Hewlett-Packard on Tuesday announced new blade and rack servers designed to deliver more performance while combining hardware and software capabilities to improve server reliability and lower energy costs.

The just-released G7 series of servers includes new processors from Intel and Advanced Micro Devices, which help the servers deliver a big performance boost over its predecessors, the company said in a statement. The servers also include larger memory footprints of up to 2TB, and improved I/O technology for faster execution of data-intensive tasks.

The seven blade servers and three rack servers include Intel’s latest Xeon 5600 and 7500 series processors and Advanced Micro Devices’ Opteron 6100 microprocessors. The company is trying to improve server system architecture and scale up computing capabilities to effectively handle demanding workloads and exponential data growth, wrote Anand Akela, senior product marketing manager at HP, in a blog entry…..

“Customers have been telling us that data intensive enterprise workloads, including business processing and decision support, are placing x86 infrastructure under tremendous stress,” Akela wrote.

HP has applied a new server architecture called PREMA to the ProLiant DL980 G7 rack server, which includes up to eight sockets and runs on Intel’s eight-core Xeon 7500 processors code-named Nehalem-EX. The server includes features to increase reliability, the company said.

The architecture includes smart CPU caching to provide larger bandwidth to memory, the company said. That could help move data-intensive tasks to memory faster, improving overall application performance. The larger number of cores also improves performance, and the company estimates a 20 percent performance improvement over the previous generation of servers.

Intel has put four memory channels in Nehalem-EX to increase memory bandwidth, and servers with the chip can take advantage of separate buffered memory chips to temporarily store data alongside the main memory for faster task execution. A number of server makers, including IBM and Dell, have redesigned server architectures to take advantage of the chip’s architectural improvements.

With 128 memory slots, the DL980 offers more memory support than other rack servers announced on Tuesday, including the ProLiant DL580 and DL585 G7 rack servers, which include up to four sockets. The DL580-series servers support up to 1TB of expandable memory and also run on Intel’s Xeon 7500 series processors.

The company has also improved the memory footprint in its new blade servers. The blades will include up to one 1TB of memory per server and up to 16 terabytes per rack, the company said. The new HP ProLiant BL680c G7 supports up to three times more virtual machines per blade server and requires less hardware per 1,000 virtual machines, the company said.

The larger memory footprint could help servers accommodate more virtual machines in virtualized environments. The servers include management software to better manage virtualized environments. The servers also include power management features that provide server administrators with stronger control over power drawn by servers.

The new servers, including the ProLiant DL580 and DL585 rack servers and BL465c and BL685c G7 blades, are now available worldwide. The DL980 rack and BL2×220, BL460c, BL490c, BL620c and BL680c G7 blade servers will be available in “coming months,” the company said. Prices for the new rack and blade G7 servers start at US$2,279, based on configuration.

Hewlett-Packard plans to use Yahoo’s advertising network in a pilot program that will deliver targeted advertisements for content printed with its latest line of Web-connected printers. HP launched a line of Web-connected printers last week that allow users to print content directly from the Web or send content from their mobile phone to a remote printer using an e-mail address specific to that printer.

HP also launched a program called “scheduled delivery,” where a user can regularly schedule printing, for example, portions of a daily newspaper every day at 7 a.m. The company also sees a potential for localized, targeted advertising to go along with the content. While testing its ePrint Web-connected printers, HP ran two trials where consumers received content from a U.S. national music magazine and major U.S. newspaper along with advertisements, said Stephen Nigro, senior vice president in HP’s Imaging and Printing Group…..

“What we discovered is that people were not bothered by it [an advertisement],” Nigro said. “Part of it I think our belief is you’re used to it. You’re used to seeing things with ads.”

HP’s ePrint printers, some of which will become available next month, are connected to the user’s home router, which means they will have an IP address. IP addresses can be used to identify an approximate area where the Web-connected device is located, opening the potential for targeted advertisements based on location.

“Through IP (Internet Protocol) sniffing, you have an idea about where those printers are so naturally it allows you to kind of already target your offers,” Nigro said.

Ads can also be targeted based on a user’s behavior as well as the content, said Vyomesh Joshi, head of the HP’s Imaging and Printing Group. The pilot with Yahoo is in its early stages, however, and Joshi said the program has to be done with privacy in mind.

“That’s where we need to be very clear business rules in terms of privacy,” Joshi said.

Forthcoming Hewlett-Packard printers that are priced at more than US$99 will let users print remotely using mobile phones and other wireless devices, without needing a traditional PC, the company announced on Monday. By next year, more printing will be done from the Web than traditional PC-based word processing programs, a trend that has pushed HP toward developing Web-friendly printing services, said Vyomesh Joshi, head of the HP’s Imaging and Printing Group (IPG), during a press event in New York.

HP’s Inkjet and Laserjet lines along with other consumer and enterprise-level printers will have the capability, called ePrint, to print from Web-connected devices. Joshi said customers would not pay a “premium” for ePrint.

Each printer with the ePrint capability will be assigned its own e-mail address. If someone wants to print a document from an iPhone, the document will go to HP’s data center, where it is rendered into the correct format, and then sent to the person’s printer. The process takes about 25 seconds…..

The advantage for consumers is that the process does not involve a PC. No drivers have to be installed, Joshi said. The ePrint feature works with mobile devices from Apple, such as the iPad and iPhone, plus Palm, Android and Microsoft smartphone platforms. HP’s technology holds a special advantage for iPad users since the device does not have native printing capabilities.

HP envisions scenarios where consumers send photos directly to a printing shop or use their printers — some of which have scanning capabilities — to scan documents and load them into Web-based productivity suites such as Google Docs. Those documents could then be accessed and printed by someone else using an HP printer’s touchscreen interface.

The printers will also be able to support third-party applications. Live Nation, for example, will have a customized application to print items such as concert tickets and logistical information.

Google is also interested in Web-based printing and is working on Cloud Print, expected to be released by the third quarter. The feature will be designed to offer printer dialog interfaces for Web applications that let users send content directly to a printer over the Internet.

That is particularly important for Google, as it plans a third-quarter release for its Chrome OS, a browser-based operating system that will heavily rely on Web services.

“We want to make it easy for developers to add print capabilities to applications with just a few lines of code,” said Sundar Pichai, vice president of product management for Chrome who spoke at the HP event.

For example, a PDF (Portable Document Format) file could be opened in a Web-based viewer such as Google Docs, which would have a printer dialog box embedded. The document could then be sent to a remote HP ePrint printer via its e-mail address.

HP is also pushing a service called Scheduled Delivery, where people can set up a daily feed of content that will be printed at a regular time, such as news content from msnbc.com or kids’ activities from Disney.

Normally when you see a new monitor released you don’t think much of it, but HP’s new ZR30w got my attention. This new 30-inch monitor sports a 30-bit LCD panel, which means it can display a mind-boggling 1.07 billion colors.

In addition to its 30-bit panel, HP’s newest monitor features a 7ms response time, 5 USB ports, DisplayPort and DVI connectivity, and a 2560-by-1300 resolution, which should give you plenty of room to work. Also included is a 3-year warranty. This monitor is a bit easier on the environment (and your wallet); its power supply is 85% more efficient than previous models, and its casing is made from 25% recycled resin…..

How many colors is 1.07 billion? By comparison, mainstream monitors usually display 16.7 million colors.

The ZR30w is available now from HP.com for $1299.00. While we haven’t been able to test this monitor yet, if it lives up to HP’s description, it could very well end up being the next display on your desk.

Fun2chill

HP has been widely expected to release a tablet product based on the newly acquired webOS operating system once the Palm deal closes in July. Now, Digitimes has confirmation from HP Taiwan that the HP Slate tablet will indeed run webOS.Microsoft has clearly and very publicly gotten the boot from HP’s upcoming tablet, which is why HP CEO Mark Hurd tried to reassure analysts on the most recent HP earnings call that the software maker is still an important HP partner. Still, no amount of damage control can obscure the simple fact that the company that gave us Surface—a pioneering and by all accounts magical multitouch interface—does not have a real multitouch OS. Sure, Microsoft has the multitouch-enabled Windows 7, but the company doesn’t have a viable competitor for the iPhone OS or webOS in the tablet space. The reason for this gap in Microsoft’s product line is an enduring mystery, and we would welcome clarification in the comments if anyone can provide it.

Digitimes also reports that the tablet will be out in October, which fits with earlier rumors that it would launch in late summer or early fall. There’s no word yet on pricing, or on which processor (Atom or ARM) the tablet will use.

Here’s a brief history of the internet’s infatuation with the idea of a Web OS tablet: First we heard that HP was buying Palm. Interesting! Then we heard that the Windows 7-running HP Slate was canceled. Very interesting. Now, a post on the Examiner citing “industry insiders” says that a WebOS tablet dubbed “Hurricane” could be arriving as soon as Q3 of this year. It certainly seems like HP would try to get such a product out as quickly as possible, though there’s nothing in this report that’s substantial enough to get too excited about. Still, I want to believe, and so I will.

via Engadget

HP has just announced that it’s acquiring Palm to the tune of $1.2 billion, which works out to $5.70 per share of Palm common stock. The deal is planned to close by July 31, which marks the end of HP’s third fiscal quarter of the year. Current Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein is “expected to remain with the company,” though it’s not said in what capacity. Press release after the break. There’ll be a call to discuss the acquisition in more detail (well, we hope in more detail) at 5PM ET, so we’ll keep you abreast as we learn more……

Update: Check out Rubinstein’s letter to employees (via more coverage).

Press Release:

PALO ALTO, Calif. & SUNNYVALE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–HP (NYSE: HPQ – News) and Palm, Inc. (NASDAQ: PALM – News) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which HP will purchase Palm, a provider of smartphones powered by the Palm webOS mobile operating system, at a price of $5.70 per share of Palm common stock in cash or an enterprise value of approximately $1.2 billion. The transaction has been approved by the HP and Palm boards of directors.

The combination of HP’s global scale and financial strength with Palm’s unparalleled webOS platform will enhance HP’s ability to participate more aggressively in the fast-growing, highly profitable smartphone and connected mobile device markets. Palm’s unique webOS will allow HP to take advantage of features such as true multitasking and always up-to-date information sharing across applications.

“Palm’s innovative operating system provides an ideal platform to expand HP’s mobility strategy and create a unique HP experience spanning multiple mobile connected devices,” said Todd Bradley, executive vice president, Personal Systems Group, HP. “And, Palm possesses significant IP assets and has a highly skilled team. The smartphone market is large, profitable and rapidly growing, and companies that can provide an integrated device and experience command a higher share. Advances in mobility are offering significant opportunities, and HP intends to be a leader in this market.”

“We’re thrilled by HP’s vote of confidence in Palm’s technological leadership, which delivered Palm webOS and iconic products such as the Palm Pre. HP’s longstanding culture of innovation, scale and global operating resources make it the perfect partner to rapidly accelerate the growth of webOS,” said Jon Rubinstein, chairman and chief executive officer, Palm. “We look forward to working with HP to continue to deliver industry-leading mobile experiences to our customers and business partners.”

Under the terms of the merger agreement, Palm stockholders will receive $5.70 in cash for each share of Palm common stock that they hold at the closing of the merger. The merger consideration takes into account the updated guidance and other financial information being released by Palm this afternoon. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of domestic and foreign regulatory approvals and the approval of Palm’s stockholders. The transaction is expected to close during HP’s third fiscal quarter ending July 31, 2010.

Palm’s current chairman and CEO, Jon Rubinstein, is expected to remain with the company.

Color us excited. HP’s Todd Bradley just made an interesting proposition on the conference call about its Palm acquisition. Specifically, Bradley said, “Between smartphones, slates, and potentially netbooks, there are a lot of opportunities here.” You read that right: slates and potentially netbooks. The tablet route is pretty obvious, but having the netbook / smartbook form factor is quite a twist. Think about it, a Foleo descendant you can be proud of — whodathunkit? If you’re worried HP has forgotten about other platforms, we need only point in the direction of the Android-fueled Airlife. Obviously nothing to announce at this point, but doesn’t that just get us hopeful — roadmap announcements are said to be forthcoming closer to the merger being finalized. The call is still ongoing, so stay tuned!

We’ve only ever seen the HP Slate in extremely controlled demonstrations and cheesy videos until now, but it looks like the Windows 7 tablet just spent a little bit of time in the wild – Conecti.ca’s posted up a full hands-on and mini-review. Their conclusion? “The official verdict is meh……” Yeah, ouch. Apparently the Slate’s biggest strength is also its greatest weakness — it’s essentially a touchscreen netbook, and that means that while it can run everything including Flash, it can be “slow and annoying.” Unfortunately there’s not a lot of info on how well HP’s TouchSmart Windows 7 skin works, so we’ll wait till we play with one before we make a decision, but man — we definitely weren’t expecting this thing to look so chunky in the photos. No wonder the press pics and other demos are so carefully arranged — it really does look like a chopped up netbook. At least the HDMI dock is somewhat sexy, we suppose. Couple more pics after the break.

In an apparent bid to ease its employees’ concerns about the iPad, HP showed them how its forthcoming tablet computer compared with Apple’s device. Assuming the specs are genuine – and the gadget blogs discussing them appear to think that they are – it shows a misunderstanding of just what makes the iPad special.

In a side-by-side comparison of specs, HP points out areas where it has the “advantage” over the iPad and areas where Apple poses a “threat”. HP’s advantages include a faster processor, a card reader slot and not one but two cameras. Apple does better on screen resolution, battery life and price, however……

All of that seems to ignore the biggest problem HP – and Microsoft – will have in establishing the PC tablet and that’s the ecosystem surrounding it. The operating system the iPad uses has been designed specifically as a touch screen interface. The HP Slate uses “Windows 7 Home Premium + HP touch-optimized UI”. That just doesn’t fill me with confidence.

What’s more, Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch have ‘trained’ millions of people to use the iPad OS and helped to establish a store full of games and apps that can be used on it.

The specs for the Slate look impressive but I don’t believe consumers are very sensitive to specs. Apple seems to understand that in a way PC manufacturers don’t.