HP to announce 3D laptop, fastest netbook

Hewlett-Packard today plans to announce new laptops, including its fastest netbook and first 3D laptop, which combines cutting-edge technologies to raise the bar in performance.

The Envy 17 3D comes with a 17.3-inch 3D display, speakers and a subwoofer, which combine to provide a cinema-style entertainment experience, said Cameron Duncan, an Envy product manager at HP.

The laptop will be able to play Blu-ray 3D movies and broadcast high-definition video, Duncan said. Storing high-definition content requires plenty of disk space, and the laptop will offer up to 2TB of storage capacity.

The laptop will run on quad-core Intel Core i7 processors and include a 3D package powered by Advanced Micro Devices' ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850 graphics card. HP supplies 3D active shutter glasses, which wirelessly communicate with the laptop for users to view 3D content. The laptop can be switched to a 2D mode for users to view normal content.

The laptop is a desktop replacement and provides two-and-a-half hours of battery life. The company is aiming to price the laptop under $2,000 and hopes to make the device available by "the holiday season," Duncan said.

The company also launched its first netbook with Intel's latest N550 dual-core processor, which runs at a speed of 1.5GHz.

:story: Full story: Computerworld