back to article HP unwraps Ultrabook

HP will release its first Ultrabook next month, though it will pitch the product at business rather than consumers. The HP Folio 13 is an 18mm-thick, 1.5kg 13.3in machine with a 128GB SSD and a choice of Intel Core i Sandy Bridge processors. HP Folio 13 Not exactly Apple MacBook Air or Acer Aspire S3 svelte, is it? The …

COMMENTS

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  1. Silverburn
    Meh

    Svelte?

    No sir, it is not.

    A resounding *meh* from me.

  2. sebacoustic
    Thumb Up

    Not exactly Apple MacBook Air or Acer Aspire S3 svelte?

    De gustibus non est disputandum.

    I for one welome an understated design *and* some useful built-in ports over the über-sleek Air(head) macbook

    1. G Murphy
      Thumb Up

      agreed!

      Air form factor + a bit more connectivity = a good thing. I couldn't care less if it doesn't look as pretty, I don't buy computers as a fashion accessory.

  3. Captain Underpants
    Thumb Down

    Oh, FFS...a machine that's comparable spec-wise to an MBA but several hundred dollars cheaper, and you complain about the aesthetic aspects of it?

    It's got integrated ethernet, the USB ports support USB3 as well as USB2, it's got an HDMI out (no faffing with adapters that cost £20-30 a go) and an SD card slot. And, in fairness, a 1.5kg 13" laptop is still far from "chunky".

    Why is it that I had to go to Engadget to confirm the ports I've listed above when they're visible in one of the screenshots you posted in the article? Poor form.

  4. Richard Wharram

    £570 is not bad

    Bet it will be a bit more when it gets a UK release though :)

  5. A. Lewis
    Meh

    Meh

    "Ultrabooks". This seems to me to be such an unnecessary new buzzword. As far as I can tell, it means "laptop designed out of macbook air envy".

    Don't get me wrong, I'm not a mac fanboy deriding such imitation. I just think it's stupid to try and foist a new buzzword onto the already saturated laptop market.

  6. Seanmon

    Looks fine to me.

    But - and forgive me for being dense here - WTF is an "ultrabook"?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Ultrabook the new Centrino

      "Ultrabook " - Intel specifies a set of hardware/chip requirements and a thin case.

      If hardware vendors stick to Intels spec they get a wad of cash to advertise it and can put the Buzwords on the boxes.

      If the hardware vendors add any chips not from Intel (like decent graphics chips and wifi) and they can forget about getting any cashback deals.

      1. Tony Smith, Editor, Reg Hardware (Written by Reg staff)

        Re: Ultrabook the new Centrino

        For the record, Intel has said nothing about cash to vendors.

        It doesn't need to pay them. Ultrabook is a trademark that Intel will spend millions advertising. Vendors know that, and Intel knows they will want to use the trademark on their products.

        Use of the trademark requires adherence to Intel's (broad) spec, that's all.

  7. Confused Vorlon
    WTF?

    Folio?

    Now we know why they bought Palm. It wasn't for WebOS (clearly) - it was all really to buy the Folio product name.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Not pretty

    but why shouldn't it be? It isn't a fashion accessory (which other people look at) it's a device you (the owner) spend hours every day staring at. You may as well have a nice view.

    Perhaps the unibody does cost a few hundred quid...

    I presumed "ultrabook" meant ultra-light, but still with proper pc (rather than atom/arm) performance. Anyone else with me on that?

    That said, anything with an hp logo on it probably instantly loses any hip-factor it may have. Strictly business for that brand.

  9. Fuzz

    yawn, another "ultra" book with a 1366x768 screen, what's ultra about that?

  10. Andy Farley
    Thumb Up

    I've got an EliteBook

    Ultrabook seems a logical step.

    I love my EliteBook but have to leave it here when I swap jobs in 2 weeks. I might ask for one of these - looks nice. In fact, HP laptops overall have been getting better for a couple of years.

    1. Silverburn

      Question is though...

      ...is Elite more than Ultra?

  11. JC 2

    WOW

    Something actually useful instead of an iNovelty toy

    1. Silverburn
      Windows

      Have you used an iNovelty toy?

      particularly the laptops? Nothing novelty-toy-like about them I'm afraid.

      Maybe you should read El Reg's reviews on them, or god forbid - actually use one before passing judgement? And moving the cursor about in PC world doesn't count. I use a thinkpad daily, and on the month I had to use a macbook pro (while the thinkpad was getting repaired), I did not lack for one single feature or software, and it was bloody fast. They're actually pretty damned good.

      The price is *definitely* not toy-like, it should be said...if Apple would get the price down to realistic prices, they'd sell these "toys" by the truckload.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    um..

    HP > Lenovo.

    I would take a HP Elitebook over a Lenovo any day, I have provided hardware support for both vendors for approx 10 years. When IBM were making the laptops they were the better class. When IBM sold their laptop business to Lenovo 4 years ago, the mahcines "overnight" became plastic clones.

    HP on the other hand have got better over the past 4 years. Their Elitebooks are dam fine machines, they may in pictures look a bit grey/drab, but when you have one on your desk they are quite stylish to look at and very well assembled. Pop a SSD in to replace the HDD and you have a great mobile machine.

    To say that HP are trying to copy MBA is laudible. HP and IBM/Lenovo have been producing ultra-small-form laptops for some time. IBM X60 and similar machines are akin to the MBA's size but came with ports and an optical device. These were "Business Machines" 4-6+ years ago.

    No, I clearly remember them/predecessors being around before the MBA came to market, so you are wrong. IF anything it is the other way round. Apple looked at this form factor and procuced something pretty good, but they certainly didn't invent the form factor.

    That is as obsurd as saying Apple invented the phone or the touch screen...... Apple, bless them, copy/combine and use current tech to make useful tech but they are not the uber-inventors some of you seem to think they are. And look at them now. Same boring procucts for the past 3 years, nothing other than the ipad (and they didn't invent that form factor either) is new.

    And just to put another boot in. Also,Remember, apple computers are mostly based on x86/PC architecture/components now, because their own tech was being superseeded so fast by PC kit that they had to redevelop, hardly inventive, just look inside your iPC and you will see x86 CPU, PC memory, PC video cards, PC PciExpress bus... the list goes on...

    Yes they make some nice kit. But no, no, no, no, no.... they do not invent this stuff all by themselves.

  13. jonnyrad
    Pint

    my EliteBook was dying so I bought a MBA about a month ago. I simply couldn't believe that after three years, with growth of SSDs and (my) decline in DVD use, HP weren't offering something lighter. I'm not bothered about looks (well, ok, just a teeny bit), more about lugging kgs of metal/plastic around everyday.

    is Apple the only company to do consumer research beyond what to call shiny new things? or am I in such a small niche?

    jr

    ps how does this feckin magic mouse work?

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