12.1-Inch Touch-Enabled TouchSmart tm2 Launches

Hewlett Packard, one of the world's most recognizable system vendors, announced today the debut of its new line of ultraportable, mini notebooks, providing users with a new choice for a touch-based computer system. The new lineup includes the much-anticipated TouchSmart tm2 ultraportable, but also the new Mini 5102, 210 and 2102 netbooks. As some of your probably know, the new TouchSmart tm2 builds on the company's experience with the previous tx2 model.

Kicking off with the TouchSmart tm2, the new ultraportable laptop from the Palo Alto, California-based outfit will be available with one of Intel's latest low-voltage Core 2 Duo processors alongside an optional ATI Mobility Radeon discrete graphics card. Featuring a 12.1-inch touch-enabled display, the tm2 comes as a traditional notebook that features a convertible design, enabling users to transform it into a tablet or slate PC. With a 6-cell battery pack, on board, the laptop is said to be capable of providing up to 9 hours of battery life. In addition, the system will be packed with a number of applications, including BumpTop, DigiFish Dolphin and Corel Paint it! Touch.

Available in both standard and touch-enabled versions, the Mini 5102 is the company's first netbook to boast Intel's latest Atom N450 processor. The system has been designed in a lightweight anodized-aluminum enclosure that offers a choice of black, red or blue brushed finishes, according to the systems vendor. Featuring an increasingly popular 10.1-inch display, the netbook is equipped with the optional Broadcom HD video decoder, enabling support for playback of 720- and 1080p videos. There's a choice for a 4-cell and a 6-cell battery pack, with the latter enabling the netbook to deliver up to 10 hours of runtime.

According to HP, the new Mini 210 and 2102 netbooks have been designed to deliver computing in an ultraportable form factor, featuring optional 3G broadband and GPS. Both are featured with a 10.1-inch display and are available with an optional Brightview Infinity HD LED widescreen display. Both models are based on Intel's latest Atom N450 processor, featuring a clock speed of 1.66GHz.

Price wise, the TouchSmart tm2 will be available in the US, starting January 17, with a starting price tag of US$949, while the Mini 5102 will be available later this month for a starting price of US$399. The Mini 210 and 2102 will go on sale tomorrow for US$299 and US$329, respectively.