HP reveals a handful of new laptops

HP's latest Envy 14 laptop.

(Credit: HP)

As sure as the sun rises in the East, every few months you're going to see some new laptops from leading PC maker HP. That time is here again, and the latest additions include new versions of the high-end Envy, the Netbook-size Mini, and even a few professional-level ProBooks and Elitebooks. Here are some of the highlights:

HP Envy 14
The Envy 14, part of HP's premium Envy line, gets a refresh with Intel's 2011 Sandy Bridge CPUs, which offer better performance and battery life than the 2010 models. While it looks the same as previous Envy models, HP promises that the large clickpad is more responsive (multitouch gestures were a little wonky on the current versions), and USB 3.0 gets thrown in as well.

We've generally been big fans of this line, as it's one of the few high-design, gamer-friendly series of laptops from a major brand. You won't be able to get one of these new 14-inch models until June, and they start at $999.

HP Mini 210
It turns out Netbooks aren't totally dead after all (just mostly dead). The new Mini 210 is pretty much the same as last year's, with a dual-core Intel Atom CPU, and this is one of only a handful of new Netbooks we've heard about so far for 2011 (by this time last year, we were flooded with 2010 models).

But the new Mini 210 does add some new lid colors (including sweet purple, charcoal, crimson red, luminous rose, and ocean drive). Despite still being only about 1 inch thick, it works in a streamlined six-cell battery, and, surprisingly, the Mini 210 includes a Netbook version of the same Beats Audio technology found in the high-end Envy laptops, which is something of a bold move.

Also available in June, these will run $300-$330, which is still the standard for basic Netbooks.

HP Pavilion dv4
Other than a few vibrant new colors, the most notable thing about the Pavilion dv4 is the new version of HP's Cool Sense technology it includes. This is basically a user control panel for the cooling fans, but now it actually includes some recommended user settings, instead of leaving it all for you to figure out.

The Pavilion dv4 is coming May 18, starting at $599.

Corporate and business users shouldn't feel left out; there are a handful of new ProBook and EliteBook models as well. The $799 ProBook 5330m is a slim 13-inch with Intel's newest Sandy Bridge CPUs and a backlit keyboard, as well as TPM and Intel vPro technology (which are important for corporate IT departments).

Computer speaker

Computer speakers, or multimedia speakers, are speakers external to a computer, that disable the lower fidelity built-in speaker. They often have a low-power internal amplifier. The standard audio connection is a 3.5 mm (approximately 1/8 inch) stereo jack plug often colour-coded lime green (following the PC 99 standard) for computer sound cards. A plug and socket for a two-wire (signal and ground) coaxial cable that is widely used to connect analog audio and video components. Also called a "phono connector," rows of RCA sockets are found on the backs of stereo amplifier and numerous A/V products. The prong is 1/8" thick by 5/16" long. A few use an RCA connector for input. There are also USB speakers which are powered from the 5 volts at 500 milliamps provided by the USB port, allowing about 2.5 watts of output power.

Computer speakers range widely in quality and in price. The computer speakers typically packaged with computer systems are small, plastic, and have mediocre sound quality. Some computer speakers have equalization features such as bass and treble controls.

The internal amplifiers require an external power source, usually an AC adapter. More sophisticated computer speakers can have a 'subwoofer' unit, to enhance bass output, and these units usually include the power amplifiers both for the bass speaker, and the small 'satellite' speakers.

New hp laptops 2011

HP released a whole number of new laptops last week, updating virtually their entire line with better hardware and more attractive looks.

We heard these were coming about two weeks ago, from the Envy 14/17 (pictured) to the Pavilions to the Minis, and HP has gone and updated its G-series notebooks too just for kicks. While you’ll have to wait until mid-June for the Envy 14 and the Minis, the rest of the gang has landed today.

HP has recently done a lot of work in updating their consumer products, including Pavilion notebooks, G-Series notebooks and Envy notebooks. Many of them have a redesigned brushed metal chassis as well as updated internals. As part of what might become a weekly ritual here at Laptopical.com, I’ll walk you through some of the best new releases of this week. Take a look below.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X8

Sony Ericsson Xperia X8
Sony Ericsson Xperia X8
Sony Ericsson Xperia X8
Sony Ericsson Xperia X8
Sony Ericsson Xperia X8

Sony Ericsson aims higher in 2011

The first step that they've taken is to improve the Xperia Arc handset adding an impressive new camera as well as 32-point multitouch. Using a new type of sensor known as Exmor R and with improved placement of the light sensors on the device the Experia Arc will now be able to take pictures in low-light conditions with much improved image stability. As well as the reduced risk of blurred pictures the UI of the camera has also been tweaked to speed up the process of taking pictures.

Going from no multitouch on the previous arc to 32-point multi-touch on the new model will also see a significant improvement in performance. It would theoretically allow 32 digits to operate it simultaneously but its main purpose will be to provide more accurate gestures which should make for more accurate typing.

Although the X10 and X10 mini failed to impress the market Steve Walker from Sony Ericsson was keen to point out how they influenced the development of the new Arc;

"If we hadn't done what we did with the X10 and the X10 minis we wouldn't have been able to do what we've done here today"

The new arc is expected to be available within the next couple of months and "is just the first of many" that Sony Ericsson plans to release in the new year.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc

We’ve noted the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc on a couple of occasions recently and included it in our 5 of the best upcoming Android phones from CES 2011 and also wrote about some earlier teasers of the Xperia Arc.

Now Andrew Munchbach over on BGR, sourced from Android Central, has given us a closer look at the high-level camera performance of the slimline Xperia Arc and there’s also a video from Sony Ericsson that you can see below this story. The 8-megapixel camera includes a Sony sensor and f/2.4 aperture value, which makes it suitable for varying light conditions.

There is also an array of configurations available and the 720p video showing off the Xperia Arc camera improvements was also conveniently taken using another Arc. If you want to take a hands-on look at this impressive handset then check out an article by Sascha Segan over on PC World which also rated the camera highly.

Are you thinking of purchasing the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc and are the enhanced camera features part of that decision? Why not let us know by sending us your comments.

HP dv7 Laptop with Intel’s Sandy Bridge Inside

Intel may be waiting patiently to do the official unveiling of their Sandy Bridge processors until CES 2011, but that’s not stopping the name from popping up pretty much everywhere. We first caught glimpse of the new chip in an HP dv6 that was being shown off in an electronics store in Singapore, where you could buy one if you really wanted to. Another HP laptop appeared in Micro Center’s catalogue, and one lucky individual decided that they didn’t want to wait. So, they bought it. And sure enough, Sandy Bridge is on board. Thankfully, photos were taken.

On the inside of the machine, you’ll find a second-generation Intel Core i7-2630QM Processor, clocked at 2GHz. With the Tubo Boost technology thrown in for good measure, it can be bumped up to 2.9GHz. You’ll also find 6GB of RAM inside, along with 1TB 5400RPM HDD. 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 6570 GPU should help with the graphics. The display is a 1600 x 900 LED variation, measuring in at 17.3-inches. For a bit of icing on the cake, the buyer also managed to run a few benchmarking tests, of which the laptop managed to come in just under the standard quad-core desktop PCs running Intel’s Core i7.

As for the battery life, the lucky individual states that it’s a 9-cell version, and that he’s managed to get just under four hours of usage while running Hulu, and only Hulu. When he did normal web browsing, along with listening to some music, he managed to eek out four and a half hours. It’s not all good news, though. Micro Center has pulled the listing for the HP dv7, and it’s no longer for sale. However, that should change here pretty quickly.