Despite the netbook craze that has many PC manufacturers competing at the low end of the mobile-computing market, Hewlett-Packard is rolling out a new generation of consumer desktop PCs just in time for back-to-school sales.
The redesigned lineup includes the HP Pavilion, the HP Pavilion Slimline, the HP Pavilion Elite, and the Compaq Presario. Beyond the new looks that aim to add style to student rooms -- from buttons and ports to the glossy piano-black finish with silver accents and touches of chrome -- the PCs are heavily focused on digital-content  storage . And the new HP Touchsmart software suite enhances the "touch" experience around photos, videos, music and other digital content.
"This new generation of desktop PCs features a fresh and modern design, unbeatable performance, and tremendous value," said John Cook, vice president of worldwide consumer PC marketing at HP. "And with matching monitors and accessories, it's easy to customize a desktop solution that combines performance with style."
Multimedia Flavors
The Pavilion, Slimline and Elite lines include the HP MediaSmart software suite, a multimedia and entertainment package that lets users watch TV or Blu-ray movies, share photos via Snapfish, or burn music, slide shows, and playlists to DVDs.
The Pavilion Slimline s5000 series is half the size of a conventional PC tower and small enough to fit on a desk, a small office, or a dorm room. Pricing starts at $289.
The HP Pavilion p6000 series is optimized for surfing the Web, mixing soundtracks, or creating home videos. This model retails as low as $269.
The HP Pavilion Elite e9000 series targets consumers engaging in multimedia tasks, from video editing to gaming and multitasking. The retail price starts at $599.
The Compaq Presario CQ5000 is described as a reliable and efficient PC for everyday use for $399. HP is also offering the 20-inch HP 2009m monitor and the 21.5-inch HP 2159m monitor, as well as a matching keyboard and mouse.
Introducing SimpleSave
HP said it will introduce the HP SimpleSave external hard-drive series in August at prices starting at $119. As its name suggests, the purpose of Simple Save is simple and automatic backups for photos, video, music and data . Consumers would protect personal content by plugging the drive into a USB connection.
The hard-drive family offers two products: HP SimpleSave Portable, available in 320- and 500-gigabyte capacities, and HP SimpleSave Desktop, available in one- and two-terabyte capacities. Both devices feature preinstalled backup software.
HP also announced new calculator software for PCs, Apple iPhones, and iPod touch devices. These are exact replicas of the original calculators and perform identical functions. The software is designed for business professionals and students who have relied on these calculators and is built with the same algorithms and calculation sequences.
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