HP has unveiled their holiday line-up, and the standouts are obviously the flagship HP Envy 13 and Envy 15 notebooks. Along with the two new Envy models, though HP have also announced a bevy of other notebooks and netbooks, including the business-centric HP ProBook 5310m, the entry-level HP Pavilion dm3, a special edition Studio Tord Boontje HP Mini 110 netbook and the new NVIDIA Ion based 1080p-capable HP Mini 311.
The dm3 comes with a few software extras, but we couldn't see that they added much value. When we first started up the notebook, HP's PC Dock was sitting across the top of the screen, ready to be customized with favorite applications. It isn't any better or easier than the standard Windows toolbar, however. A second dock in the middle of the screen let us quickly open HP's MediaSmart multimedia apps, including ones for photo viewing, music playing, and online video viewing. The apps themselves are too slight to be useful, and we disliked the media dock being on by default. The hp laptop battery also comes with the usual Windows bloatware, including a desktop eBay shortcut and a persistent Norton ad that lacked an off button. Oddly, the computer also came with LightScribe disc-labelling software, even though it lacks an optical drive. And the dm3's warranty could use some strengthening. Buyers get one year of limited hardware support, plus 30 days of limited software support.
Now HP is rolling out the successor to the DV2, the HP Pavilion DM3. HP says this laptop will get up to 10 hours of battery life using a 6 cell HP Pavilion dm3 battery and an Intel Core 2 duo processor. It's also available with a dual core AMD Neo processor and ATI graphics, but that version won't get the same kind of battery life. Both models will have discrete graphics cards which can be switched on or off depending on whether you need to boost your graphics performance or battery life.
Those who were hoping for another 12.1 inch or smaller netbook might be disappointed to note that the DM3 will have a 13.3 inch display. But the laptop measures just about an inch thick and weighs 4.2 pounds. The AMD version starts at $549, while the Intel model will have a starting price of $649. And if you're looking for something smaller, there's always the HP Mini 311 with NVIDIA ION graphics and a slower Intel Atom CPU.
Specs
Processor: 1.3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300
Memory: 2GB RAM
Storage: 500GB hard drive
Optical Drive: None
Screen: 13.3 inches (1,280x800 native resolution)
Graphics: Integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD
Weight: 4.2 pounds
Dimensions (HWD): 1.2x12.8x9.1 inches
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)Those new ENVYs too rich for your blood? HP still has some design chops to show off in the ProBook 5310m and the (leaked, pictured) Pavilion dm3. HP is calling the classy 5310m the "world's thinnest full-performance notebook," whatever that means, while the dm3 offers a choice of AMD Neo or Intel Core 2 Duo processors. Both rock 13-inch LCDs, hover around four pounds and measure around an inch thick. The Pavilion dm3 battery is available with a Celeron for as low as $699, but to get that "full-performance" Core 2 Duo action, you're looking at a $899 tag. Meanwhile the dm3 starts at $549 for AMD and $649 for Intel. With thin-and-light prices like these, who needs netbooks? Both laptops should be out on October 22, running Windows 7. Full PR is after the break.
The 4.2-pound dm3t is heavier than both the UL30 (4.0 pounds) and the Envy 13 (3.8 pounds), but because it omits a DVD drive, it measures just 1.0 inch thin; we had no problem slipping this laptop in a backpack.
HP took a minimalist approach to the rest of the design, and it mostly pays off. Like the Inspiron 14z, we like that dm3t skips dedicated multimedia keys and instead uses the top row on the keyboard for controlling playback and quickly adjusting things like brightness and volume—no function commands required. Other welcome touches include a red LED above the mute button (to let you know when it's activated) and a touchpad lock button that changes from white to red when engaged. We just wish that the power button was up top for easy access; instead, it's a switch on the right side.
The dm3 comes with a few software extras, but we couldn't see that they added much value. When we first started up the notebook, HP's PC Dock was sitting across the top of the screen, ready to be customized with favorite applications. It isn't any better or easier than the standard Windows toolbar, however. A second dock in the middle of the screen let us quickly open HP's MediaSmart multimedia apps, including ones for photo viewing, music playing, and online video viewing. The apps themselves are too slight to be useful, and we disliked the media dock being on by default. The hp laptop battery also comes with the usual Windows bloatware, including a desktop eBay shortcut and a persistent Norton ad that lacked an off button. Oddly, the computer also came with LightScribe disc-labelling software, even though it lacks an optical drive. And the dm3's warranty could use some strengthening. Buyers get one year of limited hardware support, plus 30 days of limited software support.
Now HP is rolling out the successor to the DV2, the HP Pavilion DM3. HP says this laptop will get up to 10 hours of battery life using a 6 cell HP Pavilion dm3 battery and an Intel Core 2 duo processor. It's also available with a dual core AMD Neo processor and ATI graphics, but that version won't get the same kind of battery life. Both models will have discrete graphics cards which can be switched on or off depending on whether you need to boost your graphics performance or battery life.
Those who were hoping for another 12.1 inch or smaller netbook might be disappointed to note that the DM3 will have a 13.3 inch display. But the laptop measures just about an inch thick and weighs 4.2 pounds. The AMD version starts at $549, while the Intel model will have a starting price of $649. And if you're looking for something smaller, there's always the HP Mini 311 with NVIDIA ION graphics and a slower Intel Atom CPU.
Specs
Processor: 1.3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300
Memory: 2GB RAM
Storage: 500GB hard drive
Optical Drive: None
Screen: 13.3 inches (1,280x800 native resolution)
Graphics: Integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD
Weight: 4.2 pounds
Dimensions (HWD): 1.2x12.8x9.1 inches
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)Those new ENVYs too rich for your blood? HP still has some design chops to show off in the ProBook 5310m and the (leaked, pictured) Pavilion dm3. HP is calling the classy 5310m the "world's thinnest full-performance notebook," whatever that means, while the dm3 offers a choice of AMD Neo or Intel Core 2 Duo processors. Both rock 13-inch LCDs, hover around four pounds and measure around an inch thick. The Pavilion dm3 battery is available with a Celeron for as low as $699, but to get that "full-performance" Core 2 Duo action, you're looking at a $899 tag. Meanwhile the dm3 starts at $549 for AMD and $649 for Intel. With thin-and-light prices like these, who needs netbooks? Both laptops should be out on October 22, running Windows 7. Full PR is after the break.
The 4.2-pound dm3t is heavier than both the UL30 (4.0 pounds) and the Envy 13 (3.8 pounds), but because it omits a DVD drive, it measures just 1.0 inch thin; we had no problem slipping this laptop in a backpack.
HP took a minimalist approach to the rest of the design, and it mostly pays off. Like the Inspiron 14z, we like that dm3t skips dedicated multimedia keys and instead uses the top row on the keyboard for controlling playback and quickly adjusting things like brightness and volume—no function commands required. Other welcome touches include a red LED above the mute button (to let you know when it's activated) and a touchpad lock button that changes from white to red when engaged. We just wish that the power button was up top for easy access; instead, it's a switch on the right side.
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