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HP isn’t pulling any punches with EliteBook 2740p.  Targeted at wealthy businessmen and high-end loving executives, it is designed to meet the highest workspace standards.

Those whose hearts are weak to gadget envy, stop reading.  The specs are outlined as follows:

• Intel Core i5/i7 CPU
• Up to 8 GB DDR3
• Intel HD Onboard IGP
• 320 GB HDD or 160 GB SSD
• 12.1” Screen w/ 1280×800 Resolution
• Multitouch capacitive and pen input
• 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Bluetooth 2.1
• 3 USB 2.0 Ports
• 2 MP Webcam
• 5 Hour Claimed Battery Life
• Windows 7

It is indeed a very nice convertible tablet/ultrathin.  And to make up for that, it comes at a $1599 starting price.  It is worth a look, and surely if you can afford it I must imagine it will serve you quite well.  The rest of us will have to survive without it.

Via Slashgear.

HP’s Compaq Airlife 100, the company’s first smartbook that was announced on Friday, combines the portability and design of a netbook with the hardware and software often seen in smartphones. The Airlife has a battery life of up to 12 hours, longer than what most netbooks can offer. While the Airlife and iPad are very different in terms of design, they share many similar features such as simplified software interfaces, touch-screens, and ARM processors (most netbooks use Intel processors). The two devices also both make it easy to quickly access the Internet and browse online content.

Here is a quick comparison of the differences between the smartbook and tablet:

Airlife:
10.1 in touch screen
Wi-fi b/g (optional 3G wireless broadband connectivity)
2.2 lbs
Qualcomm Snapdragon processor (1 GHz)
16 GB internal storage
512 MB flash storage
Android OS
Supports Flash
Folded design

iPad:
9.7 in touch screen
802.11n Wi-fi (optional 3G/Bluetooth)
1.5 lbs
Apple A4 chip (1 GHz)
16, 32, or 64 GB of storage
No Flash support
720p HD video support
On-screen keyboard only

HP is not distributing the Airlife in the US just yet, while the iPad is roughly 50 days away from becoming available worldwide. The company also has not yet released pricing information for the new device.

Via PCWorld image via CNET

HP is joining Lenovo in the ranks of netbook makers delivering a Snapdragon-based machine. The new HP prototype breaks the trend of netbooks running the Intel Atom with the new Qualcomm chip that offers more efficiency and battery life.

The Snapdragon CPU can power some small computers for up to 24 hours. It has a lower clock speed than the new Pine Trail CPUs but, in conjunction with Linux or Google Android it could be a competitive combo.

Very little else is known about the upcoming Snapdragon HP netbook.

Via FierceCIO, image via HP.

The HP Mini 110c-1110SA is HP’s latest edition to the 110 series netbook line. It comes installed with an Intel Atom N270 and weighs a mere 1.17 kg. It comes with 1024 MB of RAM and a 160 GB HDD in the style of older netbook computers.

HP’s 110c netbook has a 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 pixel display, Intel GMA 950 graphics, and the Windows XP Home Edition OS. It has 3 USB 2.0 ports, a 5-in-1 card reader, LAN 10/100 and Wireless-LAN.

Via MobileComputingNews, image via ZDNet.

HP has released updated versions of a number of its notebook and desktop computers and added a touch screen netbook to its HP Mini lineup, designated the HP Mini 5102.

The netbook has a 10.1-inch touchscreen, $399 price tag, and HP’s TouchSmart multitouch software. We’ll be able to get our hands on it later in January.

HP also tweaked its other netbooks in the $300 range and added a new HP TouchSmart tablet – the TouchSmart TM2 – for $949, available January 17th.

Via BusinessWeek.

A few new exciting netbook models have been announced in anticipation of CES 2010, this time from Compaq and HP.

The first is the Compaq Mini CQ10 netbook. This new machine will run the 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, 1 GB of DDR2 RAM, a HDD up to 250 GB, Wi-Fi, GMA 3150 graphics and a 6-cell battery. You should be able to get this thing for around $260 within weeks.

Next is the HD Edition of the HP Mini 210 netbook. We’ve already seen a preliminary leak of the new HP netbook’s specs, and our latest info corroborates those findings. You can expect a 1.66 GHz Atom N450, GMA 3150 graphics, and the new Broadcom Crystal HD chip for media acceleration. The HP Mini 210 HD will cost around $330.

Both netbooks will ship on or around January 7th, according to the latest available information.

Via Engadget.

HP isn’t ready to announce the HP Mini 210 netbook, but eCost, one of its retailers, has jumped the gun with the revealing of this $389 Atom N450 machine.

The new netbook is said to have an upgrated graphics chip and a few other rumored features:

• Operating System: Win7 Starter
• Processor:1.66GHz Intel Atom N450
• Display: 10.1″ Flush Glass
• Memory: 1GB
• Hard disk drive: 250GB 7200RPM
• Video Card: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150
• Battery: 6 cell
• Wireless Connectivity: 802.11 b/g/n
• Other Device: Integrated Webcam & Mic
• Price: $398.99

A call to a sales representative of eCost confirmed that the HP Mini 210 is in stock. HP’s website also has support info available for the Mini 210, despite their lack of an official announcement.

Via CNet.

It seems like netbook manufacturers are giving into peer pressure and are simultaneously upgrading their models with the Intel Atom N450 CPU.  Dell and Fujitsu were the first to announce the switch to the improved CPU, now it is HP’s turn to join in on the fun.

HP has announced that its Mini 210 netbook, revealed a couple of months back, will be using the N450 processor. The new model is set out to replace the company’s HP Mini 110.

Standard features include:

• 1 GB of RAM
• 160 GB-250 GB HDD
• 802.11b/g/n
• Windows 7

The Mini 210 will be sold for around $321, and the release date for the netbook is still unknown. The device should experiemce stiff competition in the netbook market, which has shown tremendous growth over the past year.

Image Via Engadget

Via Engadget

This HP 18.5 inch all-in-one PC packs quite a punch for a compact computer. The PC offers more than the standard all-in-ones currently in the market.

For starters, it is one of the few all-in-one PC’s that have opted to use a 1.5GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 CPU rather than the Intel Atom processor. Another improvement is the computer’s super-sized memory and storage capacity. The MS214 comes equipped with 2 gigabytes of DDR2, twice the average amount. The PC’s storage capacity is just as high, with 300 GB of storage.

The HP MS214 also includes integrated wireless-n and gigabit LAN connectivity. Both of these greatly facilitate the transferring of files. Lastly, the PC is complete with the addition of a DVD burner.

The only pitfalls of this all-in-one PC are that it doesn’t offer any kind of touch screen capabilities and has a meager six USB ports, two of which will likely be hogged by a keyboard and mouse. Overall, HP’s all-in-one PC offers a lot of bang for $600 bucks.

Via WashingtonPost

Image Via AutoDigital

The insanely low prices that HP and Dell constantly churn out for their regularly sized laptops may be to blame for the slow growth of the ultra-thin laptop segment. According to Acer chairman J.T. Wang, this has caused consumers to steer clear from the thinner varieties in favor of lower prices. It has also lowered sales on Intel’s CULV processors, giving Intel less of an incentive to manufacture parts for the ultra-thin laptop market.

Ultra-thin laptops offer many advantages. These laptops are more powerful than netbooks, while being similarly portable and offering an incredibly long battery life. Consumers have showed interest in the ultra-thin segment, so now it’s up to manufacturers to market the product and offer deals to get the public to purchase these laptops.

Via PCWorld

Image via DotKam

HP revealed its Pro MS200 PC this Monday in hopes of reaching out to small business owners in need of more compact desktop computers. This all-in-one PC is perfect for the growing number of small businesses who are tight on space but still need the capability of a bulky desktop.

The PC is packaged as an 18.5 inch screen that houses a DVD player and webcam. The device is also appropriate for the environmentally conscious business, as it satisfies Energy Star 5.0 standards.

This isn’t HP’s only product aimed at the small business market. It has long created PCs, laptops, printers, scanners, fax machines and more for consumers in this market. Each of these business-oriented laptops and PC’s has been manufactured to be a perfect pairing for Microsoft Windows 7 Professional.

The features of the HP Pro MS200 are as follows:

• DVD Burner
• Webcam
• Athlon dual-core processor
• ATI Radeon 3200 graphics card
• 250 GB hard drive
• Built-in Wi-Fi
• Microsoft Windows 7 Professional.

The all-in-one PC will be priced from $699.

Via InformationWeek

The Hewlett-Packard Envy 13 laptop is the sleekest netbook killer ever — not considering its price. This HP powerhouse has a aluminum and magnesium frame, sculpted to perfection. It’s also only 0.8 inches thick and weighs a mere 3.74 pounds, which gives a new meaning to thin and light, especially for a notebook.

Some other tech specs of the 13.1″ HP Envy laptop include 1600×900 resolution, a 2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SL9600 processor, and special “Beats” circuitry for superb audio performance. Furthermore, the HP Envy 13’s screen display quality/contrast is particularly awesome and is one of the best OLED panel options out there (for laptops, at least). And to top everything off, this laptop comes with a battery that’s rumored to last up to 16.25 hours. Wow.

Curious about the price for all this amazingness? Brace yourself… $1,699.99 straight from HP. Ouchie.

Via DVice.

If you weren’t able to get in on all the Black Friday netbook action, here are some Cyber Monday Windows 7 netbook deals to check out.

Dell Insprion Mini 10v – Touting the standard 10.1″ screen display, 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, and 1 GB of RAM, the Dell Inspiron Mini 10V netbook is available on Dell.com for $299, a $98 discount from the original price of $398.

Dell Inspiron Mini 10 - Also equipped with a 10.1″ screen display, 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, and 1 GB of RAM, in addition to a 1.3 megapixel webcam and HD TV tuner, the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 netbook will be available at Walmart.com for $398 with free shipping. In comparison, it sells for $499 on Dell’s website.

Toshiba Mini NB205 – This 10.1″ netbook boasts 1 GB of RAM, a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N280 processor, and a battery that can last up to 9 hours. You can grab your very own Toshiba Mini at Amazon.com for $329, which includes a $50 discount from the original price of $379.

Acer Aspire One AOD250 – Available at Walmart.com for $328 (with free shipping), this netbook’s tech specs are no deviation from the standard. It has a 10.1″ screen display, a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, and 1 GB of RAM. At least it has a 6 hour battery.

HP Mini 110 – Equipped with a 10.1″ screen display, a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, and 1 GB of RAM, this Mini is available at Kmart.com for $309.99. That’s only $20 off the original price, but a discount nonetheless.

This year, netbooks are on fire and Windows 7 is hot hot hot, so if you’re interested you’d better get to these sizzling deals before they’re gone. Otherwise, if none of these netbooks tickle your fancy, check out some of our previous Cyber Monday articles for more great deals. Happy (online) shopping!

Via RedmondPie.

SquareTrade, an independent warranty provider, has done research on the failure rates for 30,000+ netbooks and laptops covered by warranty plans. They’ve found out that roughly a third of laptops will fail within three years and that the failure rate for netbooks is 20% higher than that for laptops.

Further breakdown of the results indicate that 20.4% of laptop failures were due to hardware malfunctions and 10.4% were due to accidential damage. Here’s a graph showing some empirical evidence:

5.8% of netbooks malfunction within the first 12 months of ownership, which is 20% higher than the malfunction rate for entry-level laptops and 40% higher than the malfunction rate for premium laptops. The projected malfunction rate for netbooks over a three year period is 25.1%. Compare this to 20.6% for regular laptops and 18.1% for premium laptops.

ASUS Eee PC and Toshiba netbooks and laptops tend to be more reliable. Fewer than 16% of Eee PC and Toshiba owners reported a hardware malfunction over a period of three years. Acer, Gateway, and HP machines had relatively higher malfunction rates.

Here’s another graph to show the 3-year laptop malfunction rates for different laptop manufacturers:

Via Gizmodo.

Computing technology is generally on people’s holiday shopping list in some form or other, and even though the economy may not be so great this year, the situation is no different. That’s why we’re giving you a sneak peak of some of the the offers that Office Depot are promoting for Black Friday. Office Depot will open at 6:00 a.m. on Friday, November 27th, and deals on netbooks, laptops and desktops start as low as $229. Take a look.

Netbooks:

• Acer:  10.1″ screen display with 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor – $199.99

Notebooks:

• HP: G60-508US with Intel Celeron 900 processor – $299.99
• Acer: Aspire, 15.6″ widescreen display with AMD Athlon X2 Dual-Core L310processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB hard drive – $379.99
• HP:  G71-343US with Intel Core 2 Duo processor T6600 – $449.99
• Toshiba: 15.6″ widescreen display with AMD Turion II Dual-Core processor M500, 3GB RAM, 320GB hard drive – $469.99
• Toshiba: 17″ screen display with AMD Turion II M500, 3GB RAM, 250GB Hard Drive – $499.99

Desktops:

• Compaq: CQ4010F with AMD Sempron LE-1300 Processor, 2GB RAM, 250GB hard drive- $229.99
• Compaq: Presario AMD LE-1300 with 18.5″ Monitor – $329.99
• HP: Pavillion Slimline s5220f with Intel Pentium processor E5300, 4GB RAM, 640GB hard drive – $369.99

There’s also a rumor that there will be a two page bonus ad in the Office Depot’s Black Friday ad, so be sure to be on the lookout for that!

Via Huliq.

Image via Blogspot.

Walmart has a super cheap Windows 7 laptop that you will be able to buy on Black Friday.  Customized for Walmart by HP, this notebook will not have you playing World of Warcraft at mind-numbing resolutions everywhere you go, but it should suffice for your daily email, internet, and word processing needs.

Specs include a 15.6” Brightview display at 1366×768 resolution, integrated graphics, 250 GB of hard drive space, 3 GB of RAM, and a 2.2 GHz Intel Celeron processor.  The real shining point of the system is the $298 price tag.  With these kinds of prices for laptops, competition continues to intensify between the netbook and laptop industry.

Via I4U News.

In addition to the HP Mini 311, it is reported that Verizon will continue to sell the HP Mini 110-1046NR netbook for a subsidized cost with the purchase of a two-year Mobile Broadband contract.

The machine runs Windows XP Home in a 1.6 GHz Atom CPU with 1 GB of RAM. It has a 160 GB HDD and a 1024 x 576 pixel screen.

The HP Mini 311, as reported earlier, will go for $250 after a $100 mail-in rebate. The HP Mini 110 netbook will be sold for $200 after the rebate and comes with a 250 MB, $40 monthly plan (with additional megabyte use costing $0.10 each) and a $60 plan offering 5 GB of data use with a $0.05 fee per additional megabyte.

But before you go gung-ho for the Verizon netbook plan, make sure you know what it could cost you.

Via HTLounge.

If you’re ready to get rolling with Windows 7, but lack for hardware to try the new OS on, I advise you get to Best Buy immediately. The latest package by the retailer debuts an HP desktop, laptop, netbook, and router for the earth-shattering price of $1200.

All three machines come with Windows 7 preinstalled. Here are some specs from Gizmodo:

Space-saving HP Slimline desktop (s5212y)

Thin-profile 18.5″ LCD monitor (w1858)

Media-savvy HP laptop (G60-535DX)

Compact HP Mini netbook (110-1125NR)

Speedy NETGEAR Wireless-G router (WGR614)

Seamless in-home setup of the PCs and router by Geek Squad (4000954811)

The desktop has a 2.5 GHz Pentium chip, 3 GB of RAM, a 320 GB HDD and a DVD burner. The laptops is a 15.6-inch machine running a 320 GB HDD, 3 GB of RAM, and coming with HDMI out. The HP netbook is the HP Mini 110, which you can read about here.

Now get your ass to Best Buy and pray to whatever deity you love that supplies are still available.

Verizon is set to introduce the HP Mini 311 netbook to its lineup with subsidized pricing under the two-year contract. Running the Intel Atom N270, the 11.6-inch netbook comes with a 1366 x 768 pixel HD capable screen, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.

 The Nvidia ION graphics chipset means you can play 1080p video, though you’ll want to display it on an external display because the resolution of the netbook only supports up to 720p.

The machine sells for $250 after a $100 mail-in rebate.

Via I4U.