HP Announces ENVY and SpectreXT Multitouch Ultrabooks Ahead of Windows 8

When it rains, it pours, and these days it’s pouring aluminum. The big names are using consumer electronics show IFA in Berlin to unveil the devices that will usher in Windows 8. Count HP among them with three sleek entries, including an ultrabook with a detachable screen. All three new devices have multitouch displays, emphasizing the importance of touch capabilities for notebooks running Windows 8.

HP ENVY x2

Of the pack, the model that’s going to get the most attention is probably the HP ENVY x2, which HP is referring to as a hybrid PC. That’s the model with the detachable keyboard: use it as a notebook when you need to fire off an email, then detach the screen and use it as a full-featured tablet in your meeting. The screen and keyboard attach with magnets. The ENVY x2 weighs in at only 3.1 pounds and has an 11.6-inch diagonal screen. Webcams are present on the front and back of the screen portion of the ultrabook.

HP SpectreXT TouchSmart Ultrabook

The HP SpectreXT TouchSmart Ultrabook is a bigger beast than the ENVY x2 with a 15.6-inch multitouch IPS display, and HP seems to be targeting it at users who consume and work a lot of media. The ultrabook has tilted speakers, Intel Thunderbolt (it’s the first HP notebook to include it), and a slew of full version software, including Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 and Premier Elements 10.

HP ENVY TouchSmart Ultrabook 4

HP also introduced the ENVY TouchSmart Ultrabook 4, which has a 14-inch multitouch display and measures 23mm. The ultrabook will have some customizability in the form of an AMD graphics card that has an additional 2GB of memory. HP is touting the model’s 8-hour in-use battery life and a backlit keyboard, as well as a ton of HP-branded software.

So what of the hardware? What’s powering these systems? HP hasn’t said much about the guts of its new trio as of yet, which makes sense. With the flood of new systems being announced, many builders are choosing to keep some cards close to the vest.