HP has released a new version of its Pavilion dm3 laptop that features a suite of hardware and software innovations designed to reduce one of notebook computing’s biggest headaches: excessive heat.
Dubbed CoolSense Technology, the suite combines some mundane tweaks — “strategically placed vents” — as well as some more complex tools, like the HP Thermal Assistant, which will automatically detect where or how you’re using the laptop (whether on a desktop or your lap) and adjust the cooling accordingly based on your personal preferences. HP also built the new dm3 using what it calls “advanced materials,” such as metal alloys, soft-touch paint and non-conductive surfaces. (More details here.)
Ironically, the company chose to roll out CoolSense Technology on a system that doesn’t need advanced cooling in the same way a gaming laptop would. The dm3 uses relatively low-power chips like the Pentium U5400 or Core i3 processors, offers only integrated graphics, and comes with just a 13.3-inch display. It doesn’t even include a built-in optical drive, which helps it weigh just a little more than 4 pounds.
The new dm3 is available to order from HP’s Web site starting at $649.99. That base configuration includes the Pentium U5400 CPU, 3GB of RAM, and a 320GB hard drive. If CoolSense Technology works as promised, maybe HP will roll it out on more robust systems that could use it a lot more.
