During my visit to AMD's Austin, Texas offices last week, I managed to get my hands on an early example of the HP Pavilion dv2, the forthcoming category-breaking product based on AMD's Atom-killer, the Athlon Neo. As we've already reported, the dv2 will feature a 12.1" display and will thus be larger than a netbook, but it will be under an inch thick, weigh 3.8 pounds, and list for $699 when it debuts in a month or two. So we're looking at a very nice ultraportable laptop for not much more money than some higher-end netbooks...
The dv2's keyboard has a no-compromises feel, like many 12" laptops, and the touchpad is happily enormous, with a dedicated scrolling area on the right. As you can see, the enclosure looks sleek and thin in Charlie Demerjian's stubby hands. With luck, the dv2 should be a roaring success, prompting other notebook makers to step up, as well, and plug the gap between low-cost netbooks and too-expensive ultraportables with affordable intermediate options in the 10"-13.3" range.
