HP unzips slim Windows 8 notebooks

More skinny (ish) Windows 8 notebooks from HP. Branded Sleekbook, the new notebooks don't meet Intel's specifications for Ultrabook status, not least the 14in model, which sports an AMD CPU. That said, the 15.6in version comes with a choice of Intel Core i processors. You can also spec the machines up with either 1366 x 768 or …

[Julian Smart]

I'm sorry, it may be lovely but I'm never going to buy a laptop named after one of the Seven Deadly Sins, just as I'm never going to buy a tablet from Ainol. (I'm just glad the latter company didn't come up with the Envy, or Lust.)

The Envy is simply screaming about its status as a show-off machine. You may as well call it the Jerk and be done with it.

[Eddy Ito]

Given the screen resolution I can't imagine anyone having envy over that laptop. They could at least offer a 1600 x 900 display on the smaller one.

[Philip Lewis]

Piss-on ?

Apocryphally perhaps, a "suit" was claimed to have once said that he would never authorise the purchase of any device called as PISON (sic).

[Andy 70]

so much for the looks

i don't care what they're called. still can't tell the difference between one of these and a super cheap acer from pcworld. (cheap and pcworld in the same sentence! i crack myself up sometimes....)

looks. isn't that what this is supposed to be about?

[Piro]

Re: so much for the looks

Well, you could mean cheap in construction, cheap and nasty, even if it's overpriced.

As it will inevitably be in PC World.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: so much for the looks

Like many companies, the Ultrabooks came and HP was waving it around saying Buy these.

They looked fantastic but as soon as things like being unable to replace the battery, cost came along we thought they were nothing more than a flashy item and poor value for money. They are quite possibly reacting to feedback saying we need functional items over gimmicks.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: so much for the looks

Well ... cheapest new acer laptop (not netbook, not refurbed) on the pcworld website is £349. These got for £309. So you're comparing apples to apples and wondering why they both look like apples. Err ... that analogy needs work ...

[K]

The resolution is 1366 x 768

I personally hate Apple, but at least they are innovative with their laptops.. Why do HP, Dell and Lenovo keep punting the same shit year after year..

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: The resolution is 1366 x 768

Apple retina screen MacBook Pro, approx £2,500

HP laptop £309

I give up, why do they?

[Dave 126]

Apple laptops are 16:10, even the non-'retina' models. Apple didn't 'innovate', they just didn't follow the herd by fitting 16:9 panels like almost everybody else did. Good on 'em.

For two laptop displays of the same area, more of a 16:10 display will be closer to your eyeline than that of a 16:9 model. At least with the advent of 'laptops with removable keyboards' there will be more scope for arranging the keyboard and monitor more ergonomically. Anyhows, I'm preaching to the choir here.

[sent from my 16:10 Dell]

[Shades]

One thing...

...lozenge/chicklet keyboards. Why, just why?

I know they don't suffer the normal problem of dust (and crumbs!) falling between, then underneath, the keys but I still hate typing on the bleedin' things. Why does it seem like pretty much all manufacturers are going down this route? I just want a "normal" keyboard!

[DrXym]

Those are sleek?

They look little difference from other laptop / notebooks in that price range.

[Gene Cash]

Re: Those are sleek?

Exactly. Looks just like my 8mo old dm4, except it doesn't say "beats audio" and the HP logo is silver instead of red.

[johnnytruant]

I had one of these

The Pavilion G6, i5. Keyboard was so bendy it was basically unusable. The screen was shit and the fan was really noisy too. Took it back for a refund.

[dssf]

reviews

These reviews should more critically talk about the placement of USB ports that block areas where the mous ismused in confined spaces.

Ditto for the existence of longish, straight out power pins that literally beg "let me be a cause to send the hardware in for repair on the power port.

Why must bidget machines be thick and ugly?

[James Anderson]

Why Bother?

Its a standard Chinese commodity notebook with an HP Sticker on it.

Why bother reviewing it? Its the same as all the other lap tops at this price point and HP probably had nothing to do with the design other than negotiating a volume discount and supplying the logo stickers.

The only interesting thing is it comes a day after Mystic Meg announced HP should have better looking designs..

[The New Turtle]

Strictly speaking it was product notification rather than review.

Wonder how much they will charge for the 1080p screen upgrade (wish they'd do 1440 X 900 as standard instead on a 13"/14" lappy).

[HipposRule]

Though

I'm actually pretty impressed with the build quality on the new Sceptre ultrabooks.