HP has given credit to their Services division for the profits, despite a decline in software, imaging, and printing revenue. HP is also optimistic about 1Q 2010, and predicting earnings of $0.90 to $0.92 cents a share.

SquareTrade, proprietors of extended warranties, just released a 3-year study that sheds some light on the reliability of laptops and netbooks. The main conclusion that 1 in 3 notebooks fail within three year should come as no surprise. After all, they are portable computers that get banged around. It’s the nature of the beast. However, the study does reveal some other interesting tid-bits, including a handy graph the shows the malfunction rate of the top nine laptop manufacturers.

Feel free to read the whole study here, but here are the main points.

• 31% of notebooks suffer a total failure rate before 3 years
• Netbooks fail 20% more often than laptops
• 5.8% of netbooks malfunction within the first 12 months
• Asus has the best 3-year malfunction rate at 15.6%
• HP has the worst 3-year malfunction rate at 25.6%
• You might want a warranty

Big props goes out to Joe W. for almost correctly guessing the total storage capacity of the CrunchGear staff. His guess of 38.5TB nets him a brand new HP MediaSmart EX495 server. Congrats. Click through to see the total capacity broken down by writer.

In no particular order,

• >Devin: 4.2
• Doug: 3
• Dave: 8.4
• Matt: 8
• Nicholas: 5
• John: 2
• Greg: 8

For a grand total of 38.6TB, which isn’t that much actually. It will probably be double next year at this time

You better act quick. This deal ends today. But if you really need a smaller WHS for, lets say, backup purchases only, the HP MediaSmart LX195 is perfect and Newegg has it on sale just for you.

For only $199, you can get a 640GB HP MediaSmart LX195 server. Sure, the hard drive is little on the small side, but it’s easy enough to upgrade. You can either swap out the hard drive later or plug in an external hard drive for more storage. Windows Home Server makes it easy to add even an external drive to the cluster.

For $199, it even could make a great gift to some technology-fluent parents. The backup and restore feature would be worth it alone. But act fast, the sale ends today.

While I totally believe that HP has more in store for the Envy line, the 14-inch screen size seems a little strange, but not out of question for HP. After all, HP and other PC manufacturers are known for outing every possible combination of hardware and screen size rather than employing Apple’s K.I.S.S strategy. I expected an Envy 17 right away, but it looks like we’ll see a 14-incher first, although the timetable is still in question. [Notebook Review via Engadget]

But why now? Why touch?

This push for touch points to two things. First, we have the Windows 7 launch with some touch capability built-in. Like a proud parent, Microsoft wants to show off what its little baby can do and, as a result, rumor has it that it has forced OEMs to add touch to almost everything in their line. By pushing touch into the pipeline, Microsoft essentially ensures that it won’t face a repeat of the 2001 tablet PC debacle.

This push also comes from fear. If the Apple Tablet hits the streets this year, Windows 7 wants to be in the forefront of touch technology. By adding touch now, they can say they did it first and all of those laptop hunters can add one more bullet point to their arbitrary laptop wishlist (”I want good graphics, ummm, a keyboard, and ummm… lots of room for photos and a touchscreen.”)

Microsoft lost the mobile touchscreen war. They don’t want to lose the coming “desktop” war. While I have my own opinions on that, I will hand it to HP and Sony: their interfaces are gorgeous. The HP interface I saw last week has a number of simple tools – a recipe box, for example, that can take recipes from the web and import them into a private database – as well as the standard stretch’n'drag photo and note-taking applications that make touch actually compelling. Will you ever double-tap on “My Documents” with your finger? Probably not, but perhaps it’s nice to know you have that ability.

In the end, multi-touch will probably rule the day. Future-proofing is fine and more power to Microsoft for being pre-emptive this time. However, the fanboy in me says that Apple will redefine the space shortly and leave these experiments in the dust.

The HP Envy 15 Beats Edition is noice. Look at that beast. You have to respect the matte black on black styling. Apple fanboys can’t say anything about this edition of the HP Envy looking like their MBPs. The Beats Edition looks better. Too bad it suffers from all the downfalls found in the Envy series and carries a $500 premium. At least it comes with the Beats headphones.

Exact specifications aren’t listed just yet, but it’s likely that HP will pack this special edition with the same Core i7, Mobility Radeon HD 4830 system found in the standard Envy 15. This model has the same October 22nd shipping date, but will carry a $2,299 price tag. Worth the extra coin? Hip-hop wannabes probably think so.

[HP via electronista]

The Envy 13 reflects a few trends in Windows hardware. First, consumers are realizing that notebooks are garbage. They are willing to pay a premium for a more powerful computer in a sexier case. Second, Windows 7 is here and it’s ready to kick posterior and jot down identifying information.

The model we tested was running Windows 7 Professional and had an Intel Core Duo 2 L9600 processor running at 2.13 GHz. It also had 3GB of 1067 Mhz memory. Its GeekBench score was 2375. To put this into perspective, this ToughBook scored 1893 and something like the MSI Wind it 837. This is, needless to say, a full-bodied machine. Battery life hit about 3 hours of movie watching.

The Envy is definitely quite a looker. Clad in metal alloy it’s not quite unibody but it does have some very slick design queues that tell you it’s a higher end machine. First, the glass on the screen is flush with the edges of the lid and melds seamlessly a la the Macbook. Then you have some nice dotted detailing on the wrist wrest which, I suspect, will be full of crud after a few weeks. The keys are a bit mushy but the keyboard is big enough for daily use. Then you come to the trackpad.

Your friends won’t “envy” this trackpad. It has two buttons, one on either bottom corner, and a central finger sliding area. It also supports limited gestures including two-fingered scroll but to activate them you need to tap the trackpad. Botton-scrolling is nigh on impossible because your thumb starts to touch the upper touchpad and results in all sorts of scrolling mess. HP tried to make a buttonless trackpad (like another laptop, ahem) but they failed. The trackpad is also very large and very sensitive, resulting in missed tracking every few swipes. This is the Envy’s biggest problem but something that can be accepted and even embraced given enough time and patience.

Like a lover, the HP Envy opens itself slowly and you come to realize the true majesty of future Win7 laptops. The operating system is specially tweaked to match the Envy’s style and the menu bars and buttons all flash for a moment before settling down. This is a nice touch.

The Envy also includes an instant-on OS which allows you to surf the web, run Skype, or listen to music. Is there value in this? That’s debatable, but it’s nice to know it’s there, I suppose.

The fan was a little noisy at boot-up and during major activities but nothing major. There is no optical drive but it has an SD card slot along with HDMI-out, two USB ports, and a headphone port.

Overall I was pleased with the Envy 13. It’s a small laptop with a minor trackpad quirk but it proves that the big guys like HP can still make a quality product without pandering to the Wal-Mart lowendization of the market. That said, guess how much this thing costs. $1,800 in this configuration. Oof.

Given that the cheapest 13-inch MacBook (I know, that word again) costs $1,199, the premium placed on this laptop is a little rough. Presumably this one is for the trendy early adopters, those who want Win7 Pro the very first week it’s on the market, and, to be fair, there’s a lot of machine here for the size.

Bottom Line
Windows 7 is going to be the belle of the ball in the next few months so expect lots of machines like the Envy to hit stores. While that price is fairly rough, there will be few options for folks who want the Win7 Pro experience on a laptop and those few options will be expensive. Manufacturers will have to clear out their Vista/XP netbooks before moving to Win7 and even then they won’t want to come down much in price. It’s the premium play all over again and it will suck for a while.

Also remember that this is based on the higher-end Voodoo Envy, a machine with a high price tag. Can HP take out the Voodoo DNA and sell laptops under the same branding without losing customers? Debatable, but we’ll have to see.

However, if you’re looking for a stylish, fairly powerful notebook with enough horses to run Win7, this is one of the better models out there. Give it a second look.

Product Page

Like many of you, my knowledge of Greenpeace begins and ends with that one Seinfeld episode, the one where the NBC executive, so in love with Elaine, freaks out and joins the organization in order to impress her. That is to say I don’t really understand the “point” of the organization, or who appointed it the protector of the environment. But, it is, somehow, so let’s roll with it. Good news for HP and Apple: Greenpeace hates you two a little bit less today! Break out the champagne!

Now, what have Apple and HP done to get on Greenpeace’s good side? We brought up Apple’s efforts to placate the environmental organization the other day, but to recap: Apple cut a whole bunch of garbage from its products, and does a lot to make sure its factories are as green as possible. So that’s what Apple did.

Meanwhile, over in HP Land, those guys have “[put] a PC on the market that is virtually free of PVC (vinyl plastic) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs).”

And who is Greenpeace’s favorite company? That would be Nokia. There’s a whole list of who are, in Greenpeace’s estimation, the greenest companies out there. The worst company? Nintendo! All those nuclear powered Wiis out there!

But like I said the other day, I really don’t know too many people who buy things based on their environmental impact. Can I afford it, and does it work well? That’s what I figure most people are thinking when they walk into the mall.

There’s not much more info but it seems this just needs one more signature from CEO Mark Hurd to be complete.

We’ll have more on this little gem this week but I present to you the HP Envy 13, the first netbook notebook (HP is citing the heavy-duty Core 2 Duo processor in there) I’d actually consider buying. It hit 2813 on Geekbench, lasted about three hours on one charge, and is smaller and lighter than a MacBook. Best of all it runs Windows 7 Professional like a champ and has HP’s instant-on technology for quick media and communications applications. Hot, hot stuff. Click through for a gallery and expect a review on Friday.

Oh my God is that the HP Pavilion dv3, complete with a fancy touchscreen? Oh my God it is! And is that the Engadget watermark? Oh my God it is! Man those guys are crazy!

So some upcoming HP product material “leaked” (things don’t “leak” without a reason), and featured rather prominently is the HP Pavilion dv3. I’m hesitant to call it a netbook because its screen is much too large for the typical netbook definition. Yet HP applies the “Your digital world in your hands!” tag line, which leads me to believe it will be marketed as such.

In any event, the specs are right there for all to see. Considering I haven’t used an HP device since probably 1998, I can’t exactly predict how HP’s fans will react. A simple yea or nay will suffice.

Also leaked in the product materials: the HP Pavilion dm1 and Pavilion dv8.

I guess HP has come a long way since 1998!

That’s a spicy meatball as far as pricing is concerned, although you do get a few more bells and whistles than you’d get with a standard digital photo frame.

Features include the following:

• 2GB of built-in memory with expansion via USB and flash memory cards
• Wireless photo and music streaming over your home network
• Pandora streaming
• HP SmartRadio – live streaming audio from over 10,000 radio stations
• Facebook status updates, photos, and upcoming events
• Snapfish access
• Touch controls and remote (not a touchscreen, but the outer frame itself features touch-sensitive buttons)
• Alarm clock and weather functions

Here’s a thorough review from DigitalPictureFrameReview.com if you’re interested. [Thanks for sending this in, Ben]

HP DreamScreen 100 [HP Store]

HP DreamScreen 130 [HP Store]

If you follow the Dutch design scene as closely as I do, you’ll be thrilled to hear that the one and only Studio Tord Boontje has created “the industry’s first three-dimensional PC surface technology” and worked it into HP’s Mini 110 netbook line.

Okay, I’ll admit that I don’t actually follow the Dutch design scene as closely as I should because I don’t know what the hell HP is talking about here. Ah, some clarification:

“The HP Mini 110 features the debut of HP Imprint 3-D, the industry’s first 3-D PC surface technology. Multiple layers on the top cover are used to make the art appear to float on the surface while casting shadows onto lower layers. This new technology brings a depth to Boontje’s intricate pattern of plants and animals.”

Um… that’s… cool? Other than that, the Mini 110 will ship on October 18th for $399 with Windows 7 Starter preinstalled. The actual hardware looks like it hasn’t changed much – Atom CPU, 10.1-inch LCD, 2.68 pounds – the Mini 110 has been available for a while, after all.

This new design has somehow gotten heavier, though: up from 2.25 pounds. Maybe all those crazy 3D layers add some heft.

Press release

The unannounced HP Envy 13 and 15 popped up today on a couple of foreign sites just as Rahul Sood, Voodoo founder, Twittered about something new coming. Let’s just assume that the HP Envy 13 and 15 is what he’s talking about. They seem like solid performing notebooks, but what’s the Envy naming doing there?

HP’s high performance line, Voodoo, also uses the Envy product name for its mobile computers but this notebook isn’t branded a Voodoo product. So what the hell is going on here? Has HP changed its product focus and showing the Voodoo brand the door? Or is the HP Envy 13 the first product in a line that will take cues from Voodoo products? It could be both.

There is still a certain degree of esteem with owning a computer from a boutique manufacture like Voodoo or Alienware. It’s somewhat like driving a BMW 5 Series verses a Pontiac G8 because while the G8 might technically be a better performer at a lower price, the BMW is put together so much better.

But both Voodoo and Alienware are owned by HP and Dell respectively. It’s tough times in the consumer electronic world and we’ve already seen the Alienware brand become more mainstream with the recent announcement of an Alienware-branded keyboard, mouse, headset, and LCD. What’s happening is that Dell is trying to milk the highly-regarded brand. The same thing might be happening in a different way with Voodoo and HP.

Voodoo has always been known for killer looking, high performance systems and that didn’t change once HP bought the company. In fact, its rigs only got better. The Voodoo Envy 133 is one of the best looking notebooks I have ever seen and is wildly different than anything else in the HP lineup. It has sharp lines, no fluff, and is very clean.

But while the new model maintains the naming scheme, the look has been very HP-ified for the new notebook even though you can still kind of see the Voodoo influence. The HP Envy 13 now has a rounded-off and a more mainstream look. I wouldn’t be surprised if this notebook will eventually be available in a wide range of colors. The HP Envy 13 might have taken notes off the Voodoo Envy 133, but it doesn’t have the same sex appeal at all.  HP hasn’t even announced the specs on the new Envy 13 but it doesn’t matter. Even if the notebook runs a quad-core in the tiny package, it will still will not be the same as an HP product.

But then again, perhaps the HP Envy 13 is just another notebook and has nothing to do with the Voodoo brand. Maybe the product designers just liked the Voodoo Envy 133 enough that they carried over the name. Even though HP hasn’t announced anything about the new notebook, chances are that this model will sport everything that the Voodoo Envy 133 had months ago, but at a much lower price when it eventually launches.

Hopefully the HP Envy 13 isn’t a sign that the Voodoo brand is being absorbed by HP entirely. The Voodoo brand used to be something special. Hopefully HP knows that.

Until September 16, HP is giving away six HP Photosmart Premium TouchSmart printers as part of their HP PRINT 09 Innovation Sweepstakes. All you have to do is send a Tweet on Twitter for your chance to win!

HP is giving away six HP Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web printers between September 11 and September 16. All you need to do is tweet about the innovation that you think will change printing or publishing forever and incorporate the #hpprint09 hashtag. Participants can be creative with their tweets, or retweet the sample tweet below from HP, but the important thing to remember is to tag it with #hpprint09 and then follow @HP_IPG to find out if they’ve won.