HP Works on a Better Computing Experience

Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) announced new initiatives including a protected Web browser and a notebook with battery technology that will last up to 24 hours. According to an unnamed HP source, the company is also working on technology that may circumvent Microsoft Corp. Windows Vista operating system.

Focal Points:

• HP has developed a more secure Web browser in cooperation with Mozilla Foundation and Symantec Corp. to prevent malware and viruses from affecting users' systems. The HP Firefox Virtual Browser uses a secure virtualization layer that separates browsing sessions from the operating system using a virtualized runtime environment. Anything accessed or stored in the runtime environment – including cookies and downloads – can be purged by restarting the application. The HP Firefox Virtual Browser will first appear later this month in the new Compaq dc7900 desktop, and will be available throughout the company's desktop line by the end of November. HP is still determining whether it will make the browser available on its line of enterprise notebooks and remains the top supplier of PCs worldwide.
• The company has also developed a 12-cell lithium ion battery that is capable of enabling the HP EliteBook 6930p notebook computer to last 24 hours on a single charge. This claim trumps Dell, Inc.'s previous longevity claim, made last month, of a notebook that could last 19 hours on a single charge. To be made available in October, the system makes use of newly-introduced solid state drives (SSDs) and can be optioned with a light emitting diode (LED) display and BIOS and driver updates to tweak battery savings. The 12-cell battery is heavy, however, adding 1.8 pounds to the weight of the notebook. No pricing is available for the system yet, but Experton Group expects pricing to fall in the $1,500 range.
• Microsoft has been encouraging PC vendors to deliver their own unique customer experiences by developing software that allows customers to interact using software that rides atop or preempts the Vista operating system. For instance, HP has been working on updating media software and adding touchscreen technology. Now, an undisclosed source speaking on condition of anonymity to The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.'s BusinessWeek publication has stated that the company is flirting with the notion of developing its own mass-market operating system based on Linux. Linux has been gaining additional interest in the client computing space lately as many netbooks are available in Linux varieties. However, Lenovo Group Ltd. announced that it will no longer market Linux as a pre-loaded option on its Web site, though the alternative operating system will still be available to customers via sales representatives or distributors.

Experton Group believes HP is working hard to keep its place atop the PC sales charts by adding innovative new hardware and software offerings to its enterprise and consumer lineups. The idea of virtualized applications is not new, but this is the first time that a hardware vendor has gone so far as to develop virtualized software specifically for competitive differentiation. Virtualizing the Web browser is, perhaps, where the concept makes most sense given users' tendencies to introduce the majority of viruses and malware through casual browsing. While Dell and HP spar for dominance in battery longevity, the requirement for an all-day notebook battery is only of interest to those that frequently fly internationally or are unable to charge their notebooks while on the road all day. IT executives should expect for battery technology to occur both in the use of metering mechanisms that can shut down or slow down unneeded equipment or using cell technology alternatives to lithium ion. For now, it is far easier to extend the usefulness of a battery by engaging the power saving characteristics in systems and looking for the inclusion of advanced technologies in future hardware purchases. The rumor of HP's interest in developing and including its own Linux distribution in future hardware offerings is certainly intriguing. However, Experton Group believes this is highly unlikely given the abundance of Linux distribution vendors already in existence and the company's reliance on an extremely tight relationship with Microsoft. Should parts of this rumor prove themselves true, Experton Group believes HP's primary motivation would be to keep pressure on Microsoft to ensure favorable licensing terms and get the software giant to more closely include the company in future operating system designs. HP may even ask Microsoft to develop some HP-specific capabilities in its forthcoming Windows 7 operating system, but this is highly speculative and does not seem likely at this point.