HP releases new ‘green’ Phoenix and Verde desktops with 25.5″ display

October 20, 2008 by J.R. Nelson Reads (3,624)

HP released today new consumer desktops aimed at consumers looking for style and performance — while still staying on the greener side of life. Among the announcements were the Phoenix and Verde desktops with artistic-inspired stylings and a new 25.5″ display. Both computers come with Windows Vista 64-bit (and kudos to HP for stepping up and sending out 64-bit versions of the operating system) and up to, oddly enough, five gigabytes of RAM. They also come with a 15-in-1 memory card reader and LightScribe capable SuperMulti drive.

The Verde desktop, seen above, features a front pattern derived from nature, according to HP, and this special edition a6645f machine continues in the trend by using a lower-powered AMD Athlon X2 4850e dual-core chip (2.5 GHz). HP also includes a 500GB hard drive. Verde will only be available at Circuit City locations starting on November 9th. It will retail for $579.

The Phoenix desktop is a special edition a6655f and has a chassis design which symbolizes the phoenix of lore. This desktop offers a Phenom X4 9150e quad-core cpu (1.8GHz) and 640GB hard drive. Best Buy will be the exclusive retailer for the Phoenix, which will also be available November 9th, retailing for $659.

The real attraction in today’s announcements, however, was the new 25.5″ display. The new HP w2558hc offers consumers a 1920×1200 resolution, along with HDMI inputs, a 15-in-1 memory card reader, USB2.0 hub, speakers and a 2 megapixel webcam. The TN-based display certainly tries to free up desk clutter, and looks like it will succeed admirably. HP did add another interesting feature into the display – when the computer is turned off, a memory card can be inserted into the reader in the monitor, and the w2558hc will display pictures and video, much like a large picture frame. It’s available now both in stores and from HP directly for $599.

HP managed to secure EPEAT-Silver certifications for their new desktops, thanks to the energy-efficient variants of AMD’s processors. They also ship standard with more stringent power management settings than most desktop PCs and use 100% recyclable shipping materials. The new display scored an Energy Star qualification and also offers power saving features designed to cut its requisite utility costs.