2012 HP ProBook s and ProBook b series
HP basically updated their entire laptop range, from their consumer range to business class laptops and from their Pavilion models to their EliteBook notebooks. The HP ProBook line isn’t excused from this mass updating. HP has updated their simple business ProBook s-series and middle-range business ProBook b-series.
The simpler ProBook s series have been redesigned with cues from the ProBook b series and EliteBook models, and now wear HP’s standard business notebook uniform, complete with aluminum construction. They now have chiclet style keyboards (the ProBook 4340s and 4440s have full-sized keyboards with dedicated Home/End/Page Up/Down keys while the ProBook 4540s and 4740s tack on numeric pads) which are also resistant to spills. The 4 new ProBook s series will be available on June 4 starting at $580 with a choice of Intel and AMD processors. Here are the model names and screen sizes if you wanna pick up a 2012 HP ProBook s series business laptop:
- 13 inch HP ProBook 4340s
- 14 inch HP ProBook 4440s
- 15 inch HP ProBook 4540s
- 17 inch HP ProBook 4740s
HP also updated their ProBook b series laptops which are a notch up from the ProBook s series. These notebooks feature a lighter gray casing to distinguish themselves from their cheaper breathen, though they don’t quite look like the EliteBook line just yet. The HP ProBook 6470b and 6570b sport the latest 2012 Intel Ivy Bridge processors, Intel vPro management and SIM card support for 3G and 4G connectivity; the ProBook 6470b has a 14 inch screen while the ProBook 6570b has a 15.6 inch screen. Prices start at $770 with the same June 4 availability as the ProBook s series.
HP has also launched an AMD processor variant of the 14 inch ProBook 6470b, called the ProBook 6475b which will have a lower starting price tag of $670. No word about AMD processor choices for the 15 incher yet but we’re expecting the AMD variant of that to be aptly named the ProBook 6575b if it is released.
2012 HP g6 and HP g7
If you’re really low on budget and would like to get the most basic laptop possible, HP has the new g6 and g7 entry-level laptop models refreshed for 2012 and ready for purchase on July 25. The new HP g6 and g7 models sport 15.6 inch and 17.3 inch displays respectively with full-sized keyboards with number pads and will arrive with choice of Intel and AMD processors as well as a multitude of colors. Their simplicity and large screens make them good candidates for the regular consumer crowd as well as folks with less-than-perfect eyesight who just want to check their email and surf the net. The HP g6 and HP g7 have price tags that begin at $450 and $500 respectively.
2012 HP Pavilion dv4, Pavilion dv6 and Pavilion dv7
In addition to their premium HP Envy ultra-thin laptops announced earlier this week, HP also came up with 3 updated Pavilion dv series: the Pavilion dv4, Pavilion dv6 and Pavilion dv7. These three new Pavilion notebooks will be available starting June 20 with the latest processors from Intel and graphics cards from Nvidia.
- Upcoming 2012 Ivy Bridge low voltage Intel Core processors
- Slots for DDR3 1600 MHz RAM
- 2.5 inch standard storage drive bay (the Pavilion dv7 has two)
- 14 inch (Pavilion dv4), 15.6 inch (Pavilion dv6) and 17.3 inch (Pavilion dv7) displays respectively
- Intel Integrated Graphics 4000 or dedicated Nvidia GeForce 600M series graphics cards
- Beats Audio branding for speakers
- HP Cool Sense technology (Pavilion dv6 and dv7 only) for improved heat management
- Available on June 20
The Pavilion dv4 and Pavilion dv6 will both begin at $549 while the Pavilion dv7 base model will start at $799.
2012 HP Pavilion m6
HP also introduced a brand new model, the Pavilion m6 which is a 15 inch notebook that sits between being a laptop and Ultrabook. The Pavilion m6 will give you a full-sized keyboard with number pad, a choice between Intel and AMD processors with the ability to add a dedicated graphics card just like on a ‘full sized’ laptop yet it’s slim and stylish like an Ultrabook. Beats audio speaker branding and a dedicated subwoofer come standard with the Pavilion m6 while keyboard backlighting is available as an optional extra. Price and availability is to be announced, though HP does give a vague mention of ‘summer availability’ (which puts launch date sometime between July and August).
HP Compaq Pro 4300, Compaq Pro 6300 and Compaq Elite 8300 business desktop computers
To complement the new printers and monitors they’ve brought to the market for this summer, HP has also announced 3 business class desktop computers bearing the Compaq brand name. These models are aimed at small to large businesses and carry affordable price tags. The HP Compaq Pro 4300, Compaq Pro 6300 and Compaq Elite 8300 will sport the latest 2012 Intel Ivy Bridge processors along with 2012 Intel Integrated graphics, configurable to RAM and disk space needs of businesses and sport business security features and power tools like TPM security, BIOS solutions and for the upper two models (Pro 6300 and Elite 8300), a 15 month life cycle program so you can always have the latest stuff.
The small Compaq Pro 4300 will be available at a date to-be-specified, but likely after July this year, at a price which is yet to be announced. The two larger models, the Compaq Pro 6300 and Compaq Elite 8300 will be available beginning June 4 starting at $579 and $679 respectively.
New 2012 HP monitors and printers
Besides laptops and desktop computers, HP has also announced a couple of new accessories, composed of mainly printers and monitor displays.
- First off is the HP Officejet 150 which is a mobile all-in-one printer/scanner that comes with a 2.36 inch touchscreen battery and lithium-ion rechargeable battery that’s good for printing up to 500 pages. The HP Officejet 150 All-in-one will be available for $399 in June.
- The other printer is a more generic ‘sit on the desk’ model: The new HP Photosmart 5520 all-in-one printer supports Wireless Direct, which means printing over the internet via your PC or Apple iOS devices that support AirPlay. It will be available in June for $129
- HP has two new entry-level business class monitors. Both the Compaq L2206tm and Compaq LA2405x monitors have 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution, 2 USB ports, VGA and DVI outputs, 72% color gamut, 250 nit brightness and wide viewing angles (170 degrees horizontal, 160 degrees vertical). The difference? Compaq L2206tm is a 21.5 inch touchscreen monitor that will be available July 4th for $279 while the Compaq LA2405x sports a plain 24 inch non-touch display and adds Display Port connectivity and it’s available now for $269.
- There are also 3 HP displays for the retail and enterprise market. The new displays are the HP L6010, L6015tm (15 inch) and L6017tm (17 inch), with the latter two have multitouch displays which are projected capacitive, which means just bare touches are needed to use them.
HP 2311xi display
And finally, HP also had a consumer monitor to unveil this week. The new 23 inch HP 2311xi display is an LED backlit IPS monitor which promises wide viewing angles (178 degrees vertically and horizontally), vivid colors and brightness of 250 nits. The HP 2311xi has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) which is great for watching movies and inputs for VGA, HDMI and DVI-D. It will be available starting June 24 for $240.
