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HP Elitebook 8740w and ATI FirePro M7820 appear on multiple HP websites

HP Elitebook 8740w listed for order on HP UK website!

Disappointed that you didn’t see any sign of the Elitebook 8740w last weekend? Well, let’s turn that frown upside down because the HP Elitebook 8740w (sans press pictures) has recently appeared on multiple country-specific HP websites. On HP’s UK website, the Elitebook 8740w is listed from 1949 pounds for the Core i5 540M equipped version right up to just shy over 2300 pounds for the Core i7 720QM quad core model. The Elitebook 8740w has also appeared on HP’s websites for other countries around the globe, from HP Saudi Arabia to HP Bulgaria. Oddly enough, there hasn’t been an official announcement from HP yet, neither has the 8740w Mobile Workstation appeared on HP’s USA/Main website yet… but from today’s events, you can look out for an announcement before March is over!

For those who want all the news right here without clicking any links, HP’s UK website seems to provide the most info about the Elitebook 8740w Mobile Workstation, but nothing that we don’t know about already thanks to tips from a trusted source several weeks back.

• Processor choices: 1.73 GHz Core i7 820QM quad core, 1.60 GHz Core i7 720QM quad core, 2.66 GHz Core i7 620M dual core, 2.53 GHz Core i5 540M dual core and 2.40 GHz Core i5 520M dual core
• 4 DDR3 1333 MHz RAM slots for up to 16 GB total RAM
• 7200 RPM hard disks are standard; capacities available range from 320 to 640 GB
• 17 inch 16:10 full HD+ (1920 x 1200) display with optional DreamColor (looks like DC1 at this point in time); ambient light sensor for display is standard
• Choice of 1 GB ATI FirePro M7820 GDDR5, 1 GB Nvidia Quadro FX3800M GDDR3 or 512 MB Nvidia Quadro FX2800M GDDR3 workstation-class graphics cards
• 2 MP webcam
• Optical drive/upgrade bay for secondary hard disk
• 2 USB 2.0 ports and 2 USB 3.0 ports; other ports remain the same as 8730w except HDMI which has been replaced by DisplayPort
• Weight: 3.57 kg
• Dimensions: 39.75 x 28.55 x 3.65 cm

What’s missing at the moment, but are confirmed to become available in the future, include the DreamColor 2 display panel, backlit keyboard option and solid state drive options.

ATI FirePro M7820 confirmed on HP UK Elitebook 8740w page

P.S. Anyone noticed that HP has placed the ATI FirePro M7820 above the Nvidia Quadro FX3800M?! Hint hint at graphics card positioning there…

Spotted: Next-gen HP Elitebook 8440w/8540w in real life and online

Photo sent by reader Michael K; next-gen Elitebook using HP's 'round' logo

One of our readers, Michael K, recently sent in two pictures of what seems to be one of HP’s next generation Elitebook models. Clad in a dark gray, and what seems to be metal/magnesium alloy, casing – this mysterious machine seems to be either the 14 inch Elitebook 8440w model or 15 inch Elitebook 8540w (judging by the amount of real estate on the palm rest area, it’s unlikely that this is the 17 inch Elitebook 8740w). UPDATE: Fellow Tweeter and owner of 8510w/8530w notebooks, Nicholas C, notes that the picture below is indeed the 14 inch Elitebook 8440w because of its mouse buttons – the larger 15 inch Elitebook 8540w would have an additional ‘center’ mouse button like its predecessors. Thanks Nicholas! =)

This ties in with the yet-to-be-announced ‘Elitebook 8440w, 8540w and 8740w’ models, which are strangely listed on HP’s own website. There’s also some blurry-looking text inscribed on the left palmrest area but knowing several people who own Elitebook 8530w and 8730w notebooks, I’m pretty sure it says “Mobile Workstation”.

Photo sent by reader Michael K; next-gen Elitebook (pretty sure that text on the left says 'Mobile Workstation')

This Elitebook is HP’s latest – because any HP fan (such as myself) would know that HP has been using their ’round’ logo on Winter 2008-onwards models (HP started replacing their ’square’ logo with the ’round’ one with the Mini 1000, if I’m not mistaken). All of HP’s current 2008 Elitebook models feature silver bodies and their ’square’ logo.

HP's OLD 'square' logo on a friend's 2008 Elitebook 2530p

He also goes on to mention a few juicy details on what “standard features” to expect from HP’s next-gen, 2009 Elitebooks:

• Core i7 “will be available for all models”
• “New” Nvidia Quadro FX Mobile workstation graphics for “w”-variants
• HP DuraCase, DuraKeys, 3D Drive Guard
• 7200 RPM hard disks standard
• Single HP Night Light (no backlit keyboard)
• VGA and Display Port output ports; no HDMI
• HP Power Assistant power management software
• Same batteries from current generation Elitebook models; 2nd extended battery available

Michael also points out that the new Elitebooks will feature yet-to-be-announced Nvidia workstation-class graphics cards for notebooks.

Core i7 will be available as an option for “all models”, I wonder if that includes the 8440p/w 14 inch model? Will this year’s generation of Elitebooks feature incremental upgrades or will they be ‘category crushers’ that blow away the competition?

Screenshot of HP's official website showing Elitebook 8440w (click for larger)

In other news, another one of our readers, Dana, has just pointed out that driver and support pages along with profile pictures (!!!) for the HP Elitebook 8440w and Elitebook 8540w Mobile Workstation models are already online on HP’s OFFICIAL website! Check them out here for the Elitebook 8440w and here for the Elitebook 8540w. No news on announcement date but seeing those pages are already up on HP’s website, I would imagine that it won’t take long before they become official. I would also infer from the tip about Nvidia’s new graphics cards that HP’s announcement of their 2nd generation Elitebook models will come after or at the same time Nvidia makes their announcements, I guess?

Elitebook 8440p, 8440w, 8540p, 8540w and 8740w models listed on HP's official site (Click for larger)

Either way, I can’t wait for official news (and an official announcement date?). Do YOU know something that we all don’t? Post tips in the comments section.

HP Envy 13 and HP Envy 15; both official!

Well, they’re official now – HP just announced their Envy 13 and Envy 15 ultra-thin, stylish notebooks. The Envy 13 looks extremely appealing and looks like a good replacement for my Pavilion dv4 notebook… in a year’s time, and if I can afford it by then.

HP Envy 13:

• Intel Core 2 Duo processor
• 13.1 inch LED-backlit widescreen display (16:9 aspect ratio; 1366 x 768 pixels)
• 2 DDR3 RAM slots
• Chiclet style keyboard
• 512 MB ATI graphics card
• Intelligent switching between dedicated ATI HD 4330 and Intel integrated graphics for battery life/performance priority
• 2 USB ports, 1 combined audio in/out jack, HDMI port
• Optional battery slice extends battery life up to 18 hours (think of the super-thin extended battery of the Elitebook 2730p)
• Less than 1 inch thick
• $1699 introduction price

HP Envy 15:

• Intel Core i7 processor
• 15.6 inch LED-backlit full HD widescreen display (16:9 aspect ratio; 1920 x 1080 pixels)
• Chiclet style keyboard
• 1 GB ATI HD 4830 graphics card
• Night vision/Infra red equipped VGA webcam
• 4 DDR3 RAM slots
• Dual drive bays
• Optional battery slice extends battery life up to 7 hours
• About 1 inch thick
• $1799 introduction price

Both HP Envy models also have ‘HP Clickpad’, which is a fancy name for a button-less trackpad ala Apple’s MacBook computers. There’s also an optional optical drive attachment which doubles as a ‘dock’ of sorts with two external USB ports.

Two main things that I really, really, really, absolutely need to find out include:

• Do these two HP Envy notebooks have backlit keyboards?
  UPDATE: Nope, sadly
• Any matte screen option for the display?
  UPDATE: No, again =(

New HP Probooks launched

HP just launched their new line of low-end business notebooks today (with your choice of 14, 15.6 or 17.3 inch models), giving them the new sub-brand of HP Probooks. The new line of HP Probooks today come under their s-series, which is the entry-level part of HP’s business notebook line (there’s s, b, p and w which stand for standard, business, professional and workstation respectively). Well, there’s really nothing groundbreaking about today’s new releases, besides their price tags which are surprisingly low for business notebooks. There’s the usual feature-trickle from higher-end Elitebook models such as Quick Look 2, HP Spare Key and File Sanitizer, HDMI port, docking station compatibility and the availability of optional dedicated graphics. The BIGGEST (most prominent, rather) change is the new HP Probooks have chiclet keyboards, in-line with the rumor posted three weeks ago… well, what did I tell yeh?!