HP Pavilion dm1 gets Beats Audio, fresh Launch Box UI
updated 12:00 am EDT, Thu September 8, 2011
HP Pavilion dm1 gets mid-life Beats and new apps
HP put out its second PC revamp in as many days on Thursday with an update to the Pavilion dm1. Its 11.6-inch crossover notebook now has Beats Audio processing to get better sound from the speakers and headphones. Faster processors also back it up with AMD's Fusion-based, 1.65GHz E-350 and unspecified low-voltage Intel chips now making their way into the ultralight.
A software update is also part of the revamp. Launch Box groups apps together on the Windows 7 taskbar using a method similar to Microsoft's own app switcher, letting users get iOS-style app groups and save clutter on the desktop or the taskbar.
Battery life is still long through the processor choices and theoretically hits up to 11.5 hours.
Versions of the dm1 will be available both with a conventional, 'charcoal' gray and a unique ash black with a soft finish. Gray versions ship first: an AMD version with the E-450 and its Radeon HD 6320 video, 4GB of RAM, and a 320GB hard drive will start at $400 when it arrives on September 21. A matching Intel version will be ready on October 30 with a bundled optical drive for $600, and the ash black versions of either will be available only late into the fall.
