Posted on 13 December 2012
According to a couple of online source the HP Envy X2 should start shipping soon. An offer starting in Japan today promises delivery starting from the 27th December (some reports say 21st) and in Germany a couple of retailers have listed the same timeframe.
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Posted on 15 November 2012
The Verge’s Sean Hollister has a review of the new HP Envy 4 TouchSmart Ultrabook. This is essentially the same as the Envy 4 Ultrabook from HP but it runs Windows 8 and includes a touchscreen. The Envy 4 TouchSmart starts at $750 from HP; does Windows 8 and a touchscreen significantly enhanced the experience?
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Posted on 28 October 2012
Surface is out and the reviews are in. Most reviewers seem impressed; Many worry about the lack of apps.
From tomorrow you’ll be able to fill that app-gap with a product sector that I’m more excited about than a Chromebook on ARM, a Nexus 7 3G or a convertible Ultrabook.
Atom-based PCs don’t exactly bring up images of advanced computing but since the netbooks died a few important things have happened. A very new and very advanced power engine, a new operating system and a break-out from the rather restrictive specifications, prices constraints and designs of the simple netbook category.
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Posted on 24 October 2012
HP have confirmed that two Windows Touchscreen Ultrabooks are coming. Starting with the $799 HP Envy Touchmart Ultrabook 4 and going up to the 15.6” HP SpectreXT Touchsmart Ultrabook starting at $1399
The HP Envy Touchsmart 4 is already available to order with Core i3 or i5 and RAM up to 8GB, Hybrid HDD up to 500GB. The SpectreXT, (first announced at end of August) should be available to order soon and could be something of a challenger for that entry-level MacBook Pro Retina. A 15.6” fullHD screen, thunderbolt, Beats audio SSD and RAM options and a weight of 4.7 pounds are attractive features. We’re looking out for the fine specs – especially that battery which we hope HP haven’t cut corners on.
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Posted on 21 October 2012
You know what’s coming? The biggest personal computing fight, ever.
Windows 8 and the expansion of the laptop into smartbook territory will go head to head with an important launch in the handheld computing space the iPad Mini. Following that, Windows Phone 8 and a non-desktop Windows tablet, Microsoft Surface with Windows RT, will start shipping. There has never been a month in history where the personal computer has had such an upheaval. No-one really knows what’s going to happen.
Some of these products could fail showing us again that what people want is not always what the manufacturers think. Touch-enabled sliding and convertible Ultrabooks is one of those risk areas. Windows RT, I believe, is another, at least for the time being but I think there’s a product category that has fantastic change. The SmartPC, Smartbook could finally succeed with Windows 8 on Intel Atom.
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Posted on 30 August 2012
A number of companies are now betting on hybrid computers to be the next big thing with Windows 8. We’ve seen the Duo 11 from Sony, the Samsung ATIV, Asus TaiChi and Transformer Book — all hybrids — and now HP is announcing the Envy X2 with Windows 8 and touchscreen. The X2 takes on the familiar ‘transformer’ form-factor which is outwardly a standard laptop form-factor but the screen can be detached and toted around as a tablet. The question remains whether Windows 8 will provide a sufficient touchscreen experience, or if all of these hybrid devices will be used as standard laptops more often than not.
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Posted on 30 August 2012
Today HP is announcing a new variant of their premium Ultrabook, the Spectre XT TouchSmart. With the addition of a Thunderbolt port, a larger 15.6″ full HD IPS touchscreen, and Windows 8, HP is bumping the price up from the $999 Spectre XT to $1,399 for the Spectre XT TouchSmart. The Ultrabooks are nearly identical aside from the additions and change to the price. It would appear as though HP will be selling them concurrently.
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Posted on 19 June 2012
Back toward the beginning of May, HP revealed a deluge of new Ultrabook products. Despite a rather confusing array of press releases and announcements, we waded through it all and found what many others missed — HP would be offering the Envy 4 and Envy 6 as not just Intel-powered Ultrabooks, but also as AMD-powered ultrathins. After quite a while, HP now has available the AMD Envy 6 Sleekbook for $699; can it compete with low priced Ivy Bridge Ultrabooks, and what about it’s twin, the Envy 6 Ultrabook?
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