Launching new back to school laptops and hybrids before the current school year is over may seem unusual, but HP has done just that with a new line of Pavilion and Envy models coming in May and June.

Nothing in the new lineup is especially groundbreaking, but that’s not really the point. Students in need of serviceable laptops or hybrid/convertible notebooks vote with their pockets most of the time, and a number of the new devices address different price points.

 

HP seems to like the 360-degree convertible laptop design that has truly taken hold among PC manufacturers. The benefit of such a form factor is that the laptop can be fully flipped backward to act like a tablet, or set up in “tent mode” to prop it up on a table or other flat surface when needed. Having experimented with this design (among others), HP has opted to spread it out over different lines.

The Pavilion x360 now has updated 11-inch and 13-inch models. Of the two, the 11-inch is the most intriguing because it matches up reasonably well against Apple’s newest MacBook on paper. It sports a fanless design and runs on Intel’s Core M processor, which is exactly the same one the MacBook has. It comes with 4GB of RAM (you can pay extra for 8GB) and 128GB SSD internal storage, with eight hours of rated battery life. Pricing for Canada hasn’t been confirmed, but this configuration will sell for $500 in the U.S.

Contrasting the specs with the MacBook, there is some give and take. The Pavilion x360 has a 720p HD touchscreen, whereas the Retina display on the MacBook is pretty much double the resolution (but no touch). The MacBook starts out at 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. It’s also considerably thinner and lighter, and is the first laptop available to support the new USB-C standard — which is great for early adopters, but the industry still needs to catch up. Battery life is said to be between nine to 10 hours, depending on what you’re doing, but either way, the two aren’t far apart that way.

Where the MacBook comes in gold, silver or space grey, the 11-inch Pavilion comes in silver, sunset red, violet purple and minty green. In pricing, the two are far apart, with the MacBook starting at $1,549 (Cdn.).

The 13-inch Pavilion x360 will only come in silver and sunset red. The entry-level model comes with Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive, 1080p touchscreen and the same 360-degree form factor at a starting price of $530 U.S.

The new Envy x360 follows the same design philosophy with a fully reclining screen, albeit with more emphasis on better components. There are no snazzy colours, so consumers will have to settle for brushed silver, and the 15.6-inch is the only size. There are variations in specs and configurations, but pricing starts at $680 U.S. for the starter version that comes with an Intel Core i5, 720p HD touchscreen, 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive. Upgrading all of those to Core i7, 1080p, 8GB and 1TB, respectively, brings the price up to $900 U.S.

As an aside, these PCs would be the first under HP’s new partnership with audio stalwart Bang & Olufsen, who are essentially replacing Beats. B&O’s Play app is embedded in all the new laptops, allowing users to tinker with and enhance the sound quality like that of an equalizer. However, they haven’t manufactured the speakers, so the partnership is currently software only.

Canadian pricing and availability has yet to be confirmed, and we will update this story once HP releases that information.