HP Launches New Ultraportable Notebooks

HP today unveiled three new ultraportable notebooks, the Pavilion dv2, Pavilion dv3, and a new HP Mini 2140, each designed for constantly mobile people who require comprehensive laptop performance and entertainment features in a small, portable package.

The HP Pavilion dv2 ($699) is a revolutionary ultraportable notebook and perhaps the notebook we are most excited to see at CES this year. The dv2 measures just under 1-inch thick and starts at 3.8 pounds, but the big news is the powerful processor and graphics packed inside a durable magnesium chassis.

The dv2 is powered by a specially designed new AMD Athlon Neo 64-bit processor that provides enhanced multi-tasking capability similar to an Intel Core 2 Duo processor while consuming significantly less power ... meaning better battery life. The 1.6GHz Athlon Neo processor can convert a music file for your iPod (from .wav to .acc) or encode a movie file 148% faster than the 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor.

The dv2 is also configured with ATI Radeon X1250 integrated graphics or ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3410 discrete graphics (256MB memory) which supports smooth 1080p HD playback over the notebook's HDMI port. The notebook is powered by your choice of either a 4-cell or 6-cell battery (4-cell battery shown in photos below).

In addition, the dv2 supports optional built-in WWAN for wireless connectivity when you aren't close to a WiFi hotspot, and includes an HP Webcam and microphone for staying in touch with friends and family. An optional lightweight, external Blu-ray disc drive is available and is connected via one of the notebook's three USB ports.

A variety of high-capacity hard drive options up to 500GB provide more than enough room for photos, music and other content. The 12.1-inch diagonal LED BrightView display (1280 x 800 resolution) and a nearly full-size keyboard make this notebook a powerful alternative to a netbook. It will be available in two durable finishes with matching HP Imprint designs on the palm rest: Espresso (black) and Moonlight (white).

The HP Pavilion dv3 ($799) is a new 13-inch consumer notebook that weighs 4.35 pounds and is perfect for people who want a laptop that's easy to travel with but still has the power of a full-featured notebook. It offers a 13.3-inch diagonal LED BrightView backlit display (1280 x 800 resolution) and a built-in optical drive and is based on the AMD Turion Ultra X2 (Puma) processors.

In addition, it features ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics for a true HD experience, a slot-loading SuperMulti DVD player, 5-in-1 media card reader for quickly transferring photos, three USB ports (including a USB/eSATA combo port), an HP Mobile Remote control and SRS Premium Sound. Optional features include a solid state drive for faster boot up time and lighter weight and a backlight keyboard for working in low light. The dv3 is offered with a variety of wireless options (including 802.11a/b/g/n with Bluetooth), Gigabit Ethernet, and is powered by your choice of either a 6-cell or 9-cell battery.

This notebook will be available in only one finish, the bronze and chrome "Intersect" Imprint Finish. The dv3, like the dv2, features a magnesium chassis for lightweight durability and HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection for protection from data loss. Both the dv2 and dv3 are ENERGY STAR qualified and EPEAT Silver registered.

The HP Mini 2140 ($499) is an update to last year's HP Mini-Note 2133 and features an attractive, durable all-aluminum chassis. Starting at 2.6 pounds, the new Mini 2140 features the 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, a range of hard drive or solid-state drive storage options, as well as the following:

• A 10.1-inch diagonal LED display with 16:9 aspect ratio available in either standard-definition (1,024 x 576) or high-definition (1,366 x 768) resolutions.
• User-friendly 92 percent of full size keyboard (QWERTY) and touchpad coated in the "HP DuraKeys" finish that protects the finish and printed letters and characters. HP DuraKeys offers 50 times more resistance to visible wear than keyboards without it.
• HP 3D DriveGuard, featuring a three-axis digital accelerometer chip that sends a signal to shut down the hard drive upon sudden movement or shock.
• Ability to view video, still-image capture, web conferencing or video-enhanced instant messaging with no additional hardware to buy or carry. The integrated VGA webcam enables video and still-image capture to allow the addition of photos and video clips to presentations, documents and email.
• Two battery solutions: 3-cell for lightest-weight configurations or 6-cell lithium-ion battery for longer life.
• Optional Absolute Software’s Computrace, which allows IT professionals to work with local law enforcement to track and help recover stolen or missing computers, inventory computers district wide, and detect changes in hardware and software.
• Integrated Wi-Fi Certified WLAN and optional Bluetooth 2.0

New accessories designed for the Mini 2140 include an HP USB Docking Station, USB-powered HP Mobile Audio Speakers and HP USB optical disk drive that can read and write CD and DVD formats, as well as offer HP LightScribe capability to burn labels directly onto discs. A lightweight, functional messenger bag designed specifically for the HP or a neoprene slip case offer added protection for professionals while on the go.

Pricing and availability

The HP Pavilion dv2 starts at $699 and will be available in April. The HP Pavilion dv3 starts at $799 and will be available starting today. The HP Mini 2140 starts at $499 and is expected to be available later this month. See www.hpdirect.com for more details. Stay tuned to NotebookReview.com for in-depth reviews of all three of these new notebooks.

 

Why does the dv3 have almost no ports on the left side?

 

It's extremely small and thin ... and I believe the left side is where the optical drive is located.

 

Man, I am torn. I really like the 2140: build quality, look, razor-sharp high-res screen. But that dv2, I think it's stealing the show. Better CPU, discrete graphics, nice enough screen. It's like an Asus N10 that's actually worth the price.

 

I'm confused. The article says that the dv3 has a slot-loading drive, but from the pics it seems like it's got a tray-loading drive instead...?

Another thing, what's with all these mini's that HP's been churning out lately? First there was the Mini 1000, than the Compaq 700 and now the Mini Note 1240. They're all of the same design and from the looks of it the specs are pretty similar as well, so what's the point? Why not just make one single netbook with different customisations instead of all these different models to confuse people?

 

We haven't received our review unit yet and we only have these product images and the press materials to go by at the moment. I will be seeing these notebooks first-hand at CES this week, but until then here are my thoughts:

HP currently includes weight-saver modules with their new notebooks. The weight-saver modules are blank inserts that replace your optical drive if you want a lighter notebook to carry with you. I suspect that the image provided by HP is of the dv3 with the weight-saver module installed (which is why it doens't look like a slot-loading drive and it doesn't have an eject button like a tray-loading drive).

As for all the new HP netbooks, only HP knows what their marketing strategy is, but I think the Mini 1000 is their general consumer netbook, the Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition is the consumer netbook specifically designed for women, the Compaq 700 is the cheapest netbook they make that is only available in some markets globally, and the new Mini 2140 is their business netbook.

Look at it this way, right now HP just has four netbooks in different configurations while they have more than more than a dozen different consumer notebooks and even more business notebooks and mobile workstations.

 

Agreed. The dv2 looks very attractive. Now I've been eyeing to get a netbook since last Nov and thought about the Samsung NC10. THEN thank god I didn't because they're gonna release the Samsung NC20.

THEN they got the powerful dv2 coming...

How long until something new also comes along?

I wonder how close nearly full size keyboard is on that baby? I keep hitting z's when I don't mean to when I tried the HP 10.2" Mini and hope the dv2 will have maybe a keyboard I can better get used to.

 

Well, based on the photos the dv2 appears to have the same keyboard used on the HP Pavilion tx2000, tx2500 and HP TouchSmart tx2. So, if you've ever used the keyboard on any of those notebooks (or if you can go to a local store that has one of those notebooks) you'll have some idea what it's like to type on the new dv2.

 

That's the curse of technology. There's always something new; you just have to time a purchase to get maximum enjoyment (and immediately stop reading the news so you don't regret it). As far as size goes, it should be very nearly a full-sized kb, if the mini 1000 used one that 92% of standard size.

 

Why 16:9 why?

 

Cheaper to manufacture from the plates in fab plants.

 

Interesting, so it appears the dv3 is indeed quite different to the dv3500 that popped up on HP.com a few months ago and then quietly disappeared, BestBuy is selling it http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9027714&st=dv3&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1218010176167 and the body and specs are different and this isn't just a reincarnation of the dv3500.

The dv2 definitely looks hot, can't wait to see that. Certainly will be interesting to find out how the AMD Neon does in real life use, especially such things as heat and power draw. It's fine for AMD to quote 148% better than a 1.6GHz Atom, but at what power cost and 148% better at what tasks.

 

Yes, the dv3500 ended up being exclusive to Best Buy here in the US. HP sells the dv3500 in a couple different markets globally but it appears they wanted to hold off on launching a new 13-inch notebook until the new dv3 could come to market.

Best Buy (and the huge sales numbers they are capable of generating) motivated HP to release the dv3500 in the US as a Best Buy exclusive last year but the new dv3 is the first customizable 13-inch notebook HP has offered in the US in quite a while.

 

Thanks both of you guys. Looking back at the pics of the dv2, I imagine the hinges looking sturdy enough but what does other people think? It's definitely not the only design of hinges I've seen in a "netbook" class.

Speaking of which, does the dv2 still count as a netbook? Cause I thought netbooks were only up until 10.2" size screen otherwise it's another class. Or that it was if they had an Intel Atom stuck inside (but then the Samsung NC20 has a VIA Nano inside). Then I coulda sworn I read somewhere that Intel had an agreement to only put Atoms inside netbooks no bigger than 10.2" (but isn't Dell Mini running Atom and it's bigger than that?)

 

Can wait too get my hands on the HP Pavilion dv2. Sounds pretty sweet. I'm hoping for at least 3 hours half or more battery life with the wifi on.

Edit: Also is the dv2 best buy exclusive or something?

 

I don't see why everyone is going ga-ga over the Dv2. It is big and heavy and lacks an optical drive even at 3.8 lbs. AFAICT its good for the walmart crowd.

 

The DV2 looks very promising, the macbook air of PCs.

 

I carry my HP dv6000t a lot and I won't even feel carrying it. Plus, I just want a simple notebook to type lecture notes and the screen size happens to interest me.

 

PC Magazine's take on the Athlon Neo:

One thing they failed to point out is why there is such a big difference on the processor's TDP (AMD's 15 versus Intel's 2.5). The Athlon has an integrated memory controller, while the Atom doesn't. If you put it on an even playing field, you have to calculate the Atom's TDP along with the 945G Northbridge, and compared their total power consumption to the AMD.

Nevertheless, the outlook on the Neo is promising. I'm pretty content with the Wind, but sometimes I wish it had a little more "Oomph" and a slightly bigger screen. Looks like the Dv2 just made the netbook market much, much more interesting.

 

I can't get excited by the 2140. It's another step on the road towards giving us screens with almost zero height but still have the same nominal diagonal size.

Which manufacturer will be brave enough to buck the trend and give us more display height (which will also give more room for a big touchpad)?

John

 

I wish the same. at least 16:10.. i would love to get a netbook with 4:3 that would be really fun same width as now (so it fits everywhere) but much higher..

 

the dv2 looks tasty

 

I have a 4:3 screen now. Great for the web but I'm afraid websites will start optimizing for 16:10 in some time.

 

widescreen is just not a really nice format to use, no matter how stuff gets "optimized" for it. if it would be, we would have widescreen books and newspapers by now for sure.

i personally love 10:16 or 3:4 (vertical screens). anything to read or write goes topdown and shouldn't be too wide. else it's not nice to read.

i hope one day it will be marketed as cool to not have a widescreen stupid widescreen movies

and as i'm developing an updown space shooter the widescreen is just an annoyance


anyways, i really like that dv2.. grr..

 

Wow it looks like AMD is really going head to head with Intel in the netbooks front and with offerings like this may actually win. That DV2 being 12 inches and having a graphics card and being only 3.8 pounds is a much better alternative than the current netbooks !!! I can not remember if there ever was a 12 inch with a graphics card ever offered.

 

12" is big for a notebook, but I'd classify the Dell Mini 12 as a netbook on performance alone. What makes this less netbook-y is the combination of the size and the discrete graphics. It falls pretty much where AMD is aiming their chips - right smack dab between netbooks and notebooks. Obviously it's more powerful than some notebooks were not all that long ago, and I know AMD wants to avoid the stigma of the netbook title for their new (har) platform.

 

Soo...most of these (not the DV2) are now on the HP website (including the DV6).

 

Man, the post is so simplified I don't even know how to answer it.

It's just the design differences. To be fair, the most power efficient version of the 945G chipset used for Atoms only use 5W. Add to that the 945G chipset contains graphics, memory controller, and PCI-Express controller while AMD only contains the memory controller.

I wonder what you will say when next gen Atoms will go under 2W with graphics and memory controller integrated into the CPU.

 

WTB dv1 11" UMPC PST...

Excited to see AMDs entrance into the market but Im going to wait and see how other manufacturers use this set up.

The screen resolutions on the Mini-Note 2140 interest me a bunch because now Im wondering exactly which Atom is in the thing:

-If the 2140 is still using the N270 Atom then maybe we'll see some other netbooks start to break the 1024x600 mold.

-Or even better if it's the Z530 Atom that's in the Dell Mini 12 then that means the US15W (Poulsbo) chipset with it's improved video support.


I'm hoping for the latter since I don't see what good HD resolutions are when the netbook is still using the 945GSE/GMA950 chipset.

 

HP calls dv2 and dv3 ultraportable, I wonder what they will call SONY VAIO Z?

 

nice to see AMD around a little more, It looks like the Athlon Neo will use more power than the Atom, but considering that it has a Discrete GPU that is capable of 1080p I wouldn't be complaining all that much and off course the 148% claim which is likely pretty accurate) +/-10%. we all know the Atom + 945 is a long way off HD.

 

The HP Dv2 looks very promising...... Too bad its a gloss box top which is a no no for me! -_-

 

Business Ultraportable.

 

And expensive.

 

the dv2 is really nice

 

You have to look at the platform (CPU, northbridge, southbridge) as a whole. The Atom + 945GSE + ICH7-M may consume somewhat less power than an Athlon Neo + RS690 + SB600 or SB700, and it probably will, but the units haven't been benched yet, so we do not know the actual difference. What IS known to be true is that the Athlon Neo has considerably better CPU and graphics performance than any Atom-based setup and is not hindered by limitations on the hardware. For example the 945G variant used in most of the Atom units is limited to one channel of RAM and 2 GB maximum capacity, when the silicon can handle two channels of RAM and 4 GB maximum. The US15W NVIDIA-style single-chip chipset is even more crippled as it can only handle 1 GB RAM maximum. I do not know if the Athlon Neo supports one or two channels of RAM, but the parent die can support up to two 4 GB modules per memory channel. Since AMD is pitching this as a more powerful solution than the Atom and used for general-purpose tasks, I would expect the unit to handle at least 4 GB RAM. AMD is really aiming more at the Core 2 ULV line and ultraportable standard notebooks rather than the Atom with this chip.

I don't know what to say about the "next-generation" Atoms because they don't exist. Intel needs to make some major improvements in performance for the Atom to be anywhere near competitive with a 1.6 GHz single-core K8 and an RS690 chipset. I highly doubt that they can get there as they would need something equivalent to a 2.5 GHz Atom and a GM45 all rolled into a 2-watt package. My guess is the future 2 W Atom SoC you speak of will be little more than a current Atom plus the IGP and memory controller of the US15W rolled together in a 32 nm package and clocked at somewhere around 1.0 GHz. The current 1.6 GHz 45 nm Atom itself (no memory controller, IGP, or southbridge) clocks in at 2.5 watts in its absolutely most efficient guise in the Z530. I could see a 32 nm shrink perhaps reducing the power consumption to half of that with a 32 nm shrink, but then you have to put the rest of the chipset in there too, which takes up more watts. So I wouldn't get your hopes up with a SoC Atom being able to challenge a 65 nm Athlon Neo + RS690 chipset unless it consumes far more than two watts.

 

Anyone care to shine some light on the AMD processors for the dv3?

AMD Athlon(TM) X2 Dual-Core Processor for Notebook PCs QL-62 (2.0GHz)
AMD Turion(TM) X2 Dual-Core Mobile Processor RM-72 (2.1GHz)
AMD Turion(TM) X2 Ultra Dual-Core Mobile Processor ZM-80 (2.1 GHz)
AMD Turion(TM) X2 Ultra Dual-Core Mobile Processor ZM-84 (2.3GHz)
AMD Turion(TM) X2 Ultra Dual-Core Mobile Processor ZM-86 (2.4 GHz)

Is the ultra dual core a major step from the rest?

 

Where did I state that the Athlon will consume less power than the Atom, even with the inclusion of the Northbridge? Even with the old 945G northbridge, I believe the old Atom platform would consume a few watts less than the Athlon. My point is, the article threw in how much of a difference between the TDP of the two CPUs without explaining why it was like that is the first place.

Comparing the Atom and Athlon CPU's power consumption directly is like having a Ferrari F430 drag racing against a Lamborghini Murcielago, with the Lamborghini pulling a kedge anchor behind it. It's obvious the Atom is going to win by a major margin in this category, considering one of the highest power consuming parts resides in the Northbridge. We've seen this before with the Agena Phenoms and the Kentsfield/Yorktown Core 2 Quads; everyone nags about 'Oh look at how Intel's CPUs are only rated at 90-105W TDP, while the AMDs are up to 125-140W!'. Now look at what happens when the Core i7's came out.

 

It's not a huge difference, but there is improvement. The major thing the new ZM series received was a bigger L2 cache, which helps out in media related applications.

 

I really wish the best for AMD, but I wouldn't be that excited about this new platform, AMD has always failed in the power consumption department, and heat generation. I think when Intel releases the new dual core Atom processor, AMD will have a rough time selling this new Athlon processors...

 

There's a separate thread for AMD's announcement of their new processors and the Neo vs. Atom discussion should be done there.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=339011

This thread is about HPs.

 

Right, sorry about that, I'll stop.

Regardless, I will keep a close eye on the Dv2. It's a shame that it's only a single core, but for $700, I can't complain.

 

Well I eagerly waiting for the 780G instead.. more battery life!
And dual atom is only 20% faster than single core.. so still slower than Neo which is 50% faster

 

The new 2133 looks good. High rez screen + Intel Atom FTW

 

Intel's restriction is on screen size (can't go past 10.x inches) and MS's restriction for ULCPC XP is on screen size AND resolution.

My guess is that the 2140 will be running Suse/Vista and a (cheaper) Atom N270. Also, Poulsbo chipset sucks and it has much worse GMA500 graphics and driver support than the GMA950 that comes with the N270.

 

The HP dv2 looks great, I want to see it in person before making any more judgments. I think HP has the cat in the bag when it comes to notebook designs; they have been outdoing Dell and Acer/Gateway for several years now and continue to do so. Every time I use my HP I admire its design. Sony makes some nice-looking machines but their pricing is higher.

It's good to see AMD introduce a small notebook platform since Intel is so restrictive about Atom. The 1024x600 screen resolution is bogus. Seriously, 600 pixels of vertical space and we're supposed to use that for Internet surfing? It may be enough for some, but for me it is way too limiting. 1280x800 is about right for a 10-12" screen, so kudos to HP for moving up.

 

After reading more about the 2140 Im going to say it's sticking with the N270 since it will be offering up to 2Gb of Ram. It's a shame but it's also good since HP is setting a precedent for netbooks.

This article from Fudzilla says HP will be asking Intel to loosen their restrictions in order to offer 11.6" inch (plz!) and 13.3 inch netbooks using Atoms and this article lists Microsoft's current restrictions on XP.

I haven't been able to confirm if it's Intel or MS restricting resolutions but if it's Microsoft that sets resolutions then why are Linux netbooks also using 1024x600 resolutions when the WSVGA screens that are commonly used are capable of better?

As for the Poulsbo, I usually put improved in quotes when I talk about it compared to the GMA950 since yes it sucks but it's got better video support. The drivers are of course better for the GMA950 because that chipset is older than Creation.

 

so is the dv3 a big improvement on the dv3500 or something totally different?

Will the cd slot and the keyboard backlit be standard or options?

 

Using the hottest running processors in smaller and smaller cases...what could possibly go wrong with that plan???

 

I'm going to save some money for Hp dv2. A 12" laptop with discrete graphics for $700?? WOW. But i will NOT be buying as soon as they come out though. Will wait/read around to make sure that:
a) this new AMD processor is as good as they claim
b) Hp is able to keep heat down. Hp is not too good with heat (example the current 12" tx2z tablets)