HP Unveils Business PC Line

Hewlett-Packard plans to release three business desktop PCs and two monitors in October, expanding its PC line in the fourth quarter.

HP will launch its second generation e-PC, the e-PC 40. The new unit is 3.7 inches wide, 9.8 inches high, and 11 inches deep, and weighs under ten pounds. The system features upgradeable memory and has an Intel Celeron processor running at up to 1GHz. Pentium 4 models will be released in December. The e-PC has also gone through an image makeover, with the new version a two-tone black and off-white design.

While the e-PC still features only four components--a hard drive, power supply, system chassis, and memory--it comes loaded with diagnostic software.

"If something goes wrong with it, you can diagnose it in about five minutes," says Mike White, North American marketing manager for HP's business desktop division. E-PC bundles HP's e-Diagtools and Toptools for systems diagnosis. Customers can also purchase an optional "integration kit," which lets you actually mount a flat panel display onto the e-PC to save space, White says. The e-PC is scheduled to ship on October 1, and pricing will depend on configuration. The Celeron models are expected to start at $579, and the Pentium 4 version, from $849.

Vectras Revamped

HP is also set to launch the Vectra VL420 Pentium 4 desktop, which will be available in three sizes: regular desktop, minitower, or smaller desktop, all three with the same software configuration.

The VL420 will feature three slots for memory upgrades, and four USB ports. The system will also feature Intel's 845 chip set, using SDRAM instead of Rambus memory, in order to lower the overall cost of the system, White says. An optional DVD writer, as well as 802.11b wireless connectivity, are available as add-ons for the VL420. The Vectra VL420, also scheduled to be available October 1, will carry a retail price of approximately $899.

In addition to preparing for the launch of the new systems in the fourth quarter, HP also simplified its business product line into two areas: the professional line, which includes the products above, as well as its high-end VL800 desktop; and the low-end line, which currently features one PC: the new Vectra XE310.

Utilities, Extras Offered

The XE310 is HP's most affordable business PC, and features built-in tools for troubleshooting, tool-less access to internal components, and Intel Celeron processors up to 1.1GHz, with support for even faster Celerons from January, White said.

The XE310 features Toptools, which backs up hard drive data onto a small, unused section of the drive, in case a recovery is needed. Toptools can also be used to back information up to a server, in case of a total hard drive crash, White says. The XE310 is scheduled to ship October 1, with prices beginning at $549.

HP will also launch two monitors from its Professional line in the fourth quarter. The company will launch the HP L1520, a 15-inch LCD monitor, priced at $499; and the P1130, a 21-inch flat panel CRT, which will cost $849. Both monitors are also scheduled to be available on October 1.