HP has updated its portfolio of Windows 8.1 devices with an AMD “Temash”-based notebook called the HP Pavilion 10 TouchSmart. As the name suggests, the device sports a 10-inch screen with touch support, making it ideal for students looking for a Windows 8.1 solution that’s easy on the wallet.
According to the specs, the new HP touch notebook features a 10.1 inch LED-lit screen supporting ten-finger touch input and a 1366 x 768 resolution. This screen is backed by an AMD A4-1200 APU clocked at 1.0 GHz, 2 GB of DDR3L RAM clocked at 1066 MHz, and Windows 8: users can update to Windows 8.1 for free through the Windows Store.
The specs also show an SD card reader, DTS Sound+ audio, an integrated HP TrueVision webcam, and Wireless N connectivity (likely single-band only). There’s no Bluetooth, but the notebook packs AMD Radeon HD 8180 Graphics with shared graphics memory (part of the APU), one USB 3.0 port, two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI output, Ethernet and a microphone/audio combo jack.
As for the overall size, the laptop measures 10.74 x 7.66 x 0.89 inches, and weighs 3.20 pounds, making it extremely light. There’s no internal optical drive, but a 320 GB 5400 RPM hard drive and a 3 cell Lithium Ion battery promising up to 5 hours on a single charge rounds out this nice little package. The new laptop also comes with a 1-year limited hardware warranty, and bundled software including 7-Zip and HP SimplePass Identity Protection.
For customers willing to spend a little more, additional options include a 500 GB 5400 RPM hard drive for $15 extra, Office Home and Business 2013 for $80, Office Professional 2013 for $260, Bluetooth for $10 and more. The starting price on HP’s website is $349.99 whereas the notebook costs $299 on Microsoft’s site.
