pavilion

HP revives one of our favorite laptops, plus new Envy, Pavilion systems

Alongside the frankly more interesting Rove 20 tabletop PC, HP has also announced revisions to the rest of its Pavilion and Envy laptop lineups. However, included in this bundle is one product that caught our eye: an update to one of our favorite laptops.

The new HP Pavilion 11 TouchSmart is an 11-inch semi-sequel to the low-cost, AMD-powered HP dm1, a system we loved when it was released in 2011 because it offered decent, portable performance at near-Netbook prices.

The new version, also with an AMD CPU, adds a standard Windows 8 touch screen and will start at $399 (yes, … Read more

Pavilion 14 Chromebook shows HP's 'multi-OS approach'

Moving its PC line beyond Microsoft's Windows operating system by embracing Google's Chrome OS, Hewlett-Packard today announced the $330 Pavilion 14 Chromebook.

Samsung and Acer were the first to offer Chrome OS devices, with Lenovo following suit. Now HP evidently believes it's worth jumping on the bandwagon for the browser-based operating system, describing the Chromebook as part of its "multi-OS approach."

"Google's Chrome OS is showing great appeal to a growing customer base," said Kevin Frost, general manager of HP's Consumer PC, Printing, and Personal Systems group. "With HP's Chromebook, … Read more

Spec sheet shows HP entering Chromebook market

It seems Hewlett-Packard plans to follow Samsung, Acer, and Lenovo into the Chromebook market.

The company published a spec sheet for the Pavilion Chromebook 14-c010us that reveals a 4-pound model with a 1.1GHz Intel Celeron 847 processor, 16GB SSD, 14-inch LED-backlit display with 1,366x768 resolution, a Webcam, and three USB 2.0 ports.

It appears the device will ship in the coming weeks. The spec sheet, spotted by The Verge, lists an advertising embargo date of February 17.

"The HP Pavilion Chromebook gives you fast and easy access to the things you love and depend on, from … Read more

Microsoft Surface still the top Windows 8 device, ad data says

Microsoft's Surface RT tablet remains the single most popular Windows 8/RT device, though its lead isn't as pronounced as a month ago, according to an update of usage statistics.

The Microsoft tablet is still the single most popular device, but its share of usage among Window 8/RT devices has fallen by almost half compared to last month, according to AdDuplex, a Windows ad-serving business.

The ranking is based on data collected from 71 active Windows 8/RT apps on the AdDuplex network on December 7. The numbers don't appear to say anything about trends in … Read more

HP adds Windows 8-ready Envy, Pavilion, and Spectre all-in-ones

You might know HP's Spectre product best as a home for the company's high-end, high-concept laptops. With the SpectreOne, announced today, HP brings an all-in-one PC into that fold. The question is whether its features match its high-price.

HP says the SpectreOne will begin at $1,299 when it launches in the U.S. in November. In addition to the stylized design, the SpectreOne includes a non-touch, 23.6-inch, 1,920x1,080-pixel display, a touch pad, and near-field communication (NFC) technology, dubbed HP TouchZone. It also has no built-in optical drive.

The touch pad makes HP the second … Read more

The best alternatives to the late, great 17-inch MacBook Pro

The sudden disappearance of Apple's 17-inch MacBook Pro laptop after yesterday's WWDC keynote provoked split opinions on CNET. Photographers and videographers will weep, some said. The 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display has more pixels and will be a great replacement, said others.

Whichever way you slice it, potential suitors of the 17-inch Pro suddenly find themselves looking for a new partner. Alas, here's what you'll soon discover: most 17-inch laptops on the Windows side are "gaming laptops," built clunky, bulky, and leaning toward power over battery life.

(Note: yes, commenters, I agree. Of all Windows laptops, the HP Envy 17 would probably be the closest match. HP still sells the 17-inch version, and it costs as little as $1,249 on HP's website. However, we haven't reviewed the current 17-incher: for the closest equivalent, see our review of the HP Envy 15.)

Here are the closest equivalents we've reviewed at CNET, but you'll rapidly realize that none of them perfectly match what the Pro offered.… Read more

HP updates Pavilion laptops, including new m6 fauxtrabook

In addition to new Envy ultrabooks and fauxtrabooks, HP's mainstream Pavilion laptops have also gotten an update. While these midprice systems are not as exciting as the ultrabooks and high-end Envy models, there are a couple of noteworthy twists, and one promising new system.

All the new Pavilions fall under a new HP design philosophy called HP Mosaic, which is apparently a follow-up (but not a replacement) to the last HP design philosophy we heard about, called Muse (materials, usability, sensory appeal, and experience).

The company says: "The Mosaic design fuses together the multifaceted elements of Muse, including … Read more

Best Buy, Verizon, Dell launch Cyber Monday deals

Best Buy, Amazon, Verizon, and Dell launched Cyber Monday deals featuring discounted laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

Best Buy is calling its sale "Cyber Week" and puts Lenovo, Hewlett-Packard, and Toshiba laptops at the top of the list on its launch page. All three come with Windows 7 Home Premium.

Best Buy laptops listed on Cyber Week page:

Lenovo, $299.99: Model: 1450ABU. 15.6-inch LED-backlit display, AMD dual-core E-450 accelerated processor, 4GB memory, 320GB hard disk drive, and optical drive. HP Pavilion, $349.99: Model: g4-1229dx. 14-inch LED-backlit display, Intel dual-core "Sandy Bridge" Pentium B950 processor, 4GB memory, 500GB hard drive, and optical drive. Toshiba - Satellite Laptop, $379.99: Model: C655-S5305. 15.6" LED-backlit display, Intel Sandy Bridge Core i3-2330M processor (2.2GHz), 4GB memory, 320GB hard drive, and optical drive.

For keeps: A brief look at HP's PC lines

Hewlett-Packard's decision to keep its PC business means the world's largest PC maker is here to stay. So, what makes HP so big? To get an idea, here's a quick overview of its marquee PC lines.

HP ships a lot of PCs. More than Apple, more than Dell. It does this by having a broad line of PCs blanketing the business and consumer markets.

EliteBook: This is the high-end of HP's business laptops. Most EliteBooks are designed to meet military standards (MIL-STD-810G) for vibration, dust, humidity, altitude, and high temperature. And are typically clad in aluminum. … Read more

CNET Labscast 3: Hot new laptops and rescuing game saves from a PS3

This week, we take a look at what life will be like after Siri for iPhone 4S, check out the latest laptops, and learn how we rescued some game saves from an overheating PS3.

Bonus: Watch the full "Life with Siri" video here.