Skip to main content

HP takes the wrapping off its holiday PC line-up

Today, HP unveiled its product range for Winter 2015, a diverse collection of devices firmly rooted on the cutting edge of computing. Between systems designed for cloud-based usage to high end gaming rigs, the company seems keen to establish itself as a leader in the ever-changing landscape of hardware manufacture.

HP Envy 34 all-in-one and Envy 32 display

HP announced a bevy of devices designed specifically for Windows 10, reportedly the product of close collaboration with Microsoft and Intel. Leading the charge is the HP Envy Curved All-in-one, which is being billed as the largest curved all-in-one in the world. Its 34-inch Technicolor Certified screen is certainly an enticing prospect, and support for Windows Hello is a wholly forward-thinking feature.

Customers will be able to opt for AMD Radeon R9 graphics rather than the stock integrated component on the 23.8-inch and 27-inch models. Meanwhile, the 34-inch variant can be fitted with  NVIDIA GeForce 960A graphics. All three systems can be outfitted with a 128GB SSD and up to 16GB of memory, with base prices for the different sized systems ranging from $1000 to $1800.

The Envy line is also seeing a new dedicated media monitor. The Envy 32 Media Display boasts a 32-inch Quad HD screen, with 100-percent sRGB color space for accurate photo editing and AMD’s FreeSync technology to prevent any stuttering or tearing. The monitor will retail for $500, and will be also  be available from October 18.

HP Envy notebook

Moving on to a more traditional device, the new HP Envy notebook looks set to be a potent blend of processing power and form factor. Its 6th Gen Intel Core processors provide plenty of muscle under the hood, but it’s still HP’s thinnest notebook ever at just 12.95 millimeters. It has a 13-inch display and offers either 1080p or 3,200 x 1,800 resolution.

Despite its small size, the new Envy notebook finds room for three USB 3.0 ports, a HDMI port and an SD card reader. A 3-cell 45 watt-hour Li-ion polymer battery allows for up to ten hours of battery life, which combined with its weight of less than three pounds makes the laptop a great choice for portable use. Prices will start at $850 when the device goes on sale on October 18.

HP Spectre x360 and x2

HP is also refreshing its Spectre line of convertibles. The limited edition 13-inch Spectre x360 features audio by Bang & Olufsen, an arresting Quad HD display and support for Windows 10 functionality like Continuum. The device will be made available on November 8 for $1,300.

Meanwhile, the Spectre x2 is being touted as the thinnest 2-in-1 PC that HP has ever made — it’s quite a remarkable device at just eight millimeters thin. A 6th Gen Intel Core M processor provides the power to run software on the go, and up to 512GB of SSD will ensure that the system is ultra-responsive.

This is a device that’s intended to make users more productive, so a robust keyboard is a core element of the package. The detachable 1.5 millimeter travel keyboard and “Precision Touchpad”offer all the functionality that you might expect from a desktop, but can easily be stowed away in a bag when you’re travelling. There’s even a smart kickstand designed to offer multiple viewing angles for different types of use.

A 12-inch Full HD 1,920 x 1,080 display makes this stand device stand out, but it’s just as capable when capturing images as it is displaying them. Three cameras mean you’re set for any photographic project, with an Intel RealSense Camera R200 capable of capturing 3D imagery being particularly notable. The Spectre x2 also goes on sale on November 8, with prices starting at $800.

HP Pavilion Gaming

HP hasn’t forgotten about gamers in and among these high-end devices. The new 15.6-inch HP Pavilion is a rig that any video game aficionado would be happy to call their own, with an IPS display boasting optional touch capabilities and plenty of raw power to run the latest releases.

Customers will have the option of a 6th Gen i5 or i7 processor to work in league with the Nvidia GeForce GTX 950M graphics unit. With up to 16GB of system memory and up to 2TB of hard drive space, this is a machine of considerable capabilities — and it will retail for $900 on November 8.

HP Stream

Lastly, there’s the HP Stream line of affordable cloud-based PCs. The new 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch models might not have the raw power of some of the company’s other offerings, but that really isn’t the priority here — instead, they’re low-cost, high-productivity devices that combine functionality with fun.

Attractive designs house a fanless design, with a high-efficiency Celeron processor and 32 GB of eMMC flash memory. There are plenty of extras included too, like a year’s subscription to Office 365 and 1TB of storage space on Microsoft’s OneDrive service.

The HP Stream line will be available from October 18, with the 11.6-inch model priced at $200 and the 13.3-inch model costing $230. The education-focussed HP Stream 11 Pro G2 will launch on October 12 for $250.

Editors' Recommendations

Brad Jones
Brad is an English-born writer currently splitting his time between Edinburgh and Pennsylvania. You can find him on Twitter…
New HP Spectre x360 16 ditches Nvidia, embraces Intel Arc
The new HP Spectre x360 16 in use on a desk.

The rollout of Intel's highly anticipated discrete GPUs has been slow and confusing. But today, they just scored a big win with the announcement that HP's most premium laptop, the Spectre x360 16, will be sold with Intel's Arc instead of Nvidia's RTX graphics.

The new Spectre x360 16 comes with an option for an Arc A370M on board, in addition to an option for Iris Xe graphics for the $1,650 base configuration. The Arc A370M comes with 4GB of GDDR6 dedicated memory. That is on top of the 16GB or 32GB of onboard device RAM, as well as the up to 2TB NVMe solid-state drive on the device.

Read more
HBO’s The White Lotus lines up its season 2 cast members
Aubrey Plaza smiles at the camera in Criminal Minds.

HBO's The White Lotus was a breakout hit last year thanks to its deft mixture of dark comedy and melodrama. While the first season took place in The White Lotus Hawaiian resort, the new season will be switching locations to another exotic destination. Per Variety, The White Lotus season 2 will be set in the Sicilian resort town of Taormina. A few of the new cast members have also already been revealed.

Former Parks and Recreation and Legion star Aubrey Plaza has signed on to star in the show as Harper Spiller. According to TVLine, Harper is "a woman on vacation with her husband and his friends." TVLine is also reporting that Michael Imperioli is joining The White Lotus cast, returning to HBO over a decade after his starring run in The Sopranos. Imperioli will portray Dominic Di Grasso, a man who is on vacation with both his elderly father and his college-age son.

Read more
If Apple designed a gaming PC, it might look like the new HP Envy Desktop
HP Envy desktop sitting on a desk.

HP announced an update for its Envy Desktop PC at CES 2022. The PC carries a slick new design with a matte silver finish around the body, reminiscent of Mac Pros from years past. And unlike previous Envy Desktops, you can pack some serious hardware inside this one.

The machine is targeted at creators, and the specs back that up. You can configure it with up to an Intel Core i9-12900K and Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti, along with up to 128GB of DDR4-3200 memory.

Read more