HP announces three Windows 8 laptops, including the Envy m4 and affordable new Sleekbooks

HP has announced three new Windows 8 laptops, the Envy m4 and two Sleekbooks, which offer Ultrabook style at a reasonable price.

Hewlett Packard continues to build its range of Windows 8 computers and tablets with the announcement of three new laptops, this time aimed at the lower-end of the market.

The first model falls into the Envy range, and is named the Envy m4. Like other Envys, it has a brushed aluminum finish and will use Intel i3 or i5 processors, with the option to boost the RAM to a maximum of 8GB. There’s a choice of adding a 32GB SSD to the standard hard drive too, which can be upgraded to contain 1TB of space.

Fold back the screen and you’ll be presented with a 14-inch display, but the 1366 x 768 pixel resolution is a little disappointing. The keyboard is backlit, the battery is supposed to offer 8 hours of use before charging, Beats Audio has been added and there’s a fingerprint scanner for extra security.

Joining the Envy m4 are two Pavilion Sleekbooks, which is HP’s way of saying they bring Ultrabook style to Pavilion range, but aren’t as powerful and considerably more affordable. The Sleekbook 14 and Sleekbook 15 are the two models in question, with the 14-inch version coming with an AMD processor, while the 15.6-inch Sleekbook is given an Intel Ivy Bridge chip and the option of a discrete Nvidia graphics card.

As with the Envy, buyers can spec a 32GB SSD to accompany the hard drive, which again maxes out at 1TB. The Sleekbook 15 also has a number pad next to the keyboard, plus other features across both models include an HD webcam, HDMI and USB 3.0 ports, Dolby Advanced Audio and a choice of black or red finishes.

So, on to the prices. The Envy m4 has been given a base price of $899, while the Sleekbook 14 starts at a reasonable $499 and the Sleekbook 15 from $599. All three will go on sale from October 26, which coincidentally, is Windows 8’s launch date.