HP Rolls Out Envy 8 Note, Premium Clients

11 PCs Ideal For Windows 10 Upgrades

On Wednesday HP announced the HP Envy 8 Note, a Windows 10 tablet with a 10-inch keyboard that the company says combines the convenience and portability of a tablet with the accessories needed for serious productivity.

The new tablet was part of a series of client hardware announcements by HP on Wednesday that also included new premium PCs, notebooks, and all-in-ones -- all new client hardware that will hit the market in the weeks before or after HP Inc. officially becomes a separate company selling personal systems and printers.

While much of the technology announced this week is aimed at the consumer market, chances are executives will gravitate towards these particular devices. Some are designed for stylish portability and productivity while others are designed to impress at the desktop.

For instance, the Envy 8 Note tablet is equipped with an 8-inch diagonal screen that is 7.7 millimeters thick and weighs 0.8 pounds. There's an optional 10-inch aluminum Note Keyboard Folio. The tablet also includes HP Instant Note, note-taking software enabled by a "pen" button that captures content and embeds links to Web pages to eliminate extra copy-and-paste steps.

"Customer feedback on previous generation tablets focused on how they like to use tablets for productivity on the go, so we created a device that offers the portability of an 8 inch tablet with the productivity of a small notebook," Michael Park, vice president and general manager for HP's Commercial Mobility and Software Business Personal Systems, wrote in an Oct. 7 statement. "The HP Envy 8 Note combines the portability of a Windows 10 optimized tablet with a nearly full-size premium keyboard that doubles as a protective case for the tablet."

[Looking for more on the state of the PC market? Read PC Market Continues Slow, Steady Growth.]

The HP Envy 8 Note is powered by an Intel Atom processor, and has up to 6.25 hours of battery life. The display is layered with Corning Gorilla Glass for durability. It includes a module for Verizon 4G LTE service. (A choice of Verizon plans is offered.) It also includes two cameras -- one rear-facing at 5 megapixels with autofocus and one front-facing at 2 megapixels.

The HP Envy 8 Note has a micro SIM card slot, a micro SD card reader, and a micro USB 2.0 OTG port for charging and connecting accessories. The optional keyboard also has a micro USB 2.0 port for charging. The device will be available at retail on Nov. 8. Prices start at $329 for the tablet and stylus. HP is also bundling the device along with the keyboard folio in a package priced at $429.

HP also announced a series of additional premium client PCs and notebooks, promoting what it says are one-of-a-kind form factors and sleek designs, plus high-end audio technology by Bang & Olufsen. These new devices include the following:

"We are excited to extend our premium portfolio with new PCs that have a number of firsts -- including a detachable with a metal keyboard featuring full-travel keys, the world’s widest curved all-in-one and our thinnest notebook ever -- designed to give customers amazing experiences," said Mike Nash, vice president, portfolio strategy and customer experience for HP Personal Systems.