HP Unveils the Dragon

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/hp-pavilion-hdx-the-dragon-entertainment-laptop-announced/' target='_blank'>http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/hp-pavilion-hdx-the-dragon-entertainment-laptop-announced/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Looks like HP's HDX has finally poked its pivoting, angling neck out to say hello. We welcome the mammoth, overzealous "entertainment series" laptop, in all its specced out glory...Did we mention it's 15.5 pounds, 2.3-inches thick, and will bankrupt your family? Seriously, consider this one long and hard. Your kids' college education is more important than a laptop."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/hp-pavilion-hdx-top.jpg" /><br /><br />I used to think of 17" widescreen laptops as being big and heavy, but this new laptop from HP puts big and heavy into a whole new category. The specs are impressive though: it boasts a 2.4 Ghz Core 2 Duo CPU, a 4 GB of RAM (unless they're running 64 bit Vista, will the user actually be able to access all 4 GB of RAM?), dual 200 GB SATA drives, an HD-DVD drive, dual layer DVD burner, ExpressCard slot, HDMI out, a 20.1 inch screen running at 1680 x 1050, and an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600 XT (a 256 MB card with DirectX 10 support). That's one beastly laptop - and, really, you wouldn't truly consider it a laptop, it's more of a gaming/workstation that's technically portable. I love seeing innovation like this, but I fear it will be priced in the $4000 USD range and no one will touch it (does anyone actually own a <a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/Dell_XPS_M2010/4505-3121_7-31898796.html">Dell XPS M2010</a>?)

[Phronetix]

Sheesh. Reminds me of the cars with the V12 engines at the Detroit Auto show. Nice idea, but completely impractical, and everyone knows it.

Perhaps they will scale down the units for real people.

[Felix Torres]

Perfectly practical.
A very good idea, if a bit on the pricey side.
Just have to remember that at 15 lbs this is not a laptop.
This is instead a very good one-piece desktop like the Sony Vaios and its kin, but with the added bonus of being transportable and coming with a built-in UPS. The OS choice is a bit odd, though; it really needs Vista business to better serve the accounting market.

It is so easy to forget that the first portable PCs weighed 30+ lbs and had 5" screens and sold like hotcakes. These will do very nicely as upscale executive desktops too. Just need to start thinking outside the box, guys!

I'd jump at one for my home office if it weren't because I really have my sights set on something more like the HTC Shift for this fall. That and that darn lotto number not coming up yet. ;-)

[ctmagnus]

OT:

(does anyone actually own a Dell XPS M2010 (http://reviews.cnet.com/Dell_XPS_M2010/4505-3121_7-31898796.html)?)

Judie saw one in Kansas City (http://www.geardiary.com/2006/11/19/goin-to-kansas-citykansas-city-here-we-come/) and I saw one in Chinook Centre. So two people own them. ;)

[Jason Dunn]

Reminds me of the cars with the V12 engines at the Detroit Auto show. Nice idea, but completely impractical, and everyone knows it.

Practical for travelling with? No, not at all. Practical for home use? Sure, why not? The cost is the only thing I'm worried about - don't you know a lot of people that would be interested in an all-in-one computer that only requires a single cable (power) to use? I think something like this could be really popular actually, but not until the cost is under control. Or maybe HP will shock the computing world and make it cost under $2K (not likely).

Perhaps they will scale down the units for real
people.

They've already done that, they're called 15.4" widescreen laptops. :lol:

[Jason Dunn]

Judie saw one in Kansas City (http://www.geardiary.com/2006/11/19/goin-to-kansas-citykansas-city-here-we-come/) and I saw one in Chinook Centre. So two people own them. ;)

I can't believe a guy at the airport would have one - MAYBE in first class you'd have the space to open it up, but who the HELL would carry a 20 pound "laptop" around? That's just plain stupid. Then again, I see people driving Hummer's all the time around here, and I think they're crazy as well...

[Felix Torres]

I can't believe a guy at the airport would have one - MAYBE in first class you'd have the space to open it up, but who the HELL would carry a 20 pound "laptop" around?

You're exposing yourself...;-)
You can tell techies by their inability to stay off their computers even for a plane ride.
Just because you carry a laptop on a plane doesn't mean you *have* to use it onboard. :-)
I know I wouldn't want to *check* in a computer; I'd rather lug it myself even if I wasn't going to use it.

[Phronetix]

The cost is the only thing I'm worried about - don't you know a lot of people that would be interested in an all-in-one computer that only requires a single cable (power) to use? I think something like this could be really popular actually, but not until the cost is under control.

Of course I do, take me for example. We have one of these (http://www.apple.com/ca/imac/). And believe it or not, it is no chore at all to haul the 24 inch iMac from office to living room as needed, especially with bluetooth keyboard and mouse. And I believe they are plenty popular as well. ;-)

Upon further thought, I do not disagree with you. What I imagined in my head was struggling with some sort of coolpad underneath the unit to dissipate heat. That was the main basis for my label of impractical. The design is not practical from this standpoint. The idea has merit and as we know has been a winner for years.

Dennis

[Jason Dunn]

Just because you carry a laptop on a plane doesn't mean you *have* to use it onboard. :-) I know I wouldn't want to *check* in a computer; I'd rather lug it myself even if I wasn't going to use it.

Well...that makes sense I suppose, but I've never seen anything like that in my life - generally if someone has a laptop, brings a laptop, they use the laptop on the plane.

[kcchesnut]

i've actually been waiting for more 20 inch notebooks to come out. it makes perfect sense for consultants that have to provide their own hardware at a clients site. dont see myself using it on a plane, but it wouldn't be that much trouble to take it to and from the car each day. but the price would have to be under 3K for me to even consider it.

[Jason Dunn]

i've actually been waiting for more 20 inch notebooks to come out. it makes perfect sense for consultants that have to provide their own hardware at a clients site.

Yeah, exactly, a portable workstation that's meant to go from point A to point B, but not something you'd carry with you all the time...as you mentioned, the price point is going to be the interesting part. The Dell solution is just too expensive.

[whydidnt]

i've actually been waiting for more 20 inch notebooks to come out. it makes perfect sense for consultants that have to provide their own hardware at a clients site. dont see myself using it on a plane, but it wouldn't be that much trouble to take it to and from the car each day. but the price would have to be under 3K for me to even consider it.

Take a look at the Acer 6810-6829 -- 20.1" Screen, dual core 2 processor - 320 GB HD - 2 GB RAM - built in TV Tuner (lacking HD drivers for Vista presently though), for about $2,600.

I recently became the proud owner of one of these. I leave it in my office all week long and then use it in the family room on weekends. I previously did the same thing with a 17" Dell, but was ready to upgrade and decided to go for it. No, you won't see me on a plane with this, however a friend of mine that owns a video production company is already salivating at the idea of using one for a portable video editing solution. It would be much easier than packing their current desktop and shipping it across country for remote shoots, as they currently do.