HP CES line-up announced: dv2 notebook, Mini 2140, Firebird, and more

HP CES line-up announced: dv2 notebook, Mini 2140, Firebird, and more

CES is, if nothing else, a showcase. A time and place to launch new products and show off what your brand can do while knowing that both tech journalists and the mainstream media are watching. This year at CES HP will have a number of new products on display, ranging from the evolutionary to the hoping-to-be revolutionary.
HP dv2 Notebook
The dv2 may not seem like a lot on the surface, but it’s one of HP’s most exciting product unveilings. It’s a low-cost 12.1-inch notebook that weighs 3.8 pounds. Still doesn’t seem impressive? How about at when it starts at $699?
The dv2 runs the AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 Processor (1.6GHz) with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3410 graphics, a 1280×800 display, up to 4GB RAM, a DVD burner (or Blu-ray), and Windows Vista. It has a 92% full-sized keyboard, optional WWAN, and is under an inch thick.
It’s an ultraportable that won’t break the budget and one that is not a netbook. The closest model in HP’s current line-up is the Compaq 2230s which is a business notebook that starts at $999 but runs an Intel Core 2 Duo or Celeron processor.
Expect to see these hit the streets in April.
HP dv3 Notebook
The dv3 is a 4.3 pound, 13.3-inch notebook powered by an AMD processor (options include the Athlon X2, Turion X2 Ultra, and the Turion X2). It runs ATI HD 3200 graphics and all the standard trappings of a notebook, including a/b/g/n WiFi, a card reader, an optical drive, HDMI, and Bluetooth, as well as some extras like a USB-eSATA combo port. It’s a budget 13.3-inch notebook that comes in a cool bronze color and has a nice array of upgrades. Not the sort of computer that rocks your world, but one that will be a solid purchase for a lot of people. This model starts at a competitive $799 and will be available for order today.
HP Firebird with VooDoo DNA
The Firebird will probably go down as the worst kept secret of this year’s CES, but that might be because it was too cool to stay under wraps for long. The Firebird is a gaming desktop, but unlike anything we’ve seen before. It is a mini-tower (unlike the gigantic Blackbird 002) but one that is built for silence and speed. It is watercooled, runs dual NVIDIA GeForce 9800s graphics cards in SLI and has an Intel Core 2 Quad processor. All this and it’s smaller than your current desktop.
The power supply is external, but past that you have a standard desktop, complete with two 2.5-inch hard drives and a full range of I/O (including dual eSATA). The build is unorthodox, from the custom case and internals to the odd video solution, but the entire package is impressive. It’s like HP got a gaming notebook and a desktop, combined them, boiled them down for a bit, and turned up the cool factor to eleven. The entire package is 6.20×17.80×18.90 inches so fitting it on your desktop won’t be a problem.
Starting at under about $1800 the price isn’t too bad either. At least considering that this is a watercooled gaming rig packing some very cool gear. The main sacrifice is upgradeability and the ability to tinker with the system, simply because of it’s small size and use of custom components. The fact that it has components like 2.5-inch disks is worth keeping in mind, but overall it’s probably the coolest desktop of CES. The Firebird arrives February 1st.
HP Mini 2140
Did you get a little bit curious when HP releases the Mini 1000 netbook but didn’t refresh the 2133? The 2140 is it’s Intel Atom-powered replacement. The 2140 is 2.6 pounds and has an all-metal case like the 2133, but now users get a 10.1-inch display, 16:9 resolution, and Atom N270 processor. The keyboard is still an excellent 92% model so 2133 lovers have nothing to fear. Expect to see 160GB of storage (though there is an 80GB SSD option) as well as other selling points, like optional  a/b/g/n WiFi, an ExpressCard/54 slot, and a Linux OS option (SLED 10).
The Mini 2140 will start at $499 and should be available later this month.
That’s it for now, but we’ll be walking the show floow all week looking for cool stuff and getting hands-on time with products like these, so be sure to check in.