HP Pavilion DV2 runs AMD Athlon Neo CPU, looks down on netbooks
AMD doesn't believe in netbooks.
Frankly, it doesn't even like the name. In a call last week to brief us on its plans for higher-powered ultrathin notebooks, the lesser machines were referred to as mininotebooks, and they did not matter.
Why? Because of Yukon. This is AMD's codename for something skinnier, faster, and with a larger screen: a device intermediary between tiny low-powered machines like the Eee PC and pricey extravagances like the MacBook Air.
Machines built on this platform will use a new AMD Athlon Neo CPU in concert with either integrated ATI Radeon X1250 graphics or—for 1080p HD video and HDMI output—a discrete HD 3410 video chipset.
First up is HP, with the new Pavilion dv2. It has a 12.1" LED-backlit display, sub-4lb weigh-in, and optional Blu-Ray. Under an inch thick, it's running a 1.6GHz Neo and pricing will start at $500.
The idea is to offer things that netbooks can't match, like high-def movies and basic gaming, without taking the price too high or adding too much size and weight.
It's a stab at a sweet spot a few inches higher than the one that Intel nailed with its Atom. Following are some of AMD's claimed benchmarks, which put the Athlon Neo's performance closer to a Core 2 Duo.
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Err it's a laptop...
But it's not just your old-school laptop. One of the things I like about the introduction of netbooks is that they've broken the mould of laptop form factors and it's giving people a lot more options.
Before the netbooks arrived, nearly all laptops seemed to be 15" or 17" jobbies - there were a few small laptops, but they tended to be very expensive. With the success of the netbooks companies seem to be creating a much wider spectrum of laptops, and that's a good thing.
I like the sound of this laptop - don't get me wrong, I love my MSI Wind, but the idea of something a little bigger that will also be able to handle a little bit of gaming greatly appeals to me. Obviously it's also 30% more expensive, but I think that with a 12" screen it probably won't lose one of the lovely aspects of my netbook which is its extreme portability.
As for the netbook / laptop distinction - I don't really see why there should be one - I guess the only thing mine is missing that a traditional laptop would have is an optical drive.
I don't think that AMD is against netbooks, I'd rather say, that there is a demand for low power CPUs in laptops with larger than 10" screens. Since Intel requires that its Atom processors must not be used in those, it makes a terrible lot of sense for AMD to build a similar processor without limiting its potential usage.
Thank you AMD for bringing the Atom into somewhat larger laptops (in the long run anyway, since Intel won't just stand there watching AMD taking that market.)
I have been waiting for this bridgegap. Macbook air aesthetics, lower power consumption, and way cheaper. I think holding out on buying a lappy for this long might actually pay off.
I don't have any real need for a laptop at the moment, but I've started looking around anyway since I got the idea that one would make a compact, low power and low noise HTPC without the fuss of getting all those properties out of regular hardware – and of course with the bonus of being a laptop the few times I need a PC on the go. So, I have to say I'm very interested in seeing where this concept is going.
And I have to add that I already like how the concept looks stuffed into that Pavilion. Feels like a lot happened to laptop design just the last year or so.
The big win here over netbooks is the 12.1" screen -- I'm assuming that means 1280x800. Those extra 200 vertical pixels are HUGE for regular web surfing.
Stick a 6-cell battery on this puppy and I'm there.
Nice, but it's no Macbook Wheel.
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/apple_introduces_revolutionary
LOL, that Macbook Wheel video is awesome!! My sides hurt!!
HP is in something of a pickle with this. It does not appear to meet Microsoft's restrictions for the installation of Win XP.
If it does not meet MS's restrictions will HP be forced to install Vista or await the release of Win 7?
Both Intel and MS are imposing artificial restrictions which appear to be aimed at crushing the emerging netbook market. e.g. the Nvidia Ion platform appears to run afoul of both Intel and MS restrictions, as would a 1280x800 display.
Could it be that the manufacturers intend to ignore the restrictions and respond "so sue me" if challenged? (Along with a threat to raise the matter with the Department of Justice if pursued?)
Why do manufacturers have to categorize everything?
I personally don't need or want bigger than 10 inch screen but would love more power & better support for latest games.
I'd also love the screen to be non-glossy and mult-touch and the battery life to be 8 hrs or more for basic surfing & video playback.
OS-X compatible hardware would be good too.