HP has launched a new 'netbook' style 10-inch laptop sporting one of AMD's Jaguar-based chips. The HP Pavilion 10z Touch Laptop is equipped with an AMD Dual-Core E1 Micro-6200T Processor with AMD Radeon R2 Graphics. This is one of AMD's 'Mullins' APUs. However this is also one of the slowest such APUs that AMD offers, with its two CPU cores clocked at just 1.4GHz.
The inclusion of this Mullins APU in a new netbook is seen as a "major design win" by The Tech Report. This laptop is clearly aimed towards the cheap portables market which Microsoft is helping to make more fertile, via its Windows 8.1 with Bing operating system, in the hope of extinguishing Chromebook upstarts. Let's take a look at the specs that you will get for your hard earned $249.99…
HP Pavilion 10z Touch Laptop specifications
- Screen: 10.1-inch diagonal HD WLED-backlit Display (1366x768) Touchscreen
- Processor: AMD Dual-Core E1 Micro-6200T Processor with AMD Radeon R2 Graphics
- RAM: 2GB DDR3L System Memory
- Storage: 500GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
- Ports and interfaces: 1 USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0, 1 HDMI, 1 RJ-45, 1 headphone microphone combo, multi-format SD media card reader, Miracast display compatibility, 10/100 Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi (you can also choose a free Bluetooth upgrade)
- Media features: VGA webcam (front-facing) with integrated digital microphone, dual speaker system
- Input: Standard keyboard and multi-touch gesture supporting touchpad
- Battery: 3-cell 24WHr Lithium-ion Battery with estimated 4hr battery life
- Size/Weight: 193 x 273 x 22.6mm, 1.14 kg
- OS: Windows 8.1 with Bing, 64 bit
While HP claims this laptop is "built for mobility" the battery life on offer is rather disappointing at just around 4 hours. The APU operates at a 3.95W TDP but the choice of other components such as the 3-cell 24WHr Lithium-ion battery don't help contribute to long spells away from a wall socket. It must also be said that this laptop is pretty chunky at 22.6mm thick considering the lack of ODD and general low power components. Larger capacity batteries aren't available in HP's customise and buy options.
It would be fascinating to see some benchmarks for this latest HP effort to gauge how well it stacks up against other Windows notebooks and convertibles around this price point. Remember Microsoft is aiming to "compete to Win vs Chromebooks," so it said at its Worldwide Partner Conference last week. At that time it showed a slide featuring two $249.99 notebooks from Acer and Toshiba. Both appear to trump HP's new Pavilion 10z Touch Laptop in one way or another, although we don't have the full specs of the Toshiba device as yet.
The HP Pavilion 10z touch laptop is available to purchase direct from HP in the US, it costs $249.99 with free standard shipping.
