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HP is looking to give IT employees powerful laptops, yet portable and easy to bring around.  To do so, they have launched two new notebooks within their ProBook lineup each powerful enough to act like a desktop machine, yet are compact enough to bring around the office or to travel with.  No information on pricing or availability have been released at this time for either the 6445b or 6545b. 

The HP ProBook 6445b

The 5.3lb 14-inch 6445b notebook operates on the Windows Vista platform as well as the Windows 7 platform and can be upgraded to Windows 7 when Microsoft releases the OS later this month.  It can run on a powerful 2.4GHz AMD processor or a 2.0GHz AMD processor.  In terms of RAM, it allows for as little as 1GB or it can expand to fit 8GB of RAM, allowing it to be a simple machine or a very powerful one.  Remember 8GB of RAM is only powerful if the OS is the 64-bit version.  In terms of hard disk space, it can go from 160GB to a large 500GB.  The screen comes with an LED backlight, anti-glare technology, and a resolution of 1366 x 768.  For security, it comes with a fingerprint sensor among other measures, comes with a 2MP webcam for video conferencing, and a full-sized QWERTY keyboard.

The HP ProBook 6545b

One of the main differences between this model and the previous notebook is its larger screen, measuring in at 15.6-inches.  Since it has a larger screen, it weighs slightly more - 5.9 pounds.  Both models allow for the optional HP Mobile Gobi powered broadband access, but feature WLAN, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth for connectivity; it also uses HP’s native Connection Manager.  Again, it has the same support for operating systems (both variants of Windows 7 and Windows Vista) as well as support for the same AMD processors.  The dual channel DDR2 SDRAM RAM remains the same, it can go from 1GB to 8GB.  Hard drive storage is still 160GB, 250GB, 320GB, or 500GB at 7200RPM.  If the 1366 x 768 resolution 15.6-inch screen does not fit your needs, you can purchase the notebook with 1600 x 900 resolution, allowing for more screen real estate.  Furthermore, the machine houses a 2MP webcam and a full QWERTY keyboard. 

Unfortunately, there is no word on pricing or availability at this time.  Expect the HP ProBook 6545b to cost more than the ProBook 6445b.