HP intros Nvidia-powered 17-inch notebook

HEWLETT PACKARD said its 17-inch screen notebook, which comes with 802.11g wireless and Geforce FX Go5600 graphics, gives comparable performance to a desktop PC, and has a full size keyboard to boot, the company claims today.

The ZD 7000 is configured with Intel "portability" Pentium 4s up to 3.20GHz supporting hyperthreading, and also has an integrated 5-1 digital media reader card, a 1394 Firewire video port, and four USB 2.0 ports.

The 17-inch LCD display has 1440x 900 WXGA+ resolution, the firm said.

The machine costs $1,499 for the lowest configuration and will be available later this month. HP says the design weighs 9.3lbs, and measures 1.8-inches thick.

It also can be provided with a $250 notebook expansion base which has built in Altec Lansing speakers, includes a 10/100 Ethernet connection, and modem and serial connections. µ

* HP INTRODUCED a lot of other products today in New York, under the slogan "enjoy yourself" or some such. But we thought the notebook was far more interesting than the printers, scanners, digicams and other gizmos Carly Fiorina introduced. Cnet has gone for it, and wonders if there's marketing mumbo jumbo involved, as you can read here.