HP Unveils New Notebooks, Long-Life Battery

Hewlett-Packard on Monday took the wraps off two new notebook lines and a mobile PC battery that it said can push system battery life beyond 14 hours.

The HP Compaq 9400 and HP Compaq 6300 series notebooks feature wider screens, Intel Core Duo processors, several price points and a more rugged design, according to Palo Alto, Calif.-based HP.

Carol Hess-Nickels, director of business notebook marketing for HP, said the nx9400 business notebooks are 35 percent thinner and 17 percent lighter than the previous comparable model, the 9600 series. Units can ship with either "bright view" or anti-glare capabilities and a 17-inch display.

The 9420 notebook models sport scuff- and scratch-resistant material, spill-resistant keyboards and additional protective material around the display for extra protection.

The 9400 line is slated to start shipping later this month and carry an entry street price of $1,499, HP said.Designed for "balanced mobility," the HP Compaq nx6320 and nc6320 models have a 15-inch screen and will be positioned in the center of HP's notebook lineup for "probably the bulk of our business," Hess-Nickels said. Plans call for the products to ship in early April and have an entry street price of $1,049.

HP's latest notebooks come as rivals such as Lenovo, Dell and Acer have been announcing new laptops and focusing on integrating Intel's new Core Duo dual-core processors into their mobile systems.

The new battery, the HP Ultra-Capacity Battery, is a 12-cell lithium ion unit that can be charged separately or while plugged into the notebook. Compatible with new systems throughout HP's business notebook lineup, the battery is due to ship in mid-April and carry a list price of $199.

"It can take you up to about 14-and-a-half hours of battery life," Hess-Nickels said. That includes a little more than four hours of battery life standard on some of the new systems plus 10 hours on the new battery. Depending on applications used on HP notebooks, "mileage may vary," she added.