First reviews of HP's HDX 16- and 18.4-inch laptops
HP's first HDX entertainment notebook was a 20-inch laptop nicknamed the Dragon that weighed more than 15 pounds and cost nearly $3,500. These new models should find a broader audience.
Like the Acer Aspire 8920G series and the new Sony AW series, the HDX18 has an 18.4-inch 16:9 wide-screen display with a native resolution of 1920x1080 (the Toshiba Qosmio G55 series has the same size display but tops out at 1680x945). HP says it will be available later this month starting at $1,550.
PC Magazine has a full review of a $2,000 HDX18 configuration that includes a 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB of DDR3 memory, Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT graphics, dual 160GB hard drives, and a Blu-ray burner, which earned an Editors' Choice. Its verdict: the HDX18 is the "ultimate no-holds-barred, state-of-the-art media center laptop that is destined to sit on the desks of video-editing professionals, content creators, and home-theater enthusiasts alike."
The HDX16 comes with either a 720p (1366x768) or 1080p resolution (1920x1080), depending on the configuration. It will also be available later this month starting at $1,300 with a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo P8400, 4GB of DDR2 memory, Nvidia 9600M GT graphics with 512MB and a LightScribe SuperMulti DVD drive.
Laptop Magazine got the first HDX16 review--a $1,824 configuration with a faster processor (the 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo T9600), higher-resolution display and Blu-ray drive (it says the Blu-ray burner won't be available until December). Its conclusion: the HDX16 puts the high-end features of desktop replacement ("stunning display, Blu-ray drive, TV tuner, booming Altec Lansing speakers and 16:9 aspect ratio") in a package that is not much larger than a mainstream 15.4-inch laptop and is reasonably portable.
HP also announced several PC accessories including a Wireless Comfort Keyboard and Mouse, HP and HDX Laser Mouse and Laser Gaming Mouse, several digital photo frames, and HP SimpleSave, a utility that backs up digital music libraries to DVDs.