HP launches desktop computers the size of hockey pucks

Hewlett-Packard is announcing today two tiny desktop computers that it hopes will resonate with style-conscious consumers.

The Palo Alto, Calif.-based computer giant says it hopes to reinvent the desktop with its Pavilion and Stream Mini Desktops, which are small yet powerful. They’re also energy-efficient and designed to fit in any room of the house.

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“The desktop tower PC continues to be a focal point in the home for sharing, creating, and entertaining,” Mike Nash, vice president of product management for HP’s Consumer Personal Systems, said in a statement. “The HP Pavilion and HP Stream Mini Desktops deliver the benefits of a traditional desktop PC in a package that looks good sitting on a desk and is small enough to fit into an entertainment center.”

The HP Pavilion Mini Desktop and the Stream Mini Desktop are each only 2.06 inches high and 1.6 pounds. They fit in the palm of your hand but run Windows 8.1 and support processors up to the Intel Core i3. They have dual display support with DisplayPort and HDMI compatible ports.

The Pavilion draws up to 45 watts of power, compared to 250 for a typical tower PC. It has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, but does not have an optical drive. It has four USB ports. The Pavilion comes in white and will be available in the U.S. on Jan. 14 for $320 with an Intel Pentium 3558U processor, 4 GB RAM, keyboard and mouse, and a 500 GB Hard Disk Drive (HDD).

The HP Stream Mini Desktop has a starting price of $180, and it includes an Intel Celeron 2957U processor, 2 GB RAM, and a 32 GB SSD.