HP shows its new CES products early as the tech circus draws near

Hoping to grab the limelight before the giant tech circus of the Consumer Electronics Show next week, Hewlett-Packard is unveiling several new computer products today.

The products show that HP continues to emphasize industrial design along with a practical, low-cost approach to computers. It hopes to match rivals such as Apple on the look, feel, and ease-of-use of products, without high price tags. These aren’t revolutionary products (HP is smart not to wait until CES next week in Las Vegas), but they may sell a lot because they deliver a lot of computing power for low prices.

The new products include a 27-inch All-in-One PC, a big monitor with a computer built into it that has the biggest screen yet in this series of computers for consumers. The non-touch HP Omni27 PC (pictured above) features HP’s touch-oriented Magic Canvas software that offers an app-like experience for opening and closing files or viewing photos and videos. With the Magic Canvas user interface, you can use a mouse to click on arrows to shift from one application to another, rotating the apps as if they were on a carousel.

The Omni27 PC has an edge-to-edge glass design and tilts up 25 degrees, allowing users to adjust the high-definition screen to a comfortable viewing level. You can use HP LinkUp to display and edit content from a laptop on the large display, without having to transfer files. The machine has unannounced multicore processors, HD graphics, and two terabytes of storage. It has Beats Audio, HDMI-in, and options for a Blu-ray drive or TV Tuner. The Omni27 will be available Jan. 8 in the United States at a starting price of $1,199.99.

HP is also announcing a mid-range PC for gamers and video editing enthusiasts. The HP Pavilion HPE h9 Phoenix PC (pictured right) is HP’s most powerful mid-range desktop to date, and it will ship with unannounced Intel microprocessors.

The tower-style desktop has attention-grabbing red light-emitting diode (LED) lighting and a stylish slanted window on the side of the chassis. It has a front valet tray with USB ports for easy access and charging of smartphones and other devices. It features HP Magic Canvas, LinkUp and Beats Audio. It will come bundled with Trion World’s Rift online multiplayer game. The machine has up to 16 gigabytes of DDR3 main memory and three internal hard drive bays. It has a 600-watt power supply and can accommodate high-end discrete graphics cards. It also has an option for liquid cooling.

The HP Pavilion HPE Phoenix h9 PCs are expected to be available on Jan. 8 in the United States at a starting price of $1,149.99.

HP is also showing off its 23-inch HP Compaq L2311c Notebook Docking Monitor (pictured left). The monitor can connect with a laptop via its universal serial bus port, creating a more efficient way to work for mobile professionals. It has a built-in 720p HD webcam and comes with webcam software. It will be available in February for $319.

And HP is introducing two more monitors for business users, the 18.5-inch HP LV1911 and 20-inch LV2011 LED Backlit LCD Monitors. Those monitors will be available in March and February respectively for $125 and $135. The displays have 3 million to 1 contrast ratios and fast 5-millisecond response times.