HP ProBook
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HP refreshes four of its business PCs with AMD Trinity chips
If you've been waiting for some spankin' new designs for HP's business machines, we hate to disappoint you, but we've only got a spec bump to report here. The company just announced that it's freshening up its ProBook 4445s, 4446s and 4545s with AMD's newish Trinity-series APUs. While it was at it, the outfit also announced the Compaq Pro 6305 desktop, which is also powered by AMD's A-Series chips (the A10, A8, A6 and A4, to be exact). The refreshed ProBook 4545s is available now, starting at $499. (The 4445s and 4446s will only be available in Japan and other Asia-Pacific countries.) Meanwhile, the Compaq Pro 6305 desktop lands October 8th, starting at $539 with both Windows 7 and Win 8 configurations available.
HP refreshes its ProBook laptops for small businesses
HP's already outed a bunch of business laptops today, but so far they've all been aimed at the enterprise level -- machines an IT manager would deploy on the order of thousands. But while it was at it, the company also refreshed its ProBook lineup for small businesses, the sort of operations that likely don't have an IT department running the show. For those folks, there's the refreshed b- and s-series. Starting with the "b" lineup, it includes 14- and 15.6-inch models (the 6470b and 6570b), each of which have a magnesium-reinforced chassis with a coating designed to resist scratches and other signs of wear. Users can choose between integrated and discrete graphics, while the 14-inch version, at least, will be offered with Intel and AMD chips. (The 15-incher is Intel-only.) Other perks include Intel's vPro management technology, HP 3D DriveGuard and optional 3G / 4G connectivity. The Intel-based models will start at $769, while the AMD-based 6475b will go for $669 and up. Expect these to land on June 4th. Meanwhile, the s-series (pictured) is available in a wider range of sizes (13, 14, 15 and 17 inches), with a mix of Intel and AMD chips. The existing s-series has also gotten a redesign, with aluminum casing and a spill-resistant keyboard. These laptops, too, will arrive June 4th, though they're slated to start at a lower price of $589.
HP ProBook 5330m review
We always have to chuckle when laptop makers talk about making business systems look more palatable to the employees toting 'em. After all, it's not like we're going to walk off the job because we don't like the looks of that black box we've been assigned. Or are we? Nonetheless, laptop manufacturers are going out of their way to make their corporate systems look (and perform) more in line with their sexier consumer cousins. Take the Lenovo ThinkPad X1, for instance, a slimmed-down version of the company's signature design -- updated with a buttonless touchpad, Dolby sound, and a much-maligned glossy display. Toshiba, meanwhile, recently revamped its line of business notebooks to look like the lightweight Portege R705 -- also a crossover hit. Which brings us to the HP ProBook 5330m. This 13.3-incher has a metal-clad body and Beats Audio -- a first on an HP business machine, but a staple across its consumer stable. And yet, the company's wooing the IT guys, too, with a matte display, optional prepaid mobile broadband, Intel vPro technology, and TPM circuitry. With a starting price of $799, it scores big points for value, but can it hang? Let's find out. %Gallery-125040%
HP unleashes seven new ProBooks, cuddles up with AMD
No, we wouldn't say we've been looking at AMD lately, HP -- but we've got a strong feeling that we're about to with the slew of not-yet-announced processors that are powering these new affordable business laptops. The HP ProBook 4325s, 4425s, and 4525 may look like their brushed-aluminum business laptop brethren, but instead of Intel inside, they can be configured with AMD's new Phenom II quad-core, Phenom II triple-core, Turion II or Athlon II processors -- all which are apparently 69 percent faster than previous generation HP AMD laptops. Add in an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 530v discrete graphics option and an $619 starting price, and the S-series may just be our new favorite HP sub-brand -- though we'll reserve final judgment until we test these puppies and check out the battery life. In addition to those three, the 14-inch 6445b and 15-inch 6555b pack the same new processor options, but for $799 they have a more durable case with a spill-resistant keyboard. Oh don't worry Intel, the ProBook line hasn't forgotten about you: there's still some Core i3, i5 and i7 love in the new HP ProBook 6450b and 6550b, which now also have vPro remote management technology. And just when you thought HP couldn't go any lower in price with its business line up, the 14-inch HP 425 and 15.6-inch 625 emerge at $550. While these guys aren't exactly the thinnest or lightest of the bunch, they should still provide an ample amount of performance with AMD's new 2.3GHz Turion II dual-core, 2.1GHz Athlon II dual-core and V Series processors and ATI Radeon HD 4200 integrated graphics. Not a bad time to be in the boardroom, huh? Head down below for some glossy press shots and the full releases. %Gallery-92238%
HP spices up ProBooks with Core 2010 CPUs, ClickPads and caviar paint
No offense to the previous ProBooks s-series, but we think HP may have finally removed the last pieces of boring from the line. The new crop of business laptops – if you can even call them that anymore – are available with 13.3, 14, 15.6 and 17.3-inch display sizes, and can be configured with Intel's latest Core i3, i5 and i7 processors. There are too many configurations to list, but the $900 15.6-inch ProBook 4520s with a Core i5 CPU and a 500GB 7,200RPM drive sounds like a deal to us. Fear not graphics mavens, you can configure any of the models with ATI's Mobility Radeon HD 5350 GPU. Specs aside, we were pretty enamored with the externals – all are clad in a brushed aluminum case and a matte surface lid that's available in "caviar" brown or a reddish "bordeaux." Our fingers were big fans of the chiclet keyboard, but the addition of the ClickPad with its integrated mouse buttons makes us a bit anxious, you know, given the issues we've had with those on the Mini 210 and Envys. We'd be remiss if we didn't mention HP's new Day Starter software that lets the workaholics amongst you check a configured Outlook calender while the laptop boots up in the background -- it doesn't work yet with Google Cal, we asked. You should be able to start configuring the lappies in the next few weeks, but hit the break for some hands-on pics and the full PR. %Gallery-86683% %Gallery-86684%
HP ProBook 4310s serves up a cornucopia of options for the configuration junkie within
It'd be difficult to term HP's new Mini 5101 netbook "exciting" but the new ProBook 4310s has promise -- or at least flexibility. Like its name suggests, the ProBook 4310s is for boring people who like to spend their days alternating between an Excel spreadsheet and Peggle, but the specs and looks hint at adventure. Basically, this 13.3-inch laptop can be whatever you'd like it to be, with a starting price of $799 and the whole gamut of options, from Celeron to Core 2 Duo, FreeDOS to Vista, DVD to Blu-ray, and integrated or discrete graphics (ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 with 512MB of RAM and HyperMemory support). There's space for up to 8GB of RAM, EV-DO, ExpressCard 34, SD card, all sorts of hard drives -- if you can imagine a spec HP probably has an option for it inside this 1-inch thick, 4.34 pound shell. Even the screen is available in three different configurations -- it's nice to be reminded now and then that high design doesn't always have to kill choice. The 4310s will be available on July 20th.
HP ProBook 4710s hands-on
We just had a quick run-in with the 17-inch version of HP's new ProBook s-series laptops. The design is almost startlingly nondescript, but not so minimal that it feels like they aren't trying. Build quality isn't legendary -- there's a little bit of keyboard flex, as noted by Laptop, and the whole thing feels a bit overly plastic -- but on the plus side it's lighter than it looks and should certainly hold up well to most pursuits. The keys have a bit of casual wobble to them, but they're clacky in the right sort of way, and very well defined. The screen is oh-so-thankfully non-glossy, and plenty fine to look at, but the lid on the back is regretfully smudgetastic. Overall it seems like there's plenty there for the money, but it's not going to have high-end business buyers confused in the slightest.
HP's ProBook 4510s laptop reviewed, meets or exceeds expectations
Are you a businessperson needing a bit more power, intrigued by yesterday's HP ProBook s-series unveiling but not impulsive enough to spend your business's hard-earned money without a full review? Better fire up that expense report, because according to Laptop the ProBook 4510s is a solid investment. Its styling and performance get high marks, and 4.5 hours of battery life is decidedly stout for this class. The Chiclet-style keyboard was said to be a little flexible, but that full number pad is a nice bonus. The 15.6-inch, 1366 x 768 display impressed, and it's even available in gloss or matte finishes for the same $699 overall cost. That's definitely an option we can get behind.
HP unveils ProBook s-series laptops for the businessperson who needs a bit more power
HP's adding a little bit of freshness to its portable lineup this evening with the new ProBook s-series, designed as affordable business-centric laptops but should be capable of pulling off a decent game or two for those long flights. The 14-inch 4410s and 4415s pack Intel / AMD processors, respectively, optional Blu-ray drive, HDMI port, and choice of GMA X4500HD or ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330. The 15.6-inch 4510s (Intel) and 4515s (AMD) includes an optional mobile broadband connectivity module and an integrated numeric keypad. Grandaddy of them all 4710s lacks the mobile broadband and AMD processor options but does sport a larger 17.3-inch screen. In what's being touted as a first for the company, you can have Linux preinstalled if you're interested in using Novell SuSE Enterprise Desktop 11. According to the presser, prices start around $529, and there's a USB 2.0 docking station available for $139. Read - Product listingsRead - Press release
