HP Launches Stream Line Of Affordable Windows Notebooks And Tablets To Take On Chromebooks
All vendors take note -- the secret to success is price. It wasn't until Android tablets undercut the iPad on cost of ownership that they found an audience, and the reason Chromebooks are selling so well is because they're cheap, not because they're preferred over Windows laptops. Hewlett-Packard is one of the first OEMs to figure this out, as evidenced by its new like of affordable Stream laptops and tablets. Just don't expect HP to come right out and say it so bluntly -- rather than tout price, the OEM is pitching style and the allure of Windows.
"Today’s consumers demand mobile products that fit their personal style and allow them to work and play where ever they are," said Mike Nash, vice president, Product Management, Consumer Personal Systems, HP. "The HP Stream products announced today hit the mark with sleek design, portability, access to free cloud storage, and the familiarity of Windows and Office 365."
There are three versions of the HP Stream in laptop form. They include the recently introduced 14-inch model, along with today's new 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch additions, all three of which are thin and light models. These new systems are fanless PCs with HD displays and optional touch support on the 13.3-inch model. They boast colorful designs, Intel Celeron dual-core processors, 32GB of eMMC flash memory, DTS sound, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, plenty of ports, optional 4G with 200MB of free data each month on the 13.3-inch version, and up to 8 hours and 15 minutes of battery life.
Of course, as we mentioned the main selling point here is price. The 11.6-inch model starts at $199.99 and the 13.3-inch version starts at $229.99.
The Stream category also flows into HP's tablet line with the 7-inch HP Stream 7 and 8-inch HP Stream 8. Both sport Intel hardware inside and include one year of Office 365 Personal and 60 minutes of Skype each month, 1TB of OneDrive storage for a year, and a full Windows 8.1 experience. The HP Stream 8 also includes an optional 200MB of free 4G data each month with no annual contract for the life of the device.
One again, the prices are noteworthy. The HP Stream 7 carries an MSRP of just $99.99 and the HP Stream 8 starts at $149.99.
All of the new Stream products will be available in November.
"Today’s consumers demand mobile products that fit their personal style and allow them to work and play where ever they are," said Mike Nash, vice president, Product Management, Consumer Personal Systems, HP. "The HP Stream products announced today hit the mark with sleek design, portability, access to free cloud storage, and the familiarity of Windows and Office 365."
There are three versions of the HP Stream in laptop form. They include the recently introduced 14-inch model, along with today's new 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch additions, all three of which are thin and light models. These new systems are fanless PCs with HD displays and optional touch support on the 13.3-inch model. They boast colorful designs, Intel Celeron dual-core processors, 32GB of eMMC flash memory, DTS sound, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, plenty of ports, optional 4G with 200MB of free data each month on the 13.3-inch version, and up to 8 hours and 15 minutes of battery life.
Of course, as we mentioned the main selling point here is price. The 11.6-inch model starts at $199.99 and the 13.3-inch version starts at $229.99.
The Stream category also flows into HP's tablet line with the 7-inch HP Stream 7 and 8-inch HP Stream 8. Both sport Intel hardware inside and include one year of Office 365 Personal and 60 minutes of Skype each month, 1TB of OneDrive storage for a year, and a full Windows 8.1 experience. The HP Stream 8 also includes an optional 200MB of free 4G data each month with no annual contract for the life of the device.
One again, the prices are noteworthy. The HP Stream 7 carries an MSRP of just $99.99 and the HP Stream 8 starts at $149.99.
All of the new Stream products will be available in November.
