HP refreshes its Pavilion laptops ahead of back-to-school season, intros six new models

Galaxyneon - You may have noticed that HP unleashed a torrent of laptops today, but at the heart of it all, even more crucial than those Ultrabooks and business laptops, are the notebooks Hewlett-Packard plans to sell to college kids during the all-important back-to-school season.

This go-round, the company’s redesigned both its mainstream Pavilion dv series, as well as its entry-level “g” laptops, though the range of sizes (14 to 17 inches) is pretty predictable. In addition, the outfit also introduced the Pavilion m6, a slim 15-incher that isn’t technically an Ultrabook, but nonetheless joins a growing group of thin-and-lights with unexpectedly large screens. Throughout, as you’d expect, HP’s refreshed its laptops on the inside too — namely, with newer Intel and AMD chips, along with fresher GPUs.

Starting with HP’s redesigned line of mainstream Pavilion dv laptops, these models have a more pared-down look, with recessed keyboards, soft-touch accents and some subtle chrome trim ringing the touchpad. (The Beats Audio branding, of course, hasn’t gone anywhere.) In addition to those Ivy Bridge CPUs, these will be offered with optional discrete graphics from NVIDIA. We’re also told the two larger models will make use of HP’s CoolSense technology, but for whatever reason the dv4 won’t. All three are hitting shelves June 20th, with the dv7 starting at $800 and and the dv4 and dv6 priced at $550 and up.

Though HP isn’t using the word “Ultrabook” to classify the m6, it’s clear this guy is meant to compete with other affordable, 15-inch thin-and-lights, such as Acer’s Timeline Ultra series. For this particular number, HP went with an aluminum-clad design, featuring Beats, along with a subwoofer and optional backlit keyboard. On the inside, you’ll have your choice of Intel and AMD chips, and because this is a “full-fledged” laptop, it’ll be offered with discrete graphics, too. Pricing for the m6 hasn’t been announced yet; all we know is that it will go on sale sometime this summer.

And the parade of reserved-looking laptops continue. Though the G-series has long been HP’s entry-level line, it’s fine-tuned this latest batch by erring on the side of simplicity. This time around, look for a recesessed “bowl” keyboard, beveled edges and a glossy finish whose fine pattern seems promising for masking fingerprints. The g6 and g7 will both be available on July 25th, starting at $450 and $500, respectively.

[Hp]