HP has hit with ENVY Spectre, its answer to Intel Ultrabook.
The 14″ HD Spectre is “a premium Ultrabook that commands attention with its unparalleled use of glass and stunning performance,” is comign to Oz at the end of the month, HP said today.
The latest answer to the new ultra-thin, ultra-light notebook category, Ultrabook, created by Intel comes with its super fast Core processor, is just 20-mm-thin and HP’s Spectre weighs under 1.8-kg, meaning it’s an ideal travel partner.
It comes kitted out with Intel’s ‘Rapid Start technology which allows for rapid fire boot up, as well as near-field communications (NFC) technology – a first in an Ultrabook – and connectivity galore including Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0, HDMI to hook up to a TV or other device and Mini DisplayPort and runs Windows 7, upgradeable to Windows 8 later this year.
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Storage wise it comes with 128 (GB) of storage in an ultrafast mSata solid state drive and boasts “up to” 9.5 hours of battery life (pretty impressive).
Design wise, the “extraordinary” Spectre uses lightweight, scratch-resistant glass on the lid, display, palmrest and HP ImagePad – an industry first.
The premium Ultrabook also comes with a TrueVision HD Webcam for brighter HD images for excellent video communications.
“Sleek, midnight black glass on the outside and stark contrast silver glass on the inside make Spectre extraordinary, and defies conventional notebook design,” said Robin Seow, VP Marketing, HP Personal Systems Group Asia Pacific.
“We chose the Spectre name to evoke mystery, and packed it with the best in entertainment technology to satisfy those who expect the unexpected.”
Its high-definition ‘Radiance Display’ offers far highest resolution and wider viewing angles than traditional notebook displays.
Spectre also has a ‘radiance’ backlit keyboard using individual LEDs dedicated to each key meaning you’ll be able to see keyboard what ever the lighting environment and the smart notebook also illuminates when a user approaches and dims after a user leaves.
The HP Image pad also provides precise multifinger touch navigation.
Audio wise, Envy Spectre comes with audio-grade speaker mesh and Dr Dre’s Beats Audio, developed in conjunction with HP and an aluminum analog volume dial that acts as a visual design cue and works seamlessly with Beats Audio Manager to adjust sound levels.
In addition, the 14″ device sports HP Wireless Audio allowing users to stream uncompressed audio to up to four external devices or directly to a KleerNet-compatible device.
The Spectre is also one of the first notebooks to feature ‘Touch to Share’ , a near-field communications (NFC) technology, which allows users to share data between select NFC-enabled smartphones.
And Spectre is cool in every sense of the world – it comes with as HP CoolSense, which automatically adjusts internal fan settings for a noticeably cooler computing.
On the software front, HP Ultrabook comes with full versions of Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 and Premiere Elements 10, two years of preinstalled Norton Internet Security.
Phone technical support for users is also at hand from Hewlett Packard.
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HP Spectre also got the nod as CNET’s Best of CES 2012 notebook and also the prestigious winner of the iF Product Design Award 2012, commended for its excellence in design quality, functionality, ergonomics and innovation.
Envy Spectre hits OZ the end of February for AUD$1899, meaning its is at the high priced end of the Ultrabook’s range already available here from likes of Asus and Acer, will be sold on HP’s online store, JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman.
So far, Acer’s Aspire S3 is the only model that has kept in line with Intel’s creed of Ultrabook being at a price point under $1000 mark, locally at least.
Read: Cracked It! Acer S3 First Ultrabook UNDER $1000
And for a limited time you can purchase the HP Envy Spectre and receive a free set of Beats Headphones, at selected retail partners.
