HP's Back-to-School Lineup Includes Colorful x360 Convertibles And Pavilion Notebooks

Wait, it’s back-to-school season already? I thought kids were still in school? Either my calendar is wrong or Hewlett-Packard is just way ahead of schedule with its 2015 line of back-to-school computers. The new laptops and convertibles encompass three different lines including the Pavilion x360, ENVY x360, and the venerable Pavilion notebook family.

We’ll start off with the Pavilion x360 line which includes refreshed 11- and 13-inch models. The 11-inch model (HD display) features a fanless design and can be equipped with Intel Pentium or Celeron processors. However, those craving a little bit more performance will probably want to opt for the Intel Core M-5Y10C processor (which helps the tiny convertible achieve just over 8 hours of runtime). Customers can configure the machine to include up to 8GB of RAM, and it will be available in silver, red, purple, and mint green.

A base system with 4GB of RAM, a Pentium N3700 processor, and a 500GB HDD will set you back $409. Opting for the Intel Core M processor with 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD will cost you $499.99.

Moving on to the 13-inch (HD display) Pavilion x360, this model ups the ante with fifth-generation Intel Core i3 and Core i5 processors. Battery life is also boosted over the smaller 11-inch model to a respectable 10 hours and 45 minutes (this marks a two-and-a-half-hour improvement over its predecessor). When it comes to storage duties, you can configure the machine with up to a 1TB HDD or up to a 128GB SSD. If you wish, you can also add up to 16GB of RAM to the machine and a Full HD display.

The base 13-inch Pavilion x360 starts at $529.99 and includes an HD display, Core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB HDD. Color options for the 13-inch model are cut down to just red and silver.

Up next is the ENVY x360 which brings with it fifth-generation Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors along with discrete NVIDIA graphics. And like the 13-inch Pavilion x360, the ENVY x360 can be configured with a Full HD IPS display. The convertible will last up to 8 hours and 45 minutes with its 48 watt-hour battery (a nice improvement over the 7-hour rating of its predecessor) and can be configured with up to 16GB of RAM and up to a 1TB HDD (or up to 256GB SSD). Unfortunately, HP doesn’t seem to think that the ENVY x360 is worthy of colorful chassis options, so you’ll only find silver brushed metal on this model. We should also note that since Apple purchased longtime HP partner Beats in 2014, HP has been forced to team up with another audio partner for the Pavilion x360 and ENVY x360. If you ask me, its new friend, Bang & Olufsen, is a wise choice.

Pricing for the ENVY x360 ranges from $679.99 for a base system (Core i5, HD display, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD) to $899.99 for a higher spec model (Core i7, FHD display, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD). Optional extras like 16GB and a 128GB or 256GB SSD will of course bump the price up even further.

All of the convertible notebooks feature a full-sized HDMI port, two USB 3.0 ports, and one USB 2.0 port. The ENVY x360 goes one step further by including an HB USB Sleep and Charge port.

HP hasn’t forgotten about those students that want a traditional laptop, so it has also updated its Pavilion notebook family. The Pavilion family is chock full of options including 14-, 15-, and 17-inch displays (with or without touch functionality, and with HD and FHD options) and your choice of sixth generation AMD Core A-Series or fifth-generation Intel Core processors (Core i3, i5, i7). HP also says the new Pavilion laptops are lighter then their predecessor and will last longer on a charge.

The 14-inch Pavilion starts with a Core i3 processor, HD display, 6GB of RAM and a 750GB HDD for $549.99. The 15-inch model features the same specs, but upgrades the HDD to 1TB for $599.99. The 17-inch Pavilion starts off with a Pentium Dual Core processor, HD display, 4GB of RAM, and a 750GB HDD for $479.99. The Pavilion notebooks are available in silver, white, red, blue, purple, pink and black.

The 11- and 13-inch Pavilion x360, ENVY x360, and Pavilion notebooks will be available May 21, June 18, and May 13 respectively from hpshopping.com.