Perhaps HP replaced the company's water coolers with energy drinks, but whatever the reason, the OEM has gone on a redesign spree updating several consumer notebook lines, including the Envy, Pavilion, and Mini series. According to HP, the updated models reflect the company's "MUSE" (materials, usability, sensory appeal, and experiences) design philosophy, part of which includes etched metal finishes, touchable textures, and custom wallpapers.
"With these new designs, we offer customers a broad portfolio of notebook PCs and Minis that are innovative on the outside and the inside," said Kevin Frost, vice president and general manager, Consumer Notebooks, Personal Systems Group, HP. "Each notebook provides a unique experience for the customer and allows customers to express their personality."
The changes appear to be mostly cosmetic. HP's Envy, for example, still comes with configurable with up to a Core i7 802QM processor, Radeon HD 5830 graphics, and up to 2TB of storage. A brushed-aluminum finish etched with a stream design will be added to the Pavilion line, while the HP Mini 210 series is being expanded with a preppy pink and white crystal makeover.
As for pricing and availability, models will start appearing in mid-May starting out at $650 for the Pavilion and $1,000 for the Envy, while the new Mini 210 models will show up in mid-June starting out at $280.
Tablets hold all the sex appeal right now, but when the dust settles, don't expect netbooks to have packed their gear and gone home. On the contrary, netbooks are still thriving and being updated, as is the case with HP's Mini 210 and Mini 110 models. Both of these are receiving a dual-core makeover courtesy of Intel's Atom N570 processor.
