that buttonless glass multitouch trackpad, and the overall sense that HP's designers did their homework in an Apple store to deal with, but hey, at least you're getting a Core i7 processor when this thing launches on October 18th, right? Oh, and in case you're not into Windows 7, you're in luck -- there are quite a few references to Linux scattered about, so we'd expect a penguin-friendly configuration to be announced at some point. [Warning: PDF read link] [Via Wireless Goodness]
Engadget Podcast 163 - 09.20.2009
We're a couple days late, but the podcast is back, people. Join Josh, Paul, and Nilay as they run down another hectic week in news, including the Zune HD, some hands-on impressions of the Motorola CLIQ, and the latest in the ongoing Apple / Google saga. Get clicking! P.S.- Josh recorded this on on the road, so he had some audio troubles -- thanks for bearing with us. Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller Producer: Trent Wolbe Song: NOISEWAVES - As Days Go By (Family Matters Theme Song) Hear the podcast 00:03:00 - Google says Phil Schiller himself rejected Google Voice from the App Store 00:13:35 - Zune HD review 00:37:50 - Archos 5 Internet Tablet makes an honest PMP out of Android 00:44:04 - HP's new DreamScreens pack Pandora and Facebook into a wireless photo frame 00:50:00 - HP ENVY 13 and 15 bring luxury to the everyman, look like MacBooks 00:59:39 - HTC Hero for Sprint hands-on and impressions 01:04:05 - Motorola CLIQ Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast 1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com. Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget
HP and Dr. Dre team up to shill a limited edition Envy 15
When we saw the HP-branded Envy leak a whole four days ago we certainly didn't expect to get any news on the beast so soon, but 'lo and behold! The new Envy is here, and we've been getting plenty of positive feedback from HP fanboys the world o'er regarding the new sub-brand. Who could find fault with a Windows machine that features everything we love about those new MacBooks, including the chicklet keyboard, unibody aluminum chasis, thin-and-light physique, multitouch trackpad, and all the Microsoft OS action you so obviously crave, wrapped ever-so-lovingly in a Hewlett Packard shell? We'll tell you who: Lady Gaga. That's right, the popular recording artist and all-around good American just found out that HP has teamed up with Dr. Dre to create a limited edition Envy 15 laptop and is a little perturbed that she wasn't involved in the branding. How dare they think that a matte black chassis and bright red "Beats" logo would be enough to sell this bad boy? We'll tell you what -- if you feel for her plight, you might think about spending some of your heard earned cash on a pair of her headphones. The rest of us can feel content to peep the gallery below and think about what might have been. %Gallery-73404%
HP ENVY 13 and 15 bring luxury to the everyman, look like MacBooks
There's no getting around it, so we'll just say right at the outset: HP's new ENVY 13 and 15 laptops might've been built on the "Voodoo ENVY legacy," but they sure look a lot like Apple's unibody MacBook Pros. Of course, there's much more than meets the eye. The ENVY 13 is a bit of a mix between a traditional 13-incher and a real thin and light, weighing in at 3.74 pounds and packing in Radeon HD 4330 discrete graphics, but still forgoing an internal disc drive. The 13.1-inch WXGA display is the real draw, offering impressive colors (82% color gamut) and brightness (410 nit). The other big winner is the optional Slim Fit extended life battery, a slice which snaps onto the bottom of the laptop, hardly protrudes, and more than doubles the standard 7 hour quoted battery life. The laptop body is magnesium coated with aluminum -- which gives it the texture of a MacBook Pro, but a bit less of the weight. In our non-scientific tests the build wasn't exactly as rigid as a MBP, but still quite a bit stronger than the average laptop -- and quite nice to the touch. The MacBook-style glass clickpad, however, is not an exciting addition in our book, since the software to support the automagical detection of left and right click -- not to mention zoom, rotate and scroll gestures -- just wasn't very tight. Please, give us back our buttons. HP's ENVY 15 isn't much of a "thin and light," really, more of a straight up premium 15-incher crammed into a 1-inch thick 5.18 pound form factor. It keeps the ENVY 13's unibody-style construction, and, sadly, the single button glass trackpad, but also works in a new Core i7 processor, makes room for dual SSD drives and adds high-end Radeon HD 4830 graphics with 1GB of VRAM. The 15.6-inch LCD isn't quite as stellar as the 13, at 300 nits, but HP did manage to include support for a Slim Fit battery for the ENVY 15 -- though with non-switchable discreet graphics, you're not going to get much longevity out of this laptop either way. The two laptops start at $1,699 and $1,799, respectively (a far cry from the original ENVY 133's $2,100 starting price), and will be available on October 18th with Windows 7 pre-loaded. Check out video of the ENVY 13 after the break. %Gallery-72803% %Gallery-72809%
HP Envy 13 exhumed lacking Voodoo DNA
It's been months since we've heard a peep from Voodoo or its swaggering founder, Rahul Sood. Now it seems that one of the changes headed to the Voodoo brand is no branding at all judging by the pics of this purported Envy 13 from parent company HP -- it steals both the name and size-indicative numbering from the Voodoo Envy 133 without a hint to its heritage. The 13.1-inch laptop is said to run Windows 7 on an Intel chipset. Visually we can see a pair of USB jacks, HDMI, and trackpad that looks to be packing some special sauce. A peak at Sood's Twitter account calls Tuesday "D Day" with the promise of "new product coming out in September/October (ish)," that will make you, "the envy of all your friends." In other words, we expect to learn more tomorrow. Backside pic after the break, more over at notebook italia.Read -- notebook italia Read -- Tuesday is D Day Read -- New product September/October(ish)
