HP prepares major notebook push

HP Mobility Summit 2007

HP today announced plans for a "major push" in the notebook space with the launch of 13 business and consumer laptops.

Speaking at the company's annual Mobility Summit, held in Asia for the first time, executives gave details of the new products, which are all based on Intel's new Santa Rosa chipset.

Todd Bradley, executive vice president of HP's Personal Systems Group, said: "Laptop sales were up 40 per cent last year and the ultimate sign of success is customers voting with their wallets. It is our intention to lead in every market we are in."

Bradley showed off the first two products - the HP Pavilion HDX Entertainment Notebook PC for consumers and the Compaq 2710 ultraportable laptop - both of which are due to launch this summer.

The HP Pavilion HDX Entertainment Notebook PC, codenamed Dragon, is a 20in desktop replacement machine which has HD output, four speakers and a remote control built into the casing.

The company is aiming it at the Asian market and at those with desktop PCs who are considering switching to a laptop but do not want to lose performance.

The Compaq 2710 is an ultraportable laptop/tablet convertible aimed at the business traveller.

It is the first HP laptop to feature a light in the lid so that it can be used in dark conditions, and also has an integrated webcam which can be used to scan business cards placed on the housing and translate the text.

HP has decided to build in SD card slots as standard across the range of new laptops, and is offering optional Blu-ray drives on some models.

A new screen technology called Illumi-lite is used in the models to extend battery power by up to 10 per cent.

This, along with an optional battery extension which covers the whole base of the laptop, has driven the battery life of one model to over 15 hours, HP claims.

The new models will also be protected by a technology HP has obtained from a third party called Durakeys.

This is a coating that the company claims will extend the life of the keyboards by 50 per cent. HP has arranged to have exclusive use of the product for one year.

Despite predictions of a boom in consumer laptop sales, nine of the 13 new models are aimed at the business market.