Looking further into '09
The svelte lines make the dv2 a good-looking machine. It needs to be, too, as the starting price of $699 is reasonably steep for a notebook with integrated graphics (X1250) and, obviously, no optical drive. The standard screen resolution is 1,280x800 on a 12.1in panel.
HP will also retail a model with a super-slim Blu-ray drive in situ, rather than the USB-powered, proof-of-concept you see above. The top-of-the-line dv2, comprising of 1.6GHz Neo CPU, Radeon HD 3410 graphics, and Blu-ray player will cost close to $1,000.
Whilst undeniably attractive, we'd be inclined to wait for the next generation based on the present 780G chipset, codenamed Congo. It should provide switchable graphics for better battery life, XGP port for external graphics. NVIDIA's ION platform also shows promise, so 2009 will be especially interesting from a mobile point of view.
AMD alluded to a low-power Neo processor operating at 1GHz and drawing around 8W under load. Knowing this, we reckon that Q2 2009 should see AMD-based 'netbooks' appear on the scene, backed up by a 690G-class chipset with built-in high-def. decode support. That should ruffle some feathers.
What do you think? Does AMD/HP have it right with the dv2? What would you like to see from an AMD 'netbook'?
