14 DAY TRIAL // Hewlett-Packard announced the launch of a new line of business-intended mobile computing devices, featuring mainstream laptops like the Compaq 6520 and 6720 models, while the top of the line is the HP Compaq 6820 machine. The high end model 6820 laptop comes equipped with a 17 inch widescreen and it is built on Intel's mobile computing platform, Santa Rosa, while featuring a dedicated AMD/ATI Mobility Radeon graphics card solution and a new and improved external design.
HP Compaq 6820's mainboard is centered around the Intel PM965 chipset which is designed to work with the latest mobile series of Intel processors like the T7500, T7250 or T5470 central processing units from the Core 2 Duo product family. In order to get as much performance a possible form the 6820 machine, HP opted for a dedicated graphics solution based on the ATI Mobility Radeon X1350 graphics processing units which comes which its own video memory, so the system's performance will not be impaired by memory sharing. The 17 inch widescreen display is able to provide users with high resolutions like the native 1440-by-900 and it can be ordered in both matt and glossy versions. On the system memory side, the HP 6280 machines come with a maximum of 4GB of random access memory, while a Serial ATA 5400rpm hard disk drive provides fast access to files and information. An optical disc drive is also provided and users may choose even a DVD burner with support for the LightScribe technology or a combo drive, or the Blu-ray compatible drive.
When it comes to communications and networking, the HP 6280 family of laptops is very well prepared, as it fits a line of products designed for business use. As a part of the Intel Santa Rosa platform, HP integrated in these laptops an Intel 802.11a/b/g wireless networking card which also offers support for the latest 802.11n draft Wi-Fi standard. For wired connections, the 6280 comes with an Ethernet compatible network interface card as well as a legacy 56k modem, while some of the 6280 models even come with built-in Bluetooth capabilities. On the expansion part, the 6280 family of laptops comes with an ExpressCard slot, a Secure Digital slot, three USB ports, and a VGA output.
Unfortunately, the HP 6280 series comes with few security features as it lacks a fingerprint reader, which is quite uncommon on today's laptops. There is no stereo sound either as the Hp machine comes with a single built-in speaker, while the stereo sound is provided through the headphone output, according to the news site laptoping. The manufacturing company, HP, designed the new laptop lines which are now launched as the first products to feature the refreshed casing design approach that includes a silver finish, a drop hinge panel and a scooped-out keyboard that integrates a numeric keypad for easier access.
Users may select from several Microsoft operating systems like Windows Vista Business, Vista Home Basic, or they may choose the FreeDOS system or the Chinese Linux distribution named Red Flag. The line of HP 6280 business laptops comes with a starting price tag of $999 and all models are available through HP's virtual stores.