There are only 12 weeks until Christmas, and Hewlett-Packard Co. is determined to remind us with a launch of a new series of tablets and laptops available just in time for the holidays.
HP’s promising low-cost, lightweight notebook functionality with a lot of online value-add, including a terabyte of online storage through Microsoft’s OneDrive, a year of Microsoft Office 360 Personal subscription, and a $25 gift card for Microsoft’s app store. HP Connected also offers music, photo and file-sharing services across multiple devices. In the U.S., the larger 13.3-inch model has an optional 4GB per month wireless 4G subscription.
In addition to the 13.3-inch touch display model, there’s an 11.6-inch HD model (a 14-inch Stream was released earlier. And while HP promises a “full Windows 8.1 experience” with an Intel Celeron processor and 32GB of flash memory, this line is clearly lined up as a successor in the netbook market; you’re going to be doing most of your processing online. Fortunately, it’s aligned with low-cost netbook pricing: the 11.6-inch model starts at $199 in the U.S., the 13.3-inch model at at $229.
HP boasts “eye-catching” gradient finishes in Orchid Magenta and Horizon Blue.
Netbooks were all the rage only a couple of years ago, but have recently fallen off the radar. Since they’re dependent on the Internet for cloud-based applications and storage, HP’s value-adds make the Stream line a more attractive proposition.
HP also announced a pair of Stream tablets, in 7- and 8-inch diagonal formats. They share the same value-adds as the notebooks (including the 4G access for the larger model) and add 60 minutes of Skype access per month. The 7-inch model starts at $99, a breakthrough for name-brand tablets. The 8-inch model is priced at $149.
All models will be available in November from select retailers and online at www.hpshopping.com.
