HP unveils four media desktops for CES
updated 12:05 am EST, Thu January 3, 2008
HP unveils multimedia PCs
HP today unveiled four new desktop computers that it will be showing at CES 2008, three of which are designed primarily for home theatre owners while one is ideal for digital photo enthusiasts. The Pavilion Slimline s3330f uses a smaller tower chassis that is a third the size of a conventional PC. While small, the s3330f upgrades to an AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core 5400+; the option of a dual-format Blu-Ray/HD-DVD player allows users to view high definition movie content, and connects with home theatre systems through an HDMI connector. An integrated TV tuner allows television recording, and the Nvidia GeForce 8500 graphics card can run DirectX10 games. The HP Pavilion Slimline s3330f will be available along with the other systems in February for $950.
The higher-end Pavilion Elite m9100 series is targeted at power users. It features the same HDMI connector and an SLI-ready GeForce 8500 graphics card. The m9100 comes with a Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 processor, and is one of the few home systems pre-loaded with Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition to support its default 4GB of memory. For storage, the tower comes with 720GB of hard drive space, divided up among two 360GB drives. The HP Easy Backup button can automatically archive data, and the chassis includes two built-in drive bays, which offer up to 1TB of additional storage space. HP will be selling the Pavilion Elite m9100 series starting at $1160.
Last in the theatre-specific models is the Pavilion Media Center m8330f, one of HP's first AMD Phenom systems and running a 2.2GHz Phenom 9500 at its core. The m8330f also includes a Nvidia GeForce 8500 GT graphics card, with built-in TV-out, DVI, and HDMI connections. It also includes 3GB of memory and 640GB of total hard drive space, and can output to an eight-speaker sound configuration. The Pavilion Media Center m8330f will be available from $960.
The Pavilion a6330f is specialized for amateur photographers and sports a 500GB hard drive that lets users store over 200,000 digital photos, according to HP's estimates. The a6330f includes HP Photosmart Essentials for editing and backing up photo collections. Images can be uploaded to the computer through either USB 2.0 or through a front-panel 15-in-one memory card reader, and the Pocket Media Drive bay allows for a quick install of additional storage. HP will be offering the Pavilion a6330f starting from $650.
The Pavilion Slimline s3330f
The Pavilion Elite m9100
The Pavilion Media Center m8330f
The Pavilion a6330f
