HP Athlon Neo-Based dv2 Laptop

Shortly after AMD announced the netbook-friendly Yukon platform at CES 2009, HP was the first out of the gate with a notebook including the new Athlon Neo processor, the HP Pavilion dv2. A second, the dv3, is targeted at the mainstream. The HP Pavilion dv2 doesn't have the characteristics of a netbook. The system weighs in at 3.8 pounds and houses a 12-inch widescreen – but it still utilizes the Neo CPU, to great effect. Both AMD and HP are aiming at the $600-$900 void left by the ultraportable and netbook segments, and this model fits right into that niche. The new Pavilion dv3, meanwhile, is available with myriad AMD Turion 64 X2 and Athlon processor options and will target mainstream users. The dv2's thin build and lustrous cover are backed by a strong metal, a magnesium alloy, which provides stability without adding weight. The system's incredible thinness is the result of the Athlon Neo's small footprint and the omission of an optical drive. The unit measures 9.5 inches high by 11.5 inches wide by 0.93 inches deep, and is as heavy as ultraportables such as the Lenovo Thinkpad X200s and the Apple Macbook 13-inch (Aluminum). The dv2's 12-inch widescreen is not as common as the 10-inch ones found on the MSI Wind and the Asus eeePC 1002HA but that's not to say that it's terribly unusual. For instance, the Dell Mini 12 netbook has a 12-inch widescreen. At 92 percent, the dv2's keyboard is not full size, which is a little disappointing since 12-inch frames with full-size keyboards are a dime a dozen these days. Feature highlights include three USB ports and HDMI-Out. The dv2's storage capacity goes up to a 500-GB hard drive. It's also loaded with every wireless feature imaginable, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and WWAN with Gobi. The 1.6-GHz AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 processor is the highlight of the dv2, featuring a 512KB L2 cache and a thermal envelope of 15 watts. As with any platform, the processor is paired with a graphics chipset. In this case, the dv2 runs the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3410. The system supports up to 4GB of DDR2 memory (533MHz), and battery options include a 4-cell (40WH) and a 6-cell (55WH) offering. The dv3 should be a familiar sight to Pavilion owners, as it features HP's signature imprint finish underneath a glossy coating. The interior is made up of a metallic finish, with a color-matched full-size keyboard. The unit weighs 3.8 pounds, which is as heavy as the 12-inch dv2, and measures 9 inches by 12.2 inches by 1.2 inches (HWD). The 13-inch widescreen is similar to the ones found on the Lenovo Ideapad U330 and the Dell XPS M1330 featuring a 1,280- X 800 pixel resolution. Other specifications include 2 USB ports, HDMI-Out, and an e-SATA and USB combo port. Hard drives go up to 400 GB; Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are offered, but not WWAN. There is a wide selection of AMD Turion 64 X2 and Athlon processors to choose from for the dv3, and memory is expandable to 8 GB. The graphics chipset is an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3200, and battery capacities are bigger than the dv2's, featuring 6-cell (55WH) and 9-cell (85WH) options. According to HP, the dv3 will be available in January, and the dv2 will be out in April.