Mix and match to build your HP Pavilion convertibles and notebooks

Source: HP. The HP Pavilion x360 in notebook mode. This model is in the new Minty Green shade.

HP has announced a new wave of Pavilion convertibles and notebooks that offer more processor, graphics and display options. Specifically, HP announced:

 Colourful HP Pavilion x360s that flip from notebook mode for working, stand mode for watching, tent mode for playing games and tablet mode for on-the-go.

 Customisable HP Pavilion notebooks that offer more hardware choices including discrete graphics and higher resolution displays. 

"Customers told us that they wanted more colour choices, more hardware options and better battery life in our Pavilion notebooks and x360 convertible PCs,” said Anneliese Olson, VP, Computing Solutions, Printing & Personal Systems, HP Asia-Pacific & Japan. “With our 2015 Pavilion line up, we have combined bold new colours from the runways in Milan with the latest processors to give customers systems with a fresh new look that deliver better performance and battery life across the board.”

“A new wave of millennials are demanding technology to empower them to work and play on their terms. Thanks to Moore’s Law, Intel has been pushing the limits of personal computing, enabling devices that are thinner, lighter, and more versatile than ever before,” said Tim Parker, Vice President and General Manager of Direct and Channel Sales for Intel in Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ). 

“The new range of HP devices with Intel inside combine Intel’s processing power and user experience with HP’s fresh new designs, effortlessly rising up to meet the high expectations of today’s connected generation.”

The HP Pavilion x360s have an innovative hinge that uses a set of three spiral gears for synchronised and precise movement to ensure the display glides smoothly and stays in place, where the user wants it. They are available in a new colour palette, including Sunset Red and Minty Green, and include full-sized, 1.5mm travel keyboards for comfort. A full-sized HDMI port, two USB 3.0 ports and one USB 2.0 port are supported.

Source: HP. The new Pavilion x360 in stand mode. The model is in the new Sunset Red shade.

The high definition (HD) IPS display makes gaming and movies more enjoyable with crisp images that look great at any angle^{1, 2}. For the best sound reproduction, the HP Pavilion x360s have B&O Play audio.

For 2015 the HP Pavilion x360 is now available with Intel Core M-5Y10C processors in addition to Intel Celeron or Pentium processors³. With a 32 watt-hour battery and the Intel Core M processor, the new HP Pavilion x360 packs up to four more hours of power than the previous Pentium-based model. Customers can enjoy up to eight hours and 15 minutes of battery life⁴. The HP Pavilion x360 comes with up to 8 GB of system memory⁵.

For portability and power, the HP Pavilion notebooks are thinner and lighter with longer battery life. The 14" and 15" HP Pavilions offer up to eight hours and 15 minutes and seven and a half hours of battery life respectively, while weight is reduced across the line⁴. The notebooks have a redesigned unibody chassis n a variety of colours including Natural Silver, Blizzard White, Sunset Red, Cobalt Blue, Violet Purple, and Peachy Pink. Dual speakers tuned by B&O Play provide more immersive sound.

Source: HP. The HP Pavilion notebook in Violet Purple.

The HP Pavilion notebooks are offered with HD or Full HD on the 15" notebook, touch or no touch in both the 14" and 15" displays^{1, 2}. HP Pavilions come with the fifth generation Intel Core i3 through i7 processors³, up to 2 TB of HDD on select models and up to 16 GB of system memory⁵. Customers have the option to select between AMD Radeon and NVidia discrete graphics processors for this family. 

The Pavilion x360 is available for S$699, while both the 14" Pavilion notebook (500GB) and the 15" Pavilion notebook start at S$849. All devices will be available in June 2015.

1 High definition (HD) content is required to view high-definition images.

2 Full High definition (HD) content is required to view quad high-definition images.

3 Intel’s numbering is not a measurement of higher performance.

4 Battery life will vary depending on various factors including product model, configuration, loaded applications, features, use, wireless functionality, and power management settings. The maximum capacity of the battery will naturally decrease with time and usage. Battery life was tested using MobileMark 12.

5 For hard drives, GB = 1 billion bytes. Actual formatted capacity is less. Up to 30GB of the hard drive is reserved for system recovery software.

HP launches slew of mobile solutions for business productivity

HP has unveiled new commercial mobility solutions that transform the workplace and unlock the power of productivity. Eight new mobile devices plus accessories allow companies to streamline and simplify their business operations.

Anneliese Olson, VP and GM, Personal Computing, HP Asia-Pacific and Japan, spoke about how the launch of new products brought together changing trends in the workforce, workplace and workstyles while transforming workflow.

The company has created a complete mobility solution for businesses including those with specific needs in various vertical industries, including education, field service, healthcare, public safety and retail. HP also announced HP Touchpoint Manager, a cloud-based solution that works across PCs, mobile devices and major operating systems, including Apple iOS, Google Android, and Microsoft Windows. 

“Mobile devices are changing how we live and work, and they pose significant challenges to IT departments who have to support their now mobile workforces while keeping corporate data managed and secure,” said Serena Yong, GM, Printing and Personal Systems, HP Singapore and Malaysia. 

“HP is the world’s largest commercial computing provider to the world’s largest companies. No other company is better suited to address commercial mobility than HP. Our devices feature built-in security, manageability, and durability packaged in innovative, stylish designs that end users crave.”

According to HP, the current approach to business mobility is to retrofit consumer devices and tweak them to make them enterprise-ready on a on-off basis, or drive customer lock-in to a single platform or device. HP is taking a modular approach featuring secure devices that are designed from the ground up for business use.

HP is also supporting both Android and Windows, giving business customers a choice of application ecosystems and user experiences. Tablets, 2-in-1 devices, and notebooks running Windows along with tablets built on Android all feature built-in security such as remote wipes and can be tailored to meet specific use-case requirements with a focus on embracing business mobility. These new devices include:

HP Pro Slate 8 and HP Pro Slate 12
These are commercial-grade high-definition1 (HD) Android tablets. Available in 8" or 12" diagonal displays respectively, the tablets are powered by a Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 series processor2, and support a 4:3 aspect ratio for viewing business documents and accessing business applications. The lightweight tablets are under 8mm thin and offer business-day battery life3 with enterprise-grade security and manageability. Both devices feature a wide range of accessories enabled by HP’s Zero Force connector.

HP Pro Slate 8 is one of the first tablets to market using Corning Gorilla Glass 4, Corning’s toughest cover glass to date. The HP Duet Pen, the first to use Qualcomm Snapdragon digital pen technology4 on both a tablet and regular paper, is included with the HP Pro Slate 8 and HP Pro Slate 12. The pen is part of the HP Blended Reality Ecosystem, helping employees be more productive and create easily shareable content by writing and digitising input from the device’s screen or via a regular sheet of paper using the HP Paper Folio5. Users can write on paper with the Duet Pen and see the writing appear on the tablet.

HP Elite x2 1011 G1
The HP Elite x2 1011 G1 is a lightweight, 11.6" diagonal 2-in-1 Windows device running Windows 8 Pro, transforming from a tablet to a laptop with Ultrabook configurations available6. Tested to military specs for durability7, the Elite x2 adapts to personal work preferences with optional accessories8 that include an industry-first WiGig enterprise wireless dock9 based on a joint collaboration with Intel, along with a cover, a lightweight travel keyboard and an optional Wacom pen10.

HP Pro Tablet 10 EE, HP Pro Slate 10 EE 
The Intel Atom-based HP Pro Tablet 10 EE running Windows and the HP Pro Slate 10 EE Android tablet are built for the mobile workforce in the education, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail verticals. Both feature a durable design that passes IP-5211 testing for dust, moisture, and drop testing12, an on-board garage for the optional stylus, plus a hard-wired keyboard base option13.

HP Pro Tablet 408 G1
This affordable, 9 mm thin, 8" diagonal Intel Atom-based business tablet provides a full Windows 8 Pro experience and a family of mobile accessories14 to help keep users productive when away from their PC. Business-class features include micro-HDMI, up to 64 GB of storage15 and an 8 MP rear camera with flash.

HP ElitePad 1000 G2 Healthcare Tablet
This tablet has been designed to improve caregiver productivity and enhance patient interaction. The durable and lightweight solution has an antimicrobial16 treatment to protect the product, can be cleaned easily, and meets IP 5417 specifications. Deployable in any clinical environment, the tablet helps reduce the risk of medical errors by using a 2D barcode reader to validate personnel, patients, and catalogue and administrate medication.

HP ElitePad 1000 G2 Rugged Tablet
This version of the ElitePad 1000 G2 can be used by mobile workers in manufacturing or in-field environments. IP 6518 rated for water and dust and MIL-STD 81019 testing, the tablet boasts up to 20 hours of battery life20 and a 2D barcode reader.

HP Retail Case for ElitePad 
The all-new HP Retail Case for ElitePad offers retailers a versatile mobile and fixed point of sale (POS) solution for their employees, with two built-in cradle areas for mounting payment devices and the ability to dock to existing POS solutions. The new solution features hand and shoulder straps, giving retail store operators an easier and more comfortable way to access inventory and product availability, as well as improving the checkout experience. The HP Retail Case for ElitePad also allows retailers to physically attach a mobile payment device (PED or PIN entry device) of choice to the case from vendors like Ingenico, Verifone, AnywhereCommerce, and PayPal and accept a range of payments such as EMV, NFC, MSR, and most digital wallets. 

HP EliteBook Folio 1020 family 
The industry’s thinnest and lightest business-class notebooks, the family consists of the HP EliteBook 1020 and the HP EliteBook 1020 Special Edition (SE), both at 15.7 mm thick. HP’s exclusive blend of magnesium-lithium alloy and reusable carbon fibre gives the notebooks a weight of 1 kg21. Read more about this family in our accompanying blog post here.

New HP commercial devices now come with HP Touchpoint Manager22 and provide the option to access the iPass global Wi-Fi network23. Customers who purchase new HP devices with the iPass option will be able to register and automatically get access to millions of hotspots on the iPass global Wi-Fi network24 for one year at no additional cost. 

Pricing and availability25 
  HP Pro Slate 8 will be available in Singapore from end of March with a starting price of S$699. 
 HP Pro Slate 12 will be available in Singapore from end of March with a starting price of S$849. 
 HP Elite x2 1011 G1 will be available in Singapore from end of February with a starting price of S$1,299. 
 HP Pro Tablet 408 G1 will be available in Singapore from end of February with a starting price of S$699. 
 HP Pro Slate 10 EE will be available in Singapore from end of February with a starting price of S$399. 
 HP Pro Tablet 10 EE is available now with a starting price of S$459. 
 HP ElitePad 1000 G2 Healthcare Tablet will be available in Singapore from March. Pricing will be set closer to availability. 
 HP ElitePad 1000 G2 Rugged Tablet will be available in Singapore from May. Pricing will be set closer to availability. 
 The availability and pricing for the HP Retail Case for ElitePad will be announced at a later date. 
 The HP EliteBook Folio 1020 Standard Edition will be available in Singapore from March with a starting price of S$2,399, and the HP EliteBook Folio 1020 Special Edition, in May. Pricing for the Special Edition will be set closer to availability. 

1 High-definition content is required for high-definition images.
2 Multi-Core is designed to improve performance of certain software products. Not all customers or software applications will necessarily benefit from use of this technology. 64-bit computing system required. Performance will vary depending on your hardware and software configurations. Qualcomm’s numbering is not a measurement of clock speed. 
3 Tested by HP using continuous HD video playback, 720p (1280x720) resolution, 150 nits brightness, system audio level at 50%, player audio level at 100%, played from local storage, headphone attached, wireless off, auto dimming off. Actual battery life will vary depending on configuration and maximum capacity will naturally decrease with time and usage. 
4 The HP Duet Pen is enabled by Qualcomm Snapdragon digital pen technology by Qualcomm Technologies. 
5 The HP Paper Folio (the notepad which fits into the tablet case) is sold separately. 
6 Not all models qualify as an Ultrabook. 
7 MIL STD 810G testing is not intended to demonstrate fitness for US Department of Defense contract requirements or for military use. Test results are not a guarantee of future performance under these test conditions. 
8 Sold separately or as an optional feature. 
9 The WiGig-compatible notebook or tablet must be positioned within 1.2 m and without obstruction in the line of sight of the wireless dock. HP Advanced Wireless Docking is compatible with the HP Elite x2 1011 G1 with an optional installed Intel Tri Band Wireless AC with WiGig Combo card. 
10 The HP Elite x2 1011 Wacom Pen is available as a configurable option available on models ordered with a digitiser screen. Models without a built-in digitiser are incompatible with the HP Elite x2 1011 Wacom Pen. 
11 IP-52 is not covered under HP limited warranty. 
12 IP-52 and HP Total Test Process test results are not a guarantee of future performance under these test conditions. 
13 Sold separately or as an optional feature. 
14 Sold separately or as an optional feature. 
15 For storage drive, GB = 1 billion bytes. Optional Micro-Secure Digital eXtended Capacity (SDXC) card sold separately. For solid state drives (SSD), 1 GB = 1 billion bytes. Actual formatted capacity will be less than this number. Up to 6 GB of system disk is reserved for Windows system recovery and EFI system partition. 
16 IP 54 testing is completed. The solution is planned to be covered under HP limited warranty for IP 54 dust and water ingress. Quick release pins, camera lens, flash cover, bar code reader cover, screws, screen, and HP logo are not treated with an antimicrobial. 
17 The solution is covered under HP limited warranty for IP 54 dust and water ingress. 
18 The solution is covered under HP limited warranty for IP 65 dust and water ingress. 
19 MIL STD testing is pending and is not intended to demonstrate fitness for US Department of Defense contract requirements or for military use. Test results are not a guarantee of future performance under these test conditions. 
20 Testing conducted by HP consisting of full battery discharge while running a series of productivity scripts against the following applications (which may or may not be included with your particular product): Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0, Adobe Illustrator CS2, Adobe Photoshop CS2, Apple Quicktime 7.1, Intervideo WinDVD 8, Macromedia Flash 8, Microsoft Office 2003 Pro, Microsoft Project 2003, and Winzip 10.0. Prior to testing, the system was fully charged, display brightness was set at 60 nits, wireless was turned off, and auto dim, suspend, hibernate, and all other programs, utilities, and services not essential to running the computer system or battery life test were disabled. Battery life will vary depending on the product model, configuration, loaded applications, features, use, wireless functionality, and power management settings. The maximum capacity of the battery will naturally decrease with time and usage. 
21 Final weight of the 1020 is 1.2 kg, that for the 1020 SE is pending. 
22 HP Touchpoint Manager supports Android, iOS, and Windows operating systems, and PCs, notebooks, tablets, and smartphones from various manufacturers. Not available in all countries. See www.hp.com/touchpoint for availability information. HP Touchpoint Manager requires purchase of a subscription. 
23 HP commercial and consumer Notebook and Tablet PCs with OS of Windows 8.1, Android 4.2.2 and above. Devices with Windows 7 and Chrome OS may be added in subsequent months. Devices with FreeDos and Ubuntu OS are not included. For more information, visit www.hp.com/go/stayconnected. 
24 Connectivity not available everywhere. The offer excludes premium iPass inflight access on planes. Subscription renewal and purchase of the iPass service required after the one year trial period. To view a hotspot location map and to learn more about the service visit www.ipass.com/hpoffer. 
25 Estimated street prices. Actual prices may vary. 

Acer launches Aspire R 13 and R 14 convertible notebooks

Acer has announced the Aspire R 13 and Aspire R 14 Series, two new convertible notebook lines that can transition between various notebook and tablet style modes of operation. Both notebooks are designed for those who don’t want to give up a traditional notebook design, but want more options and flexibility. 

Source: Acer. The R 13 in one mode.

“Acer’s goal is to deliver an experience consistently beyond everyone’s expectation at all price points,” said Jason Chen, Corporate President and CEO, Acer. “These new Aspire convertibles are the perfect device to sit in the middle of your mobile world - a device that is both portable and capable of efficient productivity.”

Less than 25.4 mm thin and just over 1.5 kg, the Aspire R 13 Series incorporates a 13.3" display and Acer’s unique Ezel Aero Hinge that allows the display to rotate into six different positions:

Notebook mode - provides a precise and spacious keyboard for maximum productivity.
Ezel mode - brings the display close for convenient reading and web browsing.
Stand mode - makes it easy to draw a flow chart, take notes, brainstorm with others or edit artwork. The stand is sturdy enough for drawing and other touchscreen interactions.
Pad mode - enables the R 13 to be used as a tablet for web browsing, playing games or watching videos. The screen fits perfectly in the chassis frame, so it’s streamlined and easy to hold.
Tent mode - the ideal position when space is limited, such as an airplane’s seatback tray.

Source: Acer. The Aspire R 13 in anothe rmode.

Display mode - good for viewing photos and video or playing games with others.

All R 13 Series models offer premium touch screen displays with super crisp images and fine detail. Both the touchscreen and outer lid are both encased in a sheet of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for durability. In addition, anti-fingerprint technology helps eliminate smudges and makes the displays easier to clean, while Corning’s newly developed AR/ETC technology minimises reflections and improves the display’s contrast. A built-in light sensor automatically adjusts the screen’s brightness to enhance the screen image, making it easier to view against the ambient lighting. 

Available in either super high-resolution (WQHD) (2,560 x 1,440) or full high-definition (FHD) (1,920 x 1,080), both display options include Zero Air Gap Technology, which reduces reflections, heightens contrast, creates bright and crisp images and improves readability in sunlight. FHD models also feature IPS technology, which provides wide viewing angles, making them ideal for sharing movies and photos or for work presentations. 

The R 13 Series can also be used with an optional Acer Active Pen for drawing, creating and collaborating. The pen comes with a pressure sensor for professional drawing and a hover sensor for easy access to functions. It also supports palm rejection so users can write on the screen comfortably. 

For maximum performance, models offer Intel Core i5 or i7 processors, up to 1TB Solid State Drives with RAID-0 support and up to 8GB of memory. Leading audio features include Dolby Digital Plus Home Theatre for cinematic surround sound, and Acer Purified Voice, a combination of hardware (dual-array mic) and software (voice recognition and audio processing). It is also Skype certified. To keep the powerful R 13 running cool and quiet, the Aspire R 13 boasts a dual air-intake design for noise-free computing. Models with a FHD display deliver up to eight hours of battery life. 

All models can also be used with the optional Acer Active Pen. The R 14 Series of convertible notebooks features a 360 degree dual-torque hinge that allows it to be used in four usage modes. 

Acer’s new R 14 notebook incorporates a 360 degree dual-torque hinge design that allows effortless transformation into four different modes for productivity and entertainment needs - notebook, pad, display or tent. 

Constructed of strong zinc alloy and soft rubber, the hinge design allows the lid to be laid completely flat, without any gap between the chassis and lid, for easy collaboration and sharing. In tablet mode, the display can be flipped over and lays completely flat against the chassis as well, for a clean, streamlined design. When the notebook is used in display mode, the hinge slightly raises the entire system, preventing the keyboard from touching the table or other surface. For convenience, the images and audio on the R 14 automatically reverse channels when the modes are switched, so the visuals and sound are always aimed the right way.

The R 14 features a 14" HD (1,366 x 768) display with Zero Air Gap technology. As with the R 13, the R 14 supports Acer Touch Tools to help the user capture, collect, write and share screen data effortlessly through touch. 

The Skype Certified models are available with a range of Intel processors, including Pentium, Core i3, i5 or i7, and can be configured with up to 12GB of memory for powerful performance. Some models offer NVidia GeForce 820M graphics to enrich the overall visuals. There are two options for storage, 500GB or 1TB.

To find out about availability, product specifications and prices in specific markets, please contact your nearest Acer office or retailer via www.acer.com.