HP DV2 Ultraportable Notebook

The DV2 combines the price of a netbook with the performance of a true ultraportable.

Though Intel’s Atom has owned the emerging netbook arena since the company introduced the tiny chip back in April, AMD hasn’t been sitting idly by in its Sunnyvale, Calif. laboratories. At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, the chipmaker unveiled Athlon Neo (previously codenamed Yukon), a platform especially developed for ultra-thin, affordable PCs. And in perfect unison, HP ripped the wraps off the DV2, which will be the first notebook to use it.

With a 12.1-inch screen, the DV2 falls outside the size range traditionally roped in as “netbooks,” and HP has attempted to paint it more as a fully featured ultraportable notebook, without the high price of competitors like Lenovo’s X series or Toshiba’s Porteges. And with a price tag starting at $699, it has apparently succeeded on the cost front.

The DV2 weighs only 3.8 pounds measures only .93 inches thick, offers discrete graphics, and up to 500GB of optional hard drive space, all coupled with a magnesium housing and LED backlit-display. There’s also the option for built-in WWAN, which also adds a webcam and microphone. Although it has no optical drive, HP will offer an optional external drive that reads Blu-ray discs.

Right now, the DV2 is slated for delivery in April. More information is available from HP’s press release.