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HP unveils Envy Spectre XT Ultrabook, other thin-and-lights in various sizes
What's that? You're hungry for more HP laptops? Good! Because we're not nearly done yet! The company just expanded its line of Ultrabooks from two to five, and that's not even counting this guy. And, the company also plans to sell so-called Sleekbooks -- essentially, thin-and-light laptops that don't quite meet Intel's criteria for Ultrabooks. So what goodies to we have in store? First up, there's the 13.3-inch Envy Spectre XT, whose all-metal body looks nothing like the glass-class clad Envy 14 Spectre we reviewed earlier this year. As with its big brother, the major selling point here is design -- in this case, a 3.07-pound machine with a 14.5mm-thick profile. As for specs, you can expect an Ivy Bridge CPU, paired with a 128GB SSD and a battery rated for eight hours of runtime. Like the other Ultrabooks in HP's stable, it makes room for a USB 3.0 port, HDMI and an Ethernet jack, and similar to other Envys it comes with full copies of Adobe Premiere Elements and Photoshop Elements, along with a two-year subscription to Norton Internet Security. We're told the warranty on this Envy is one year, not two, but users owners do get a dedicated customer support line, for what that's worth.%Gallery-154795% Moving on, HP's Envy-branded Ultrabooks and "Sleekbooks" will be available in 14- and and 15.6-inch screen sizes in each category, though the Ultrabook configs are naturally Intel-based, while the Sleekbooks will pack Intel or AMD chips. With the Sleekbooks, too, you can also choose optional discrete graphics if there's an Intel processor inside. (The AMD versions have "discrete-class" graphics, which is really just a nod to the all-inclusive design of AMD's application processing units.) If you go for the Sleekbook, you'll also get up to nine hours of battery life; with the Intel-based Ultrabooks, that rating is eight or nine hours, depending on whether you opt for the 14- or 15-inch version. Of course, the Intel-based models are also home to various Intel-branded technologies, including Rapid Start, Identity Protection, Smart Response and Smart Connect. One thing that won't change is the industrial design: both the Ultrabooks and Sleekbooks will be offered in black and red. Both Ultrabooks are available today, starting at $750 for the 14-inch model and $800 for the 15-incher. The 14-inch Sleekbook is on sale today, too, starting at $700, though the 15-inch version doesn't debut until June 20th, at which point it'll start at $600. As for that Spectre XT, it'll start at $1,000 and is expected to land June 8th. Until then, we've got a mix of photos, along with starting specs after the break.
HP Envy 4 shows up for pre-order on HP's China site, priced as low as 5,499 yuan
A few days ago, HP accidentally listed the unannounced Envy 4 and 6 on a support page within its American website. Fast forward to today, and the company's Chinese site is following in similar footsteps -- though, this time around exposing a couple more details. HP's online shop in China shows a total of six different Envy 4 models, starting with the 1005tx / 1019tx, followed by the mid-level 1004tx / 1021tx and ending with what appears to be the higher-end Ultrabooks: Envy 4-1006tx and 1021tx, which are both priced at 6,299 yuan (around $1,000). As expected, the pair sitting at the bottom of the pile is the lesser-specced of the bunch, revealing an Intel Core i3-2367M CPU, while the top-shelf machine (1021tx) is listed as sporting a Core i5-2467M. Taking into consideration all the recent leaks, it's now only a matter of time before Meg Whitman & Co. make these 14-inch skinny laptops an "official" reality. Until then, those living in China can try and pre-order one of these by pointing your browser toward the source link below.
HP Envy 14 Spectre available now, starts at $1,399
Weeks after teasing the masses with bits of what it could become, the HP Envy 14 Spectre is quietly hitting the virtual shelves today. A whopping $1,399 (with an instant discount courtesy of Meg Whitman & Co.) will get you the entry level model. If that's indeed the route you're willing to take, you can be walking out with Intel's Core i5-2467M processor and HD Graphics 3000, as well as NFC capabilities, a 128GB SSD, 4GB of memory and a 14-inch BrightView Infinity LED (1366 x 768) 1600 x 900 Radiance display. Needless to say, if you feel like this isn't quite up to par with your standards, you can head over to the source and customize one to your heart's content. Meanwhile, you can check out our own preview of the Envy 14 Spectre to decide if it's the right fit for you. Update: Looks like HP's product page went live with a typo. As reported when the Spectre was first announced, it will come standard with a 1600 x 900 Radiance display, not a 1366 x 768 BrightView Infinity LED screen. HP has since updated its page accordingly.
HP Folio 13 Ultrabook official: starts at $900 with a 128GB SSD and backlit keyboard (hands-on)
And just like that, HP joined the Ultrabook party. After announcing the Folio in Australia yesterday, the company went and made it official here in the states too. And man, do we get the feeling the outfit's been watching the competition very closely: this guy starts at $900 and comes standard with a 128GB mSATA SSD and a backlit keyboard. Provided it comes close to matching its promise of nine hours of battery life, it could give the identically priced Toshiba Portege Z830 a run for its money. Not to mention, it undercuts the MacBook Air ($1,299 and up), along with the ASUS Zenbook UX31 and Lenovo IdeaPad U300s, both of which start at $1,100 with a 128GB SSD and no backlit keyboard. Good on ya, HP. What's that, you say? You want more specs? Rounding out the list, the Folio has a 13.3-inch (1366 x 768) display, optional TPM circuitry and comes standard with a Core i5-2467M processor, 4GB of RAM, a six-cell battery and HP's CoolSense technology. Additionally, it offers a fairly robust selection of ports, including HDMI, Ethernet, USB 2.0 and 3.0, a memory card reader and a combined headphone / mic socket. The trade-off, though, is a slightly thicker chassis than what other Ultrabooks are offering: 3.3 pounds and 18mm (0.7 inches) thick. It'll be available in the US starting December 7th, but we've already managed to snag a few minutes with it, which means we've got photos, video and impressions for you to peek now. So what are you waiting for? Meet us after the break for our hands-on preview. %Gallery-139515% %Gallery-137707%
HP to ship first Ultrabooks ahead of ASUS?
Remember those Ultrabooks unveiled at Computex? ASUS had touted its UX21 to be one of the first available in September, but there's reason to believe that HP may beat it to the punch -- if you like salty punch, that is. According to DigiTimes, HP has at least two machines on the table offering Intel's latest Core i7 processors in 1.8GHz i7-2677M and 1.7 GHz i7-263M flavors. The report also suggests that Foxconn's the manufacturer and may already be shipping some rigs to la casa de HP. Lastly, although we haven't yet gotten definitive sizing on the UX21, DigiTimes mentions that ASUS is making 11.6-inch and 13-inch versions. Considering we're nearing mid-July, it can't be too long for some official word if any of this is true, just don't go sipping too much of that Kool-Aid -- okay?
