Intel may be ready to announce their next in line Ivy Bridge Processors on the 23rd of April 2012 according to Digitimes. With companies like ASUS, Acer, Lenovo and Hewlett-Packard ready to launch their new ultrabooks in early May the timing only seems perfect for the new launches.
Intel has also reportedly setup a budget of $300 million to assist partners in promotion of the new chipsets on ultrabooks. Rumors also point to the fact that Apple is planning to refresh its iMac family of computers with Intel’s 22nm-based Core i5 and Core i7 Ivy Bridge processors in June or July.
Apple is also set to launch newer Macbook Pro models with a thinner design and possibly without the dvd slot drive boasting the new platform of chipsets.
HP has announced four new Pavilion laptops for the new Ivy Bridge platform the dv4-5000, dv6-7000, dv7-6000 and g4-2000 (the G4 is still on Sandy Bridge).
The dv4 and dv6 have a 2.3GHz i7-3610QM processor with GeForce GT630M graphics impressive Beats Audio and 14-inch or 15.6-inch (1366 x 768) displays respectively.
The dv7 model up the ante with a 2.6GHZ i7-3720QM chip, GeForce GT 650M graphics and 17.3-inches of 1920 x 1080 screen. The g4 will stick to options of i3-2350M and i5-2450M Sandy Bridge, along with a 14inch screen.
HP CEO : Meg Whitman, Addressing a conference in Northern California, made it very clear that HP plans on bringing a new line of tablets to the mixup. Intel Based tablets are going to be a big hit in 2012 especially because of the new mobile platform chips made by Intel. HP will use this chips and introduce Windows 8 tablets this year.
Thanks to its massive numbers of devices sold, Apple is now the largest buyer of semiconductor chips in the world. According to a report by Gartner the company which was number 3 in 2010 , is now the largest in the world with a purchase of over 17 billion dollars. Up from the 12.8 billion in 2012, Apple saw a growth of one 34 %. Samsung stayed in the number two spot with a 9.2 percent increase in spending to $16.68 billion. Meanwhile HP dropped to third by buying only $16.62 billion worth of semiconductors.
[toggle title_open=”Press Release” title_closed=”Press Release” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Gartner Says Apple Became the Top Semiconductor Customer in 2011
Top 10 Original Equipment Manufacturers Represented $105.6 Billion of Semiconductor Demand, Accounting for 35 Percent of Total Semiconductor Chip Revenue in 2011 STAMFORD, Conn., January 24, 2012-
Leading electronic equipment manufacturers remained the center of the semiconductor world in 2011, accounting for $105.6 billion of semiconductors on a design total available market (TAM) basis – 35 percent of semiconductor vendors’ worldwide chip revenue, according to Gartner, Inc. This represented a year-over-year increase of $1.8 billion, or 1.8 percent from 2010.
Design TAM represents the total silicon content in all products designed by a certain electronic equipment manufacturer or in a certain region, while purchasing TAM represents the total silicon content purchased directly by a certain electronic equipment manufacturer or in a certain region. Design TAM is a useful index for semiconductor vendors when they are considering how to allocate their sales or field application engineer resources by customer or region. Purchasing TAM is a useful index for semiconductor vendors when they are considering how to establish an efficient distribution network by customer or region.
“The major growth drivers in 2011 were smartphones, media tablets and solid-state drives (SSDs),” said Masatsune Yamaji, principal research analyst at Gartner. “Those companies that gained share in the smartphone market, such as Apple, Samsung Electronics and HTC, increased their semiconductor demand, while those who lost market share in this segment, such as Nokia and LG Electronics, decreased their semiconductor demand. Media tablets were also a growth driver for the semiconductor market throughout 2011.”
“Given the rapidly changing competitive structure of the IT and electronics industry, no semiconductor device vendor can afford just to monitor the requirements of the current market leaders,” Mr. Yamaji said. “Vendors need to be constantly looking for new market entrants who will, in turn, be tomorrow’s market leaders.”
Within the top 10 rankings, three companies were from the Americas, three from Asia/Pacific, three from Japan and one from Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Apple led the market in 2011 (see Table 1), achieving significant growth, as it has done for the past five years. As a result, Apple became the biggest customer of semiconductor chip vendors in 2011, climbing two places in the ranking, from third in 2010.
Apple gained a much greater share of the smartphone market, and its media tablet business was also highly successful in 2011. While DRAM prices fell drastically in 2011, and many PC vendors decreased their total semiconductor demand accordingly, the success of the MacBook Air enabled Apple to increase semiconductor chip demand even in its PC business.
Mr. Yamaji said that as more brand-name companies are increasing their production outsourcing to original design manufacturers (ODMs) and electronics manufacturing services (EMS) providers, semiconductor procurement by ODMs and EMS providers has increased year over year. Currently, three of the top 10 purchasing TAM companies are so-called contract manufacturers.
“Semiconductor chip vendors must pay attention not just to the design TAM and purchasing TAM by company, but also by region,” said Mr. Yamaji. “This is the key to avoiding inappropriate sales resource allocation. They must keep an eye on design-win opportunities in the U.S., while also establishing a strong distribution network in China.”
*Note to Editors on Nokia and Sony In the ranking table, two joint ventures are included as stand-alone firms, as they are independent buying centers: Sony Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Networks. They are still considered independent companies in this report. This means Nokia does not include the TAM of Nokia Siemens Networks, and Sony does not include the TAM of Sony Ericsson.
Additional information is available in the report “Market Insight: Apple Led OEM, ODM and EMS Semiconductor Demand in 2011.” The report is available on the Gartner website at http://www.gartner.com/resId=1517414.[/toggle]
The buggy build of ICS on the Touchpad we saw earlier has been let out to public. Among the things that currently don’t work are Market access, hardware accelerated video and the camera. The project is developing fast so fixes should be expected really soon.
The source code for the release has also been outed so if you want to play around with your own version of the build you can do that quite easily. Triple boot of webOS / CM7 / CM9 is possible but the developers are currently recommending against it.
The developers who initially bought Android to the touchpad have a glimpse of what is to come. The CM9 build for HP Touchpad is almost ready and the developer has released a video showing it off. There are still a few bugs in the system, like camera and video playback not working. But the dev assures everything else works smoothly. The video goes on to demonstrate that Angry Birds plays great on the Touchpad on ICS.
HP had recently teased us with a video of their upcoming glass based notebook, we were hoping for dual screens and what not. Hp has gone all out to disappoint us, but hey its still an awesome machine.
Specs include a 14-inch, 1600 x 900 Radiance Display, Core i5-2467M CPU, 4GB of RAM, a nine-hour battery, backlit keyboard and the most bizarre thing a NFC chip, which is built into the palm rest to transfer information to your phone. (sounds less bizarre now). Hp has also gone all out and bundles software
Intel Wireless Display
HP’s CoolSense technology
Beats
HP Wireless Audio
Adobe Photoshop Full Version
Adobe Premiere Elements Full Version
Two-year subscription to Norton Internet Security
The Spectre is a one of a kind Ultrabooks with an all glass top and chassis. The Radiance display has extra bright backlit luminance and the lit logo adds flair.
HP Unveils Premium Ultrabook with Extraordinary Glass Design – the HP ENVY 14 Spectre
PALO ALTO, Calif., Jan. 9, 2012 – HP today revealed the HP ENVY 14 Spectre, a premium consumer Ultrabook PC that commands attention with its unparalleled use of glass and stunning performance.
“Sleek, midnight black glass on the outside and stark contrast silver glass on the inside make Spectre extraordinary, defying conventional notebook design,” said Eric Keshin, senior vice president, Strategy and Marketing, Personal Systems Group, HP. “We chose the name for our first ENVY Ultrabook to evoke mystery, and we packed it with the best in entertainment technology to satisfy those who expect the unexpected.”
Tough yet beautiful, the HP ENVY 14 Spectre uses lightweight, scratch- resistant glass on the lid, display, palmrest and HP ImagePad – an industry first. A full 14-inch screen inside a 13.3-inch body means customers can get more enjoyment from their entertainment. The HP Spectre’s high-definition (HD) HP Radiance Display offers higher resolution, richer color, better brightness and wider viewing angles than traditional notebook displays.
Equipped with a matching audio-grade speaker mesh and Beats AudioTM, an exclusive, high-performance technology developed by HP and Beats by Dr. Dre, the HP Spectre boasts an aluminum analog volume dial that acts as a visual design cue and works seamlessly with Beats Audio Manager to precisely adjust audio levels.
Built-in HP Wireless Audio turns any home into a concert hall, allowing users to stream uncompressed audio to up to four external devices or directly to any KleerNetTM-compatible device.
An HP Radiance Backlit keyboard provides outstanding illumination using individual LEDs dedicated to each keycap. The keyboard works with an advanced proximity sensor to intelligently sense a user’s presence, lighting up when a user approaches and dimming down after he or she leaves.
Uncompromising performance The HP Spectre is blazingly fast, stunningly sleek and boasts up to 9 hours of battery life. Powered by the latest Intel® CoreTM processors, the 20-mm-thin HP Spectre weighs less than 4 pounds and includes up to 256 gigabytes (GB) of storage. Intel Rapid Start Technology and support for two ultrafast mSATA solid state drives allow for quick boot and resume times. The HP Spectre also comes loaded with HP exclusives, such as HP CoolSense technology, which automatically adjusts performance and internal fan settings for a noticeably cooler PC. In addition, the HP ImagePad provides precise multifinger touch navigation and the HP TrueVision HD Webcam provides brighter, cleaner HD images.
Eliminating the need for external dongles, the HP Spectre features a full array of advanced input and output options, including Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0, HDMI and Mini DisplayPort. Additionally, the Spectre offers a performance-tuned software image, full versions of Adobe Photoshop® and Premiere Elements, two years of preinstalled NortonTM Internet Security(6) and a concierge phone line for technical support that is dedicated exclusively to HP ENVY users.
Pricing and availability The HP ENVY 14 Spectre notebook PC is expected to be available in the United States on Feb. 8 with a starting price of $1,399.99.
The HP Spectre will also be available in early March in additional countries, including Canada, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Chile and Mexico. Additional information is available at www.hp.com/go/spectre or by calling the HP “Reserve Now” line at +1 888 291 7996.
Hp is planning a huge brand remake, new image, new CEO, new options and a new out look. It all starts with a new logo and a new redesign of products. The new look has been revealed by the team at Moving Brands, who began working with HP on a complete redesign of the company’s brand in 2008. Hit the link at the bottom to see what a major brand overhaul looks like.
HP decided to make WebOS, the controversial OS, open source to serve the community. The iGyaan team has decided to go the reverse engineering way. People have been putting Android on HP Touchpads (including us) we have decided to port WebOS as a build to go on Android devices as a second boot OS. Of course we are not the only ones who have though of this and there are others out there who will be doing it. We aim to contribute a good chunk of our time in either developing or helping develop a build that could go on Tablets and smartphones that support the OS.
Here is the original memo from HP CEO and read the press release below.
[box style=”rounded” border=”full”]
From: CEO – Meg Whitman Sent: Friday, December 09, 2011 2:03 PM Subject: webOS to be contributed to the open source community
Meg Whitman CEO
TO/ All Employees
SUBJECT/ webOS to be contributed to the open source community
Today, we announced that HP will contribute our webOS software to the open source community and support its development going forward. We believe that this is the best way to ensure the benefits of webOS are accessible to the largest possible ecosystem.
Since we announced the discontinuation of our webOS devices last August, the executive team has been working to determine the best path forward for this highly respected software. We looked at all the options in the market today and we see a clear need for a platform that is both open and has a single integrated stack.
webOS is the only platform designed from the ground up to be mobile, cloud-connected, and scalable. By providing webOS to the open source community and other hardware vendors we have the potential to fundamentally change the landscape.
HP engineers, partners, other developers and hardware manufacturers will be able to contribute to the development of webOS. Together, we have an opportunity to make it the foundation of a new generation of devices, applications and services to address the rapidly evolving demands of both consumers and enterprises.
I would like to thank the webOS team for continuing your efforts under very difficult circumstances during these last couple of months. Your dedication is very much appreciated.
This is a very positive move for the development of our people, our software and HP overall.
We strongly believe that the best days for webOS are still ahead.
Best,
Meg
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[toggle title_open=”Press Release” title_closed=”Press Release” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]HP to Contribute webOS to Open Source HP to enable creativity of the community to accelerate the next-generation web-centric platform PALO ALTO, Calif., Dec. 9, 2011 – HP today announced it will contribute the webOS software to the open source community.
HP plans to continue to be active in the development and support of webOS. By combining the innovative webOS platform with the development power of the open source community, there is the opportunity to significantly improve applications and web services for the next generation of devices.
webOS offers a number of benefits to the entire ecosystem of web applications. For developers, applications can be easily built using standard web technologies. In addition, its single integrated stack offers multiplatform portability. For device manufacturers, it provides a single web-centric platform to run across multiple devices. As a result, the end user benefits from a fast, immersive user experience.
“webOS is the only platform designed from the ground up to be mobile, cloud-connected and scalable,” said Meg Whitman, HP president and chief executive officer. “By contributing this innovation, HP unleashes the creativity of the open source community to advance a new generation of applications and devices.”
HP will make the underlying code of webOS available under an open source license. Developers, partners, HP engineers and other hardware manufacturers can deliver ongoing enhancements and new versions into the marketplace.
HP will engage the open source community to help define the charter of the open source project under a set of operating principles:
– The goal of the project is to accelerate the open development of the webOS platform – HP will be an active participant and investor in the project – Good, transparent and inclusive governance to avoid fragmentation – Software will be provided as a pure open source project
HP also will contribute ENYO, the application framework for webOS, to the community in the near future along with a plan for the remaining components of the user space.
Beginning today, developers and customers are invited to provide input and suggestions at http://developer.palm.com/blog/.[/toggle]
A whole new range of ultra books from HP reinforce their future in the domain. The new Folio notebooks/ultrabooks start at $900 and come standard with a 128GB mSATA SSD and a backlit keyboard. The battery life is estimated at 9 hours. The new Folio has a 13.3-inch (1366 x 768) display, TPM circuitry as an option and a Core i5-2467M processor, 4GB of RAM, a six-cell battery and HP’s CoolSense technology.It also has the now standard HDMI, Ethernet, USB 2.0 and 3.0, a memory card reader and a combined headphone / mic socket.
Its not as slender as the other competition, at 18mm at its thinner and wiggling in at 3.3 pounds this machine is fairly bulky.
HP Notebooks
[toggle title_open=”Press Release” title_closed=”Press Release” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]HP Unveils Its First Business Ultrabook, Offering Industry’s Best Battery Life HP Folio13 designed to bridge gap between professional and personal life PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 16, 2011 – HP today introduced its first business Ultrabook, which features a thin and light design, strong security options and a responsive solid state hard drive for the ultimate mobile experience.
The HP Folio13 also delivers up to 9.0 hours of battery life, the highest performance available among Ultrabook devices currently on the market.
With battery life to get you through the workday, users are no longer saddled with carrying power adapters to charge their notebook PC. Plus, a wide array of ports, including Ethernet, eliminates the need to carry dongles. Mobile professionals can now stay productive and get through their entire business day – from home to business and back home – with only the HP Folio13.
Measuring less than 18 millimeters thin and utilizing an ultraslim 13.3- inch diagonal high-definition (HD) BrightView display, the HP Folio13 weighs just 3.3 pounds. It combines the cool industrial design found on consumer products with the security and usability business users demand.
Powered by the latest Intel® Core processors, the HP Folio13 also includes Intel Rapid Start Technology, which gets your system up and running fast to help you save time.
The HP Folio13 includes a backlit keyboard for mobile users who work in low-light conditions. A full array of ports, including RJ-45 and USB 3.0, allows users greater flexibility to connect to the information they need. The HP Folio13 also includes a solid state drive (SSD) with 128 GB of storage for fast response times and increased reliability.
An optional TPM Embedded Security Chip protects data in email as well as information on the hard drive for security-conscious users.
The HP Folio13 features HP CoolSense technology, which uses advanced hardware and intelligent software for a noticeably cooler notebook. The notebook also includes an HP Imagepad for highly accurate, advanced multitouch gesture support.
Additional features include an HP TrueVision HD Webcam for brighter, cleaner HD images, and Dolby Advanced Audio.
The HP Folio13 also can be configured with a range of Microsoft Windows® 7 operating systems, including Windows 7 Professional. A three-year limited warranty is available through an optional HP Care Pack.
Users who need a desktop-like environment or additional audio, video, network and USB connectivity can connect the HP Folio13 to the optional HP USB 2.0 dock.
Pricing and availability The HP Folio13 is expected to be available on Dec. 7 with a starting price of $899.99.[/toggle]
HP has completely shut down claims of the shut down of the laptop business with the announcement of the new Envy Series. The new laptops feature an all new design that will appeal to the global market. All Envy machines come with machine billed aluminum shells with Beats audio integration from the design start.
The new HP ENVY notebook PCs are planned to be available in the United States on Dec. 7. The HP ENVY 15 has a starting price of $1,099.99 whereas the HP ENVY 17 has a starting price of $1,249.99 and the 17 3D starts $1,599.99.
All of the three new Envy Machines feature HD radiance display (1080p on 17″) and a luminescent intelligent wake up backlit keyboard, which is powered by a proximity sensor that detects your hand and wakes up the keyboard.
The 17 inch Envy has an option of 128GB SSD and 2 individual 1TB hard drives. The base-level Envy 15 has a Core i5-2430M CPU, 6GB of RAM, a 500GB 7,200RPM hard drive, 1366 x 768 display, Bluetooth, Intel Wireless Display, a slot-loading DVD burner and AMD Radeon HD graphics . HDMI and DisplayPort, two USB 3.0 sockets and one USB 2.0, 76Wh battery giving a total work time of 8 hours.
Envy 17 base has a Core i5-2430 CPU, 6GB of RAM, Bluetooth, WiDi, DVD burner and AMD graphics, a 750GB 7,200RPM drive and standard 1080p Radiance display. A 91Wh battery with nine and a half hours of workable time. Two DisplayPorts and one HDMI , Three USB 3.0 sockets along with one USB 2.0. The Envy 17 3D starts with the same Core i5 CPU, along with 8GB of RAM, a 750GB 7,200RPM drive, AMD Radeon HD graphics, a six-cell battery, Bluetooth, WiDi, a Blu-ray player and one pair of active shutter glasses.
[toggle title_open=”Press Release” title_closed=”Press Release” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]HP Debuts New ENVY Notebook PCs PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 16, 2011 – HP today introduced redesigned HP ENVY notebooks PCs that exude power, performance, advanced technologies and precision craftsmanship.
– The new HP ENVY 15 and HP ENVY 17 deliver blistering performance and optimal sound experience in a timeless design that includes an all-metal chassis with rounded edges in a classic black and silver finish, accented by subtle red details. – The HP ENVY 17 3D offers the best 3-D visual experience in a notebook PC.
The company also introduced two wireless accessories – HP Wireless Audio and the HP Wi-Fi Touch Mouse X7000.
Timeless design, powerful performance Featuring a new HP Radiance Backlit keyboard, the HP ENVY notebooks provide outstanding illumination using individual LEDs dedicated to each keycap. The keyboard also works with an advanced proximity sensor to illuminate when it detects a user approaching the notebook and deactivate after the user leaves.
With six powerful speakers and a subwoofer, the HP ENVY notebooks deliver an optimal sound experience, featuring Beats Audio, an exclusive, high-performance technology developed by HP and Beats by Dr. Dre. A new aluminum analog volume dial acts as a visual design cue, working seamlessly with the Beats Audio Manager so users can easily and precisely adjust audio levels.
The HP ENVY 15 and ENVY 17 provide the powerful performance needed for even the most demanding tasks, with optional Intel® Quad Core and AMD Mobility Radeon HD graphic processors. With optional 3×3 wireless technology, the HP ENVY notebooks offer up to three times the speed and twice the range of typical network connections.
The ENVY 15 and ENVY 17 are available with optional Radiance Full HD Infinity displays – either 15.6-inch diagonal or 17.3-inch diagonal, respectively. Radiance displays offer higher resolution, richer color, better brightness and wider viewing angles than traditional notebook displays. The ENVY 17 display boasts 50 percent greater brightness than standard.
With support for HDMI and full-size DisplayPorts, users can connect up to three external displays. The ENVY 17 also offers an advanced option with support for a 128-gigabyte mSATA SSD and up to two 1-terabyte hard drives. The ENVY 15 boasts up to 9 hours of battery life, while the ENVY 17 can achieve up to 9.5 hours in ideal conditions.
Other innovations featured in both ENVY notebooks include HP CoolSense technology, which automatically adjusts performance and internal fan settings for a noticeably cooler PC, and HP ImagePad, for precise multifinger touch navigation.
Fast boot and resume times, a performance-tuned software image that includes two full years of preinstalled Norton Internet Security, and a dedicated concierge phone line for technical support deliver a premium experience to ENVY users.
Superb 3-D viewing experience For those seeking the ultimate multimedia experience, the HP ENVY 17 3D offers the best 3-D visual experience in a notebook PC. In addition to all the features of the ENVY 17, the ENVY 17 3D provides 1080p full high-definition (HD) viewing along with improved viewing angles and color gamut for all 2-D and 3-D content.
HP 3D Active Shutter Glasses provide a seamless viewing experience by wirelessly synchronizing each frame of the 3-D content between the display and glasses, resulting in crisp 3-D Blu-ray viewing as all 3-D content appears in full HD resolution.
Superior wireless technology The new HP Wireless Audio and HP Wi-Fi Touch Mouse X7000 deliver the best in convenience and design.
Using the same technology integrated into the new HP ENVY notebooks, HP Wireless Audio transforms a notebook or desktop PC into a full home audio system. Users can stream uncompressed audio to up to four external devices or directly to any KleerNet device. Advanced tri-band connectivity reduces interference, lag time and latency for the highest sound quality. The thumb-sized dongle attaches to any PC and the tiny receiver attaches to legacy speakers through its two analog or two digital ports.
An ideal companion to the new HP ENVY notebooks, the HP Wi-Fi Touch Mouse X7000 features a sculpted shape and glossy black finish. The standard-sized wireless mouse comes equipped with an innovative capacitive-touch scroll and six customizable buttons, including a button for one-touch uploads to Facebook. It stays connected up to 30 feet away with no wires or USB dongle required and has a battery life of up to nine months – twice as long as that of comparable Bluetooth® models.
Pricing and availability The new HP ENVY notebook PCs are planned to be available in the United States on Dec. 7. The HP ENVY 15 has a starting price of $1,099.99. The HP ENVY 17 has a starting price of $1,249.99. The HP ENVY 17 3D has a starting price of $1,599.99.
HP Wireless Audio is expected to be available mid-December for $99.99, and the HP Wi-Fi Touch Mouse X7000 is available now at the HP Home & Home Office store for $59.99.
Additional information is available at www.hp.com/go/envy or by calling the HP ?Reserve Now? line at +1 888 291 7996.[/toggle]
Remember the HP Slate 500? Well we don’t either. Thats possibly because it never made it to consumers let alone India. But, HP plans to change that with the new HP Slate 2, the next version of the unpopular HP Slate 500.The device still remains mostly targeted at the enterprise level users, but will be available to the general public as well. The device still looks and feels the same with the same outer shell and an 8.9 ” display. The price however has been lowered to US $ 699 ( approx. INR 35,000/-) . The interior however is a bit changed, it packs Windows 7 with a HP UI on top, a Z670 Intel Atom processor and a smaller 32GB SSD. The added layer of security includes TPM circuitry and Computrace Pro for tracking lost or stolen laptops and then deleting the data remotely. The device goes on sale worldwide by the end of this month.
[toggle title_open=”HP Slate 2 Press Release” title_closed=”HP Slate 2 Press Release” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]HP Introduces Multitouch Slate Tablet PC for Business PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 3, 2011 – HP today announced the HP Slate 2 Tablet PC with expanded touch capabilities, enhanced multitasking performance and embedded security, providing added flexibility to mobile business users.
The company also announced a new notebook PC targeting business, education and government customers.
The HP Slate 2 Tablet PC provides instant deployment for business and vertical markets such as education, healthcare, government and retail, where jobs frequently take users away from a traditional desk. With a full-featured Microsoft Windows® environment, the 1.5 pound HP Slate 2 Tablet PC provides professionals with the flexibility to create, edit and review content on one highly mobile and lightweight device.
“HP is dedicated to the tablet PC category and continues to listen to customers and improve the product in ways that best address their business needs,” said Dan Forlenza, vice president and general manager, Commercial Managed IT Segment, HP. “The HP Slate includes the right mix of rich features, support for custom-built applications, and the security and connectivity needed for today’s highly mobile and rigorous day-to-day professional environment.”
The HP Slate 2 Tablet PC features an 8.9-inch diagonal capacitive multitouch display for touch and pen input plus includes a new Swype keyboard. The Swype applet enhances the touch experience with comfortable and efficient data entry via one continuous finger or stylus motion across the screen keyboard.
The HP Slate 2 Tablet PC comes with an Intel® Atom Z670 processor with mSATA SSM technology to deliver faster boot times, improved battery life of up to six hours and increased performance for business customers.
“The Slate Tablet PC’s combination of an Intel Atom processor and flash memory deliver excellent performance,” said Dr. Rick LeMoine of Sharp HealthCare in San Diego. ?I don’t know how they do it, but sometimes it seems to me that the Slate runs these applications faster than my desktop PC does.”
Additional hardware and software enhancements to the HP Slate 2 Tablet PC’s security and experience include: – A TPM Embedded Security Chip protects data – from email to information on the hard drive. – Embedded Security for HP ProtectTools provides user control and management of the TPM chip to increase secure user authentication, improved personal secure drive integrity, secure email and support protected digital certificate applications. – BIOS support for Computrace Pro helps protect against data theft by allowing customers to remotely delete data at the file, directory or operating system level and keep confidential information more secure. – Through a single user interface, HP Connection Manager offers easy control over wireless connections, including Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth® and optional integrated 3G Mobile Broadband for convenient internet and intranet access from more places around the world.
For remote workers, a front-facing VGA webcam enables videoconferencing, and a 3-megapixel camera on the back allows for still image and video capture. SRS Premium Sound provides optimized audio settings for voice and multimedia applications and an SD card slot allows for expanded storage and sharing capabilities. The HP Slate Dock provides device connection via two USB 2.0 ports and an HDMI port.
Flexible HP Slate solutions for business The HP Slate 2 Tablet PC comes with optional additional accessories and business solutions including the HP Retail Mobile Point of Sale (POS) Case, which features an integrated magnetic stripe reader and barcode scanner for retailers. The case attaches to the HP Slate 2 and creates a secure portable POS solution that personalizes transactions, boosts productivity and sales, and integrates into existing application and hardware infrastructure. In addition, the HP Slate 2 helps retailers combine online and enterprise access to applications and services including task management workflows, inventory data and custom orders. The optional HP Slate Bluetooth® Keyboard and Case accessory is a new sleek, stylish executive-class carrying solution that bundles the HP Slate 2, a rechargeable Bluetooth keyboard, HP Slate Digital Pen, and ID, business, or credit cards inside a single case.
Lightweight business notebooks Designed for mobile professionals, the HP 3115m offers up to 11.5 hours of battery life, flexible wireless capabilities, an 11.6-inch diagonal LED-backlit HD display, Beats Audio™ and a high-definition webcam for collaboration with peers. The new AMD E450 dualcore Fusion APU with AMD Radeon HD 6320 graphics provides greater performance than a netbook without weighing professionals down.
Pricing and availability – The HP Slate 2 Tablet PC starts at $699 and is expected to be available worldwide later this month. – The HP 3115m starts at $429 and is expected to be available Nov. 11 in the Americas only. More information about the products, including product specifications and images, is available at www.hp.com/personal.[/toggle]
After successfully acquiring and killing an operating system(WebOS) and a company (Palm), in less than six months, HP continues to wonder what it can do with the remains. HP earlier this week issued a statement that it will shut down all remaining operations of the division. This news didn’t come as much of a shocker to us as HP had already clarified its plans to shut down the operations on WebOS devices.
Yesterday HP’s Todd Bradley, went on Bloomberg to clear the air, and called the report about the shut down an “unfounded rumor.” He said
“Accolades for the operating system are broadly known and that the company is focusing on how to effectively utilize that phenomenal software.HP will weigh all the data and information before making the right decision.”
The folks over at Rootzwiki and the Touchdroid team (whatever is left of it anyway) has finally managed to get CM7 running on the Touchpad, worth noting. The device looks be be running pretty smoothly with most of the aspects working well including Skype calling.
Note that the build is still alpha and while most things work there is a high chance that things can go wrong. Head over to the link below if you feel like doing it anyway.
Palm, The company that was killed due to lack of intelligent structuring by HP, remains as one of the biggest loss-outs in the mobile acquisition history. Palm was the first after Apple to offer an OS capable of interacting with touchscreen devices, and one that was also limited to their own devices. Not that Palm had not been doing that from the day it launched, it somehow managed to user in the post iOS era when apps and the APP Store were just very young.
Hp after buying out Palm flat out for 1.2 billion dollars, on August 19th 2011 announced that it will abandon the WebOS and its devices. Now Amazon seems to be the forerunner in the race to buy out the company from HP.
HP is looking to dump what’s left of Palm and webOS as quickly as possible, and Amazon is nearing a deal to make the acquisition. Amazon recently revealed the Kindle Fire tablet which runs on a highly customized version on Android. Buying out a proprietary OS would not only enable the company to control the features that they want to give, but also enable innovation from the company. WebOS would cost Amazon a good amount of money and will force the company to go back to the drawing board in terms of building hardware around an entirely new platform.
