HP introduces new notebook lines & accessories
HP has a big soirée going on in Berlin today and since I was unable to attend they invited me out a couple of weeks ago to show me what they’d be introducing in Berlin. The embargo is now lifted so I can share with you all of the information HP provided about the new notebooks they are introducing. HP showed me a lot of new products including a consumer line of laptops, a business line of laptops, the new tx2500z which is a refresh of the tx2000 dual-digitizer Tablet PC, and a really cool laptop docking station.
DV7 (17-inch consumer notebook) in the xb4 docking station
The first line of notebooks is the new consumer laptops consisting ofthe DV4, DV5 and DV7 which are very solid home notebooks with 14, 15and 17-inch screens respectively. The DV series notebooks are allconfigured to order and they can be outfitted with all of theentertainment gear you could possible want. There are configurationoptions for integrated TV tuners and Blu-Ray drives for starters. All3 models handle up to 4 GB of memory and up to a 500 GB hard drive togive you plenty of room for all of those movies you record off the TVtuner. The DV7 can be outfitted with a screen displaying up to1650×1050 resolution making it a very nice desktop replacement. The DVseries laptops come complete with a remote control and all the output ports youcould want on a notebook computer and they all feature HP’s Imprintfinish. One of the first things you’ll notice about the DV line is how the HP logo on the lid lights up like that fruity logo on those other notebooks.
dv4 keyboard and trackpad
dv7 with Magic Chrome touch controls top of keyboard. They disappear when not lit.
dv7 in the sb4 dock. Note the lit HP logo.
HP confirmed for me the rumor is true that the tx2500 is the refreshed model of the tx2000 I have been playing with for a while. The tx2500 is a minor update to a very nice Tablet PC with dual digitizer and it can be configured with an optional TV Tuner in keeping with HP’s consumer notebook line.
tx2500
The business line of new notebooks is the EliteBook line consisting ofthe same three sizes of the DV series. HP is looking to provide themost flexibility to the business consumer and the light but strong aluminun case and magnesium alloy chassis used in the EliteBook line insures the mobileprofessional is protected from bumps and knocks while on the road. I got really squeamish as the HP rep took some steel wool to the case of the EliteBook which didn’t even scratch it is so strong. There’s no doubt it will stand up to the tests of the business traveler. The EliteBooks all have web cams and pop-out keyboard lights for working in low lighting to get those reports done late at night. The EliteBook is configurable with either Intel Centrino processors or AMD Turion X2 Ultras.
By far the most exciting news about the EliteBook line is the availability of the Qualcomm Gobi WWAN card. The Gobi is new and provides both CDMA (EVDO) and HSDPA on one card allowing a notebook configured with the Gobi to work on any carrier’s 3G network in the US. That is very flexible and makes the investment of integrated WWAN a very sound one.
EliteBooks stack up
HP is also announcing some cool stuff including a notebook docking station and a business calculator. The xb4 Notebook Media Docking Station makes it a snap to adjust your notebook to the most comfortable viewing angle while connecting to wireless peripherals like a keyboard and mouse, both of which are included. There is a powerful speaker system integrated into the xb4 along with a drive storage bay for making backups easy. The xb4 has six (yes 6) USB ports, audio in and out jacks, PC Port (for connecting a 2nd notebook), VGA out, S/PDIF, RCA out, and an ethernet port.
xb4 dock
dv7 in the xb4 dock
A new product the likes of which we don’t see very often is the HP 20b Business Consultant calculator:
That’s it for the current announcements but I am happy to share that my faithful 2710p Tablet PC will be refreshed later this year. 
I see I am not the only one up late.
My typical attitude is a sarcastic WooHoo to some of these new lines of laptops. We aren’t really seeing an increase in speed and the like, so all it really is is a laptop with some newer bells and whistles. However, HP has me impressed with their metal cases.
No news on the future of the mininote ? :/
Holy crap!! I was reading down, saw the new calculator and nearly fell off my chair!!
A new HP calculator is more exciting and bigger news than a new iPhone. We see new notebooks and handsets virtually every other day, but its still a rare pleasure to discover a new, high quality calculator from the likes of HP. The relatively recent 35s scientific calculator is a real gem, and I look forward to getting my hands on the new 20b.
As a special treat, download the PDF datasheet from the 20b product page and check out the model on the first page. Oh yes, there is something unbeleivable sexy about a woman like that wearing glasses.
Any news about the future of the HDX? All lines seemed to be refreshed but that one.
Thank you for the news of the 2710p refresh! That’s the one I am waiting for. I expect that it was delayed because of the Centrino2 slip. Again, greatly appreciate your post.
Are you sure of the Elitebook is configurable with AMD’s? I think is only Intel. The Compaq Business Line is Intel/AMD. I could be wrong, though!
Do you know when the 2710p will be refreshed? I was looking to pick up a new tablet, but between the new Lenovo in September & this, I might wait now.
Why O Why.. does the new XB4 dock only have VGA output? Can not figure out why HP continues to ignore DVI and HDMI.. My biggest gripe about the previous dock version XB3000 was the same issue only VGA out.. Why pack a ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics card in the TX2500z if there is no DVI/HDMI port on the laptop or docking station! yes I know the Radeon HD 3200 does not require the CPU to process HD content.. but, why am I limited to VGA output for any external display..