Essentially it's been consumed and digested by the rest of HP:

Many people assumed that Voodoo had designed these notebooks, when in reality we did not. However, it's clear that our influence has reached almost all corners of the company. Go back 3 years and look at how HP's products have changed; it's pretty incredible.

So, what happened to Voodoo? Well, we've been looking way ahead into the future. Voodoo has been transitioning from "desktop & notebook" manufacturing to something beyond. Does this mean you'll never see a Voodoo or VoodooDNA desktop or notebook again? Hardly, I'm sure you will. ..but while we hash this out you will continue to see products with our fingerprints released from various areas of HP. [Emphasis ours]

That's a guess, not a confirmation, stated in the tone of a man who's very clearly moved on. Voodoo might continue to live on through HP or whatever, but color us surprised if you see another actual Voodoo PC. [Rahul Sood via Engadget]

As you can see, HP put some work in getting the internal layout of the Firebird to be as simple and clean as possible. A couple of interesting details not revealed in the leak are that the Firebird actually has 3 GPUs—two discrete Nvidia cards in SLI configuration for performance needs only, and one integrated GPU for Windows to run on. The external power supply is a big reason why the machine is 80% less power hungry than most gaming PCs, while the hot-swappable drive bays and sub-30db noise level are also nice touches.

But even more impressive is the price. Considering you're getting a 2.83 GHz Core 2 Quad, 640 GB of storage, Blu-ray, 4 GB RAM dual SLI graphics cards and liquid cooling, it's not bad that the Firebird 803 will only run around $2100 when it becomes available. There will also be a Firebird 802 available which will lack the Blu-ray and only have 500 GB of storage for $1800.

LaptopMag has a full hands-on with a prototype unit, which should be on display at CES. They're generally impressed, as for all the bold changes in form factor, this hunkering monstrosity still seems to retain its usability.

The secondary screen got mixed reviews. It's sharp, at 800x480, but a bit too small for displaying such finely resolved text. The Voodoo's multitouch trackpad has evolved, and it's apparently lovely and the placement is a welcome change for occasional mouseless gaming.

The Firefly concept is not currently slated for production, but seeing as Voodoo and HP don't currently have a desktop replacement notebook of this caliber, we'll probably see something similar ship before too long. [LaptopMag via Electronista]

The shrink ray they blasted the Blackbird 02 with works much of its magic by dumping the power supply outside of the system and killing expandability, kind of like a game console—very PC gamer un-friendly. But the specs, as Engadget has 'em, are fairly respectable, the somewhat piddly GeForce 9800S cards aside. (Why no GeForce 9800 GTs?)

* NVIDIA nForce 760i SLI chipset
* Core 2 Quad Q9550 2.83GHz processor
* 4GB of RAM
* Dual NVIDIA GeForce 9800S cards
* Two 320GB SATA drives
* Blu-ray
* 5-in-1 card reader
* 6 USB, 1 FireWire, 2 eSATA, 1 S/PDIF and 1 DVI dual-link
* Bluetooth
* 802.11n WiFi

Obviously, we'll reserve full judgments until we get our hands on it (likely at CES), but given all the compromises needed to get that firefly form factor, we're not holding our Crysis-coated breath. [Engadget]

You know the Envy is well designed when you experience the initial unboxing. Generally, we're bored by the very notion of "unboxing" these days, but word is that Voodoo's chief designer is a packaging fanatic, you can totally tell by the elegantly nested, extra-heavy packaging that so carefully holds such a light, thin little notebook.

Once you have it out of the box and ready for action, you really notice how closely the Envy resembles a miniature black MacBook Pro, with a few distinct design choices to separate itself from an Apple: It's got a continuous glass face with embedded screen, so the whole front except for the webcam is seamless. And it's made of carbon fiber, which means it can be thinner (at the widest point) than a MacBook Air, but have a removable battery like a MacBook Pro.

The carbon fiber, along with a rather noisy fan, lets heat dissipate easily, so there's no sudden burning sensation on your legs when you're using it on your lap. I don't know if carbon fiber is a better sound resonator than aluminum, but the Envy's speakers sound great for being so small. They're not just better than MacBook Air's mono speaker but MacBook Pro's stereo speakers too. The carbon fiber is slick but smudgy. It didn't take long to make it look used, though a quick wipe will make it good as new—for like five minutes.

Sizemodo: Voodoo Envy 133 vs MacBook Air

To put it as bluntly as Voodoo boss Rahul Sood puts it, "This laptop is not a gaming product." It's not going to play Crysis at all, though it might achieve other, lesser games with the settings dialed down. You can tell it's not a gaming laptop because of the fact that Vista gives it a 3.1 rating out of 5 due to its integrated graphics and shared video memory; that PCMark gave it 2100 (the world's hottest machines top 15000); 3D Mark won't run because Envy's nice 13.3" 1280x800 screen is nevertheless too low rez to test; and it's not covered with flared plastic and blinky LEDs that go from green to red as you take hits during a game.

As you might know, the basic design was Intel's. The original Metro concept had some shortcomings though. It was made of plastic and had some questionable heat management. "There's no way you could sell the Metro because it would fall apart," says Sood.

Besides heat management, the key was to make the Metro design capable of carrying a removable battery that is nonetheless super thin. And it's a good thing, because the battery life on the Envy isn't great. In the most extreme situation, where it was powering the outboard DVD player and playing a movie, I could only get it to run for an hour before completely crapping out. That means no watching movies on airplanes, I'm afraid. In other less strenuous tests, the battery dwindled fast. Let me make this clear: The battery life on this baby sucks.The DVD player connects in an ingenious way. It uses an eSATA port that doubles as a USB port. Since eSATA doesn't yet have a bus-powered spec yet, the Voodoo guys figured out a way to draw power from the USB part of the jack, while doing data i/o through the faster eSATA jack. Sood says that they actually patented this technique and that's good for Voodoo, since it's certainly bound to catch on.

The little laptop even has an ExpressCard slot, which makes up for its lack of SD card reader—SanDisk makes a very nice multi-card reader for ExpressCard. It also means it won't take up a USB port to run a 3G modem, if you can get an ExpressCard version instead.

As you may recall from the launch, it has a few other gimmicks, like a slightly oversized power brick that, for its bulk, contains a mini Wi-Fi router, so you can plug Ethernet directly in. It also ships with a smart HDMI-to-VGA dongle for people who want to use it in presentations but don't want to convince corporate IT dudes that HDMI is in fact a viable video standard.

It also has a pseudo-multi-touch "pinch" feature like on a MacBook Air (or an iPhone), but instead of a smooth flow, I noticed it was kinda jerky. It could still come in handy, but to be honest, I am not sure how handy the Air's multi-touch is at this point. I consider all of this proof of concept for now.

Speaking of the trackpad, it's supposed to lock down when you have two hands on the keyboard. I don't know if I have funny shaped hands, but from time to time, I still find the trackpad acting up while I type, executing weird app and system requests, but given the fact that I have typed an awful lot with my hands touching much of the trackpad as I went along, I can easily say the auto-safety works 99% of the time.

The gimmick I am most interested in is the lightweight Linux OS called Voodoo IOS. It's the Splashtop instant-boot OS we've started to see in other places as well, and having finally sat down and played with it, I see a lot of promise. At startup, you can select to enter Windows or choose Skype, media player, web browser or photo viewer to take you into the VIOS environment. I was eager to try this out and can say that it works as billed, though I'm still divided on its ultimate practicality.

It is very handy to hop into VIOS instead of launching Windows when you want to do something minor, like launch a web browser or Skype, but I am vexed by the fact that, to enter VIOS, you have to shut down Vista and reboot—rather than choose it as a reboot option from Vista. Once in VIOS, the apps have certain limitations: The Linux version of Skype can't support the built-in webcam, copying photos from a memory card to the photo browser seemed impossible (if I'm wrong I'll settle for unintuitive), and the music program worked but just made me miss iTunes. The browser was fine—a Linux version of some Mozilla variant, if I'm not mistaken. Over all, it seemed like a pretty nice Linux environment, clean and fun, with quirky interface features like a flaming Voodoo face signifying a short wait. Who knows, it may even be a fertile ground for savvier software tweakers to play around in. Update: Just got a couple of nuggets regarding VIOS/Splashtop: Its hacker friendly open-source info is here, and it's up to Voodoo (and HP) to update the Skype on the VIOS in order for the webcam to work, so get crackin' Voodoo!

Voodoo IOS app walkthrough

Overall, I can safely say that this was the most satisfying experience I've had with a Vista notebook, and I've tried quite a few. Even while I was prepping this, my Mac started acting funny and I realized that if I had to switch to it full time, it would be far from disastrous. The only reason besides the questionable battery life that I am not gushing is that this laptop costs a hell of a lot of money. The fairly basic config with an 80GB 4200rpm hard drive that I tested starts at $2,450, and the 64GB SSD versions don't even kick in till $2,900. (The most barebones unit available is $2,100.) If these babies could come in even $500 lower, I could see a value proposition, but as it is, it's too high a price, especially when something this nice is still so far from perfection. [Voodoo Envy 133]

Rahul understood our concerns, and replied with the following slightly ambiguous message:

HP is working on a plan to better leverage its existing resources to bring Voodoo products to market faster and make them more accessible to consumers. I can assure you that Voodoo employees and champions of the brand will continue to work on the conceptualization, design and development of Voodoo products.

We can infer from this that the Voodoo brand will continue, and the Voodoo team will stay more or less intact, but that Voodoo may move into a more designy role here, and do less of the nuts-and-bolts assembly that it was doing before. That's my interpretation. As was the case a month ago when we inquired as to the health of Voodoo, Rahul directed us to his blog for further info. Thanks Rahul!

Lenovo's X301 and HP's 2530p already use the new chips. The SL9400 and SL9300 running at 1.8Ghz and 1.6GHz, respectively, both have a 1066MHz FSB and appear to be the Core 2 Duo Low Voltage (LV) chips with a TDP of 17W, while the SU9400 and SU9300 are the ULV variants, clocked at 1.4GHz and 1.2GHz with a 10W TDP.

While the clock speeds of the LV chips are the same as the MBA's, the switch to the 45nm process and faster front-side bus should yield both performance gains and power savings. More importantly, their ready availability for all-comers could make the ultra-thin market a lot more interesting, though we're kind of afraid at this point of what Asus will do with them. [Ars Technica]

Voodoo calls their version the IOS, which they claim can get you onto the web from a cold start in less than five seconds. Laptop found that power-on to surfing with the modified Firefox browser took around 15 seconds—still not too bad, compared to a 50-second boot time for Vista. Other open source apps like Pidgin, Skype, and basic photo and media players are also on board. One interesting thing is that the main filesystem is unavailable in IOS mode on the model they tested—files must be saved to a USB stick.

Maximum PC had more of a gropefest than hands-on, but they did note the glossy case tends to pick up a lot of fingerprints (hence the included microfiber shammy, of course). They also didn't detect much of a difference weight wise with a Macbook Air, even though the spec sheet gives the Envy and extra half pound.

[Laptop, Maximum PC]

This is expensive even by MacBook standards, whose $200 cost to upgrade to black at least includes a bigger HDD. To top off the already complicated configuration/pricing scheme, once you get your specs picked out, you have to request a quote from an Voodoo customer service rep. I get the feeling owning a Voodoo Envy is supposed to be a privilege in their eyes. [Voodoo]

HP Introduces HP Blackbird 002 Exhilaration Edition

PALO ALTO, Calif., June 16, 2008 – HP today announced the release of the HP Blackbird 002 Exhilaration Edition, built for the ultimate PC gaming and performance computing experience.

The system, developed by the company's Voodoo business unit, is among the first to offer the newly released NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280 GPU-based graphics cards with DirectX 10 support in an NVIDIA SLI configuration, along with the NVIDIA nForce 790i Ultra MCP-based motherboard, DDR3 memory from Corsair, a liquid-cooled Intel® Core™ 2 Extreme quad-core processor QX9770(1), Windows Vista® Ultimate 64-bit edition(2) and more.

Available for order today, the HP Blackbird 002 Exhilaration Edition balances the performance of its next-generation component suite with stable high-performance gaming and computing. Each Exhilaration Edition system includes a Voodoo keyboard and mouse, as well as special edition SkinIt skins.

"Since its unveiling last year, HP Blackbird 002 has been recognized as one of the best designed gaming and performance systems available," said Rahul Sood, chief technology officer, HP Voodoo Business Unit. "With the HP Blackbird 002 Exhilaration Edition, we have made an incredible machine even better by leveraging the very latest in next generation components and conducting exhaustive tests to ensure that our customers enjoy a stable and immersive high-performance computing experience. We are also excited by the prospect that this system will accelerate more than just gaming applications through Visual Computing. We are so excited about this machine that I am personally signing every Exhilaration Edition Blackbird on behalf of our entire team."

The HP Blackbird 002 Exhilaration Edition includes:

· Liquid-Cooled Intel Core 2 Extreme Quad-Core Processor QX9770(1) – With a core speed of 3.2 GHz, a 2 MB L2 Cache and a 1,600 MHz Front Side Bus, the Intel Core 2 Extreme quad-core processor QX9770 is the heartbeat of the system. Experience games the way they were meant to be played, and run multimedia applications without breaking a sweat. With Intel's 45nm CPU coupled with HP Voodoo's liquid-cooling solution, users have power and performance at their disposal.

· NVIDIA Nforce 790i Ultra – The nForce 790i motherboard is Intel Core 2 Extreme quad-core ready and designed to work and play well with the latest generation of Intel CPUs. It features full support for dual channel DDR3 1600MHz memory and beyond. And even though it arrives factory tuned for performance, the performance BIOS allows for complete end-user configuration.

· NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280 graphics cards in SLI – The Blackbird Exhilaration Edition features dual liquid-cooled GeForce GTX 280 Gpus, each with 240 multi-threaded processing cores.

· Corsair 1,600 MHZ DDR3 memory – Corsair 1,600 MHz DDR3 memory, upgradeable to 4 GB(3), lets the Blackbird run the most demanding applications and games smoothly.

· Creative Audio Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtremegamer FATAL1TY Professional – True 7.1 digital sound that was developed specifically for gamers. X-RAM provides earth-shattering quality and performance enhancement for games with X-RAM support.

· Super Multi BLU-RAY disc and HD DVD-ROM drive- The Blackbird's Super Multi Blu-Ray Disc and HD-DVD-ROM(4) drive gives users an expansive range of high-definition playback options. Users can enjoy next-generation media without sacrificing support for the titles already in their collection. Play BD-DVDs, HD-DVDs, DVDs, and CDs, and burn CDs and DVDs(5), all on a single optical drive.

· Windows Vista Ultimate– To support the high performance needs of its users, the Blackbird includes Windows Vista Ultimate, the most complete edition of Windows.

HP Blackbird 002 Exhilaration Edition can be ordered on the new Voodoo DNA website www.hp.com/voodoodna.

About HP

HP focuses on simplifying technology experiences for all of its customers – from individual consumers to the largest businesses. With a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure, HP is among the world's largest IT companies, with revenue totaling $110.4 billion for the four fiscal quarters ended April 30, 2008. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at www.hp.com.

[HP]

Also, it doesn't look like you have a whole lot of maneuverability inside the case, at least from the pics—granted, if you're spending that kind of coin on a build-to-order PC, I don't know how much tooling around inside you'd be doing anyway. [Pocket Link]

[Journal du Geek via Engadget]

Available in good or evil—I mean, white or black—the Envy will weigh 3.4 lbs., heavier than the bulimic Metro, but still respectably light. It's also got a healthy 13.3" display, and for a starting cost of $2,100, it had better. For being so thin, it's also got a surprising number of tricks hidden in its carbon-fiber microweave case, like a Linux alter-ego, a "multiple gesture" touchpad and a secret Wi-Fi-to-Ethernet bridge. Update: Full meaty specs below.

That Linux alter-ego I mentioned is called Voodoo IOS (VIOS, get it?). This Splashtop-style bootware launches fast to give you Skype, Firefox and other simple apps when you don't feel like booting up Windows Vista. I am a fan of this, but I'd really like to see customizable configs—maybe I want Picasa and a music player, while you want access to e-mail.

The touchpad lets you do a few touch tricks, such as chiral (that is, circular) scrolling, and the pinch maneuver known from Apple products. There's no word on if this represents true multitouch, but hopefully we'll learn more soon.

The Aura PowerConnect Ethernet port found on the power brick gives you point-to-point Wi-Fi from powerbrick to laptop, so that in a hotel room, you can plug your Ethernet in and get connected. Even if you unplug the laptop from the power brick itself, you'll still have the wireless connection, so it's like carrying a little router wherever you go.

It's also got a proximity sensor for shutting off the touchpad when you're typing to avoid cursor hop. It's got Dolby Sound Room surround-sound processing for speakers or headphones. The keyboard is backlit and there's pre-installed LoJack software.

The Voodoo folks like to point out that even with the MacBook Air-beating thinness spec, the 133 still has two USB ports, one which doubles as an eSATA jack, plus an HDMI port. There's no internal optical drive, but every 133 ships with an external drive in the box.

Voodoo, you say, that's a gaming brand. Yes, but this comes from the new Voodoo Business Unit, which is trying to branch out with non-gaming systems that "combine luxurious quality, personalized styling and unmatched technology innovation." Sounds good to me, although some gamers I know might not agree.

UPDATE: Here's our full review of the VoodooPC Envy 133!

Introducing Voodoo Envy 133

The Voodoo Envy 133 is sure to invoke pangs of jealousy in everyone who doesn't have one. Measuring .70 inches and weighing less than 3.4 pounds, the Voodoo Envy 133 combines sleek styling and personalization with a full suite of critical functionality for mobile users.

Developed by the HP Voodoo Business Unit, the Voodoo Envy 133 delivers critical features such as wireless and Ethernet connectivity, USB and HDMI ports, a 13.3-inch backlit LED display and more. All of the features are wrapped in a visually stunning package that consumers can customize via a full pallet of Voodoo Allure paint finishes, Voodoo Ink designs and Voodoo Iconograph patterns.

Packed with technologies new to the ultra-mobile market, the Voodoo Envy 133 offers consumers new and exciting features. The proprietary instant-on capabilities of the Voodoo IOS provide users with lightning-fast access to Internet browsers and Skype. The Voodoo Aura PowerConnect allows users to plug an Ethernet cable into the connector located on the power brick and experience an untethered, point-to-point Wi-Fi connection, so they can roam free from the wired connection whenever wireless isn't available.

The Voodoo Envy 133 was developed using the smallest available Intel Centrino technology and elements from an innovative Intel reference design.

Mobility and functionality

• Thin and Light - One of the thinnest, lightest systems in its class starting at 3.373 pounds, .70-inches thin, 9.04-inches deep and 12.65-inches wide (with SSD and battery).

• Durable - A carbon fibre casing with custom microweave design gives this little wonder surprising strength. The 13.3-inch backlit LED screen is covered with a durable fused composite glass.

• Voodoo IOS - Boot up in seconds. Unique to the Voodoo Envy 133, this feature gives road warriors instant access to Skype and Internet browser. (1)

• Voodoo Aura PowerConnect- Unlike other ultra-mobile systems, the Envy 133 recognizes the reality of the wired world. Even when wireless isn't available, the Aura PowerConnect lets users roam free from the wired connection. Users can plug an Ethernet cable into the jack located on the power brick. A point-to-point Wi-Fi connection is automatically established, between the RJ45 and the notebook. (1)

• Multiple Gesture Touchpad - More than a standard touchpad, the Envy 133 features chiral scroll and pinch options.

• Replaceable Battery - The fully-replaceable battery gives the Voodoo Envy 133 approximately 3.45 hours of battery life between charges.

• Integrated Webcam - standard in every Voodoo Envy 133.

• External ODD - An ID-coordinated external optical drive is included with every Voodoo Envy 133. HP engineers took the time to ensure the ODD and other peripheral devices receive the same external styling and attention to detail given to the system chassis.

• Wireless Connectivity - Every Voodoo Envy 133 includes integrated wireless 802.11 ABGN + Bluetooth®.

• Ports - For extensive usability, Voodoo Envy 133 systems come with a variety of I/O ports, including headphone/microphone, HDMI, USB 2.0 (1x) and a shared e-SATA/USB (1x).

• Professional Backlit Keyboard - The system features a keyboard reminiscent of old school tactile desktop keyboards with just enough "click" to get even the most die-hard tech enthusiast smiling.

• Proximity Sensor - This system recognizes when fingers are on the keyboard and turns off the touchpad to avoid any accidental movement of the cursor.

• Dolby® Sound Room® - The Envy 133 offers a stunning personal surround sound listening experience with a suite of technologies designed to provide an enveloping entertainment experience from any pair of speakers or any set of headphones—ideal for environments where using surround sound speakers is not practical.

Design and personalization

• Classic Voodoo Style - The clean lines and square edges that will define the entire Voodoo product line are epitomized in the Voodoo Envy 133.

• Coordinated Peripherals - All external peripherals - including the Voodoo Aura PowerConnect external ODD and HDMI-VGA adapter - are ID-coordinated to complement the Envy 133 notebook.

• Backlit Keyboard - The backlit keyboard adds to the Voodoo Envy 133's aura of sophistication.

• LED Display - The impressive 13.3-inch LED WXGA (1,280 x 800) screen is covered in high-quality fused composite glass that runs from edge to edge, eliminating seams and giving the system a streamlined look.

• Ambient Sensors - The Envy 133 includes an ambient sensor that adjusts the display brightness according to its surrounding environment.

• Color - Personalization is part of the Voodoo Envy 133 experience. Customers can choose from a full palette of classic Voodoo Allure paint finishes.

• Custom Finish - Customers can choose the custom carbon fiber casing with custom microweave design in black, or choose from a full palette of classic Voodoo Allure paint finishes.

• Laser Engravings - A selection of Voodoo Ink design options and Voodoo Iconograph patterns will be available to customers who want to give their Voodoo Envy 133 a unique look and feel.

Security

• Lojack Recover Software - Every Voodoo Envy 133 includes pre-installed Computrace Lojack anti-theft software. When activated (activation purchase optional), customers can use it to disable and track missing systems.

• Grisoft AVG Professional - Each Voodoo Envy 133 comes pre-installed with Grisoft AVG Professional (1 year base standard).

Pricing and availability

• Starting price is $2,099.(2)

• Starting this summer consumers will be able to use the online configurator to purchase the Envy 133 exclusively at voodoopc.com and at +1 888 708 6636.

(1) Internet access required and sold separately.

(2) Estimated U.S. street price. Actual price may vary.

CASING

• Carbon fiber with custom micro-weave design

DIMENSIONS

• Width (cm): 32.2 = 12.65 inches

• Depth (cm): 23= 9.04 inches

• Height front & rear (cm): 1.79 = .70 inches

• Weight starting at: 1.53Kg = 3.373 lbs. (with SSD & battery)

PROCESSOR

• Intel® Centrino® Processor Technology featuring Intel® Core™2 Duo

processor SP7700 (1.8 GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)

• Intel® Centrino® Processor Technology featuring Intel® Core™2 Duo

processor SP7500 (1.6 GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB)

DISPLAY

• 13.3" WXGA High-Definition Widescreen LED Backlit Display (1280x800)

• Ambient light sensor

USER INTERFACE

• Large touchpad with multiple finger tracking, supporting chiral scrolling,

pinch and momentum gestures

• LED backlit Keyboard

• Proximity sensor for touchpad disable

GRAPHICS

• Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 (shared)

HDD

• 64GB Solid State drive or 80G HDD 4200RPM

EXTERNAL ODD

• ID coordinated

• External slot-load eSATA Super Multi drive

• Dual format DVDRW, including both +R and -R in double layer: 24X CD

Read/ 24X CD-R Write/ 24X CD-RW Write/ 8X DVD Read/ 8X DVD+R/R/RW

Write in single layer, 6x dual layer. 5X DVD-RAM Read and Write.

NETWORKING & WIRELESS

• Integrated Intel® Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN

• Bluetooth™

• Voodoo Aura PowerConnect - 56W AC Power, plus integrated

802.11b/g wireless personal access point + RJ45

INTEGRATED WEBCAM

EXPANSION

• 34mm ExpressCard

I/O PORTS

• Video: HDMI video port (max resolution 1920x1080)

• Audio: Headphone out shared with Microphone in

Digital array microphone with beam-forming and noise

cancellation capability

2 speakers

• Additional I/O: DC

1 x USB 2.0

1 x e-SATA / USB 2.0 combo

POWER

• 3-Cell, 33 Whr Lithium ion polymer, user replaceable

• Up to 3 hr 45 min battery life, depending on usage

• 56W AC Power (Voodoo Aura PowerConnect)

SECURITY

• (2) Kensington® lock slots

ACCESSORIES

• Included HDMI-VGA adapter (ID coordinated)

OS AND SOFTWARE

• Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Home Premium 32-bit

• Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Business 32-bit

• Voodoo IOS - Instant On Solution

• Cyberlink DVD Suite Deluxe

• Cyberlink YouCam

PRODUCTIVITY

• Microsoft® Office Pro 2007

• Microsoft® Office Small Business Edition 2007

• Microsoft® Office Basic 2007

SECURITY

• Grisoft AVG Professional (1 year base standard)

• Computrace LoJack for Laptops, 1 and 3 year (activation required)

SUPPLEMENTAL DISCS

• Genuine Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Installation DVD

• Driver and Applications Supplemental DVD

[Voodoo]

Introducing Voodoo Omen

The Voodoo Omen is a machine that takes personalization to new heights. Rich with innovation and unmatched in design, Voodoo Omen is for the discerning technology lover who equally appreciates sophisticated styling and performance computing. And because each Voodoo Omen is built using a personalized, co-creation process, every owner of a Voodoo Omen becomes an architect and a designer.

The Omen's clean lines and square edges give its exterior a classic look. Consumers then add the finishing touches via personalization options that include high-quality Voodoo Allure paint finishes, laser engraving and custom side panels in materials such as glass, leather and wood - all of which contribute to making the Voodoo Omen a signature showpiece for each individual owner.

While its exterior design hints at its Voodoo heritage, the Voodoo Omen is completely redesigned.. Elements of this quiet, high-performance system such as the quad radiator and integrated copper cooling pipes, built directly into the Voodoo Omen chassis, make the Voodoo Omen stand out from the crowd. Vertical thermal diffusion cooling, developed by turning the motherboard 90 degrees to allow air to flow naturally throughout the machine.

Performance and innovation
• Vertical thermal diffusion - The Omen fully optimizes the natural power of convection currents by turning the motherboard 90 degrees, which allows air to naturally flow from bottom to top. This innovative approach to thermal management offers maximum cooling and quiet acoustics.
• Auxiliary LCD - A 7-inch full auxiliary LCD is built into the Omen chassis. This screen acts as a fully functional secondary display that can be used to show game stats, movies,music videos or other additional information users need at work or play.
• Quad radiator - This is one of the first systems to feature a quad radiator for maximum cooling and performance and unbelievably quiet acoustics.
• Tool-less architecture -The Omen has tool-less architecture on components such as hard drives and video cards.
• Industry standard components - The Omen is built using only the best industry-standard components to ensure ultimate performance and longevity.
• Integrated copper cooling pipes - Unlike any other system in the industry, copper cooling pipes are built directly into the aluminum Omen chassis, cutting interior clutter and improving air flow.
• Quick-release connectors - The self-sealing, anti-leak liquid cooling system allows for hassle-free component upgrades
• Interior lighting - Battery-powered interior lighting gives users visibility to upgrade components when the system is powered off.
Design and personalization
• Classic Voodoo style - The clean lines and square edges of the Omen set the standard for the sophisticated look that will define all Voodoo-branded devices.
• All-aluminum chassis -The sophisticated all-aluminum chassis adds to the Omen's durability and cooling capabilities.
• Top-loading cables - The rotated motherboard allows cables to be plugged into the system under a removable top panel. This gives users easier access to the cable board and contributes to the clean system design.
• Removable panels - For easy access to the interior of the system, the Omen comes equipped with tool-less side panels that completely detach using latches hidden under the top panel. The side panel is a thick square plate of aluminum with a flat, smooth surface unblemished by handles, rivets or screws.
• Extensive high-quality Voodoo Allure paint finishes - A palette of 14 color choices is available, including six new Voodoo Allure colors.
• Laser engraving - Choose from eight Voodoo Ink design options and eight Voodoo Iconograph patterns.
• Custom side panels - Customers will soon be able to develop custom side-panels from a variety of materials usually associated with luxury apparel and furniture such as glass, leather and wood.
• RGB accent lighting - Select one of 16 million different colors in real time through software run from the auxiliary display. LED lights are inside the unit at the top and below the chassis to accent, but not overwhelm, the design of the machine.
Security
• The Omen includes Voodoo's Fuel Essential software suite: Roxio, Cyberlink PowerDVD, AVG Professional Anti-Virus and PCDoctor.
Pricing and availability
• Pricing ranges from $6,500 to $20,000, depending on configuration.
• Current Voodoo customers will receive a private invitation to be among the first to order a customized Omen.

CHASSIS
• Strengthened aluminum construction
• Hover suspended box design
• Easy removable side and top panels
• Built-in USB driven 7" Widescreen display
Resolution: 800x480
• Dimensions
Width (cm): 19.05 = 7.5 inches
Length (cm): 58.42 = 23 inches
Height (cm): 55.88 = 22 inches
Weight starting at: ~45Kg =~100 lbs.
LIQUID COOLING
• Liquid coolant options: red, blue, green, purple and orange
POWER SUPPLY
• 1150W air cooled
• 1300W liquid cooled
MOTHERBOARDS
• ASUS Striker Extreme II (NVIDIA 790i)
PROCESSOR
• Intel® Core™ 2 Micro architecture, overclockable, liquid cooled
• Intel® Core™ 2 Extreme Quad-Core 3.20GHz QX9770
12 MB of L2 cache; 1600 MHz FSB
• Intel® Core™ 2 Extreme Quad-Core 3.00GHz QX9650
12 MB of L2 cache; 1333 MHz FSB
MEMORY
• Four DIMM slots supporting up to 8 GB of main memory, overclockable
2, 4, or 8GB 1600 MHz CORSAIR PC-14400 DDR3 SDRAM
GRAPHICS AND DISPLAYS
• Supports both NVIDIA® SLI™ and ATI CrossFireX™, liquid cooled
NVIDIA® GeForce® 8800 ULTRA with 768MB of GDDR3 SDRAM
ATI Radeon™HD3870 series
• Includes support for next generation NVIDIA and ATI graphics cards
STORAGE
• Flexible RAID capabilities (0, 1)
• Up to 6, no carrier, tool-less drive bays
Options:
• Up to 3 independent Serial ATA Hard Disk Drives (HDD)
(Up to 3 TB of internal storage using drives with the following capacities):
Seagate 500 GB SATA @ 7200 rpm
Seagate 750 GB SATA @ 7200 rpm
Seagate 1 TB SATA @ 7200 rpm
Western Digital Raptor 160 GB 10,000 rpm
Western Digital VelociRaptor 300 GB 10,000 rpm
STORAGE (cont.)
Options (cont.):
• Up to 6 Solid State Drives (SSD)
(Up to 384 GB of internal storage using drives with the following capacities):
Samsung 64 GB SLC
• One or two super multi-drive, slim slots with Lightscribe (DVD+/-R/RW+/-DL)
Writes DVD-R discs at up to 16x speed
Writes DVD+R DL discs at up to 4x speed
Reads DVDs at up to 8x speed
Writes CD-R discs at up to 40x speed
Writes CD-RW discs at up to 24x speed
Reads CDs at up to 24x speed
• Optional upgrade for one or two slot Blu-Ray drive
Writes BD-R discs at up to 2x speed
Writes BD-RE discs at up to 2x speed
Reads BDs at up to 2x speed
Writes DVD RAM discs at up to 5x speed
Writes DVD+/-R discs at up to 8x speed (SL) and 2x speed (DL)
Reads DVD+/-R discs at up to 8x speed (SL) and 6x speed (DL)
Writes DVD+/-RW discs at up to 4x speed
Reads DVD+/-RW discs at up to 6x speed
Writes CD-R, CD-RW discs at up to 8x speed
Reads CDs at up to 24x speed
AUDIO AND PERIPHERALS
• Onboard Hi-Definition audio
• Creative Audio Sound Blaster® X-Fi™ XtremeGamer
• Creative Audio Sound Blaster® X-Fi™ XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional
• Includes Voodoo Razer Keyboard and Mouse
CONNECTIONS
• Hidden top panel I/O ports (motherboard dependent)
• 1 x PS/2 Keyboard
• 2 x External SATA
• 1 x IEEE 1394a
• 2 x LAN(RJ45) port
• 6 x USB 2.0/1.1
• 1 x Clr CMOS switch
• 1 x Optical + 1 x Coaxial S/PDIF Output1 x onboard LED switch
OS
• Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Ultimate 64-bit SP1
• Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Home Premium 64-bit SP1
VOODOO FUEL ESSENTIALS SOFTWARE
• Security
Grisoft AVG Professional (1 year base standard)
Grisoft AVG Professional (2 year upgrade available)
Grisoft AVG Internet Security (2 year license available)
PC Doctor
• Roxio 9.0
• CyberLink PowerDirector
• CyberLink Power2Go
• CyberLink DVD Play
• CyberLink Label Print
PRODUCTIVITY
• Microsoft® Office Pro 2007
• Microsoft® Office Small Business Edition 2007
• Microsoft® Office Basic 2007
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCS
• Genuine Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Installation DVD
• Driver and Applications Recovery DVD

Update: It looks like Voodoo also lit their homepage on fire. Hmmmmm....

Voodoo types looking for a geeky offering to the computer gods can use this $44.95 flash drive with both Mac and Windows computers. The chicken foot is ABS plastic while the flash portion is in a die-cast housing. I find the packaging to be better than the actual product, the picture of a chicken bleeding from his bloody nub is worth an award or something. [Whazatt]

The new system also comes with a 2.0MP camera in place of the 151's 1.3MP, plus a fingerprint reader. Oddly enough, the 15.4" screen's resolution is down a tad: the 151 had 1680x1200, while the 152 has 1680x1050. It also weighs more: 7 lbs, instead of the 151's 6lbs.

Naturally, the 152 supports DirectX 10 and has NVIDIA's GeForce 8600GT 512MB graphics card. How noisy is it, you ask?

Gamers, content creators and mobile enthusiasts alike will also marvel at one of the quietest Voodoo notebooks to date.

Original image I had up top this AM:

Full press release if you're interested:

HP Sets Standard for Power and Portability with Latest Voodoo Notebook PC

PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 26, 2007 - HP today introduced the Voodoo ENVY M:152 notebook PC, setting a new standard for combined portability and performance.

The ENVY M:152 is the first Voodoo notebook to feature the breakneck speeds provided by the latest Intel® Centrino® Duo processor technology, including the Intel® Core ™ 2 Duo mobile processor technology, the Mobile Intel ® PM965 Express Chipset and the Intel® Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN, delivering a powerful multimedia experience. The notebook also represents a seamless marriage of muscle and mobility that will impress even the most demanding user with its support of the new Intel Core™ 2 Extreme mobile processor X7800 Extreme CPU.

All these features come in a small package - the notebook showcases a 15.4" WSXGA+ 1680 x 1050 matte finish display, and weighs just 7lbs with a battery. Gamers, content creators and mobile enthusiasts alike will also marvel at one of the quietest Voodoo notebooks to date.

"People look to Voodoo custom machines to deliver the best in power and design, and we stayed true to that tradition when building this mobile powerhouse," said Rahul Sood, chief technology officer, Global Gaming Business Unit, HP. "The ENVY M:152 combines the best in processing power and performance with a hot design and the latest in wireless technology. It is built for people that want to push the limits of mobile computing, and look good doing it."

Users of Voodoo notebooks have come to expect stunning image quality, and the ENVY M:152 continues in this tradition. It supports DirectX 10 and features the NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600GT 512MB video card, providing videophiles and gamers alike with incredible multimedia playback qualities.

"With support for DirectX 10 and NVIDIA PureVideo technology, the GeForce 8600M GT GPU delivers an unmatched gaming and movie experience on a light, cutting-edge notebook PC," said Rene Haas, general manager, notebook GPU business, NVIDIA. "The ENVY M:152 will allow mobile power users to truly experience Windows Vista and the latest wave of visually rich entertainment and applications."

The machine comes jam-packed with a range of connectivity and convenience features, including an integrated 2.0MP camera, support for Bluetooth™, and a fingerprint reader. And with 2 x Dimm DDR2-667 slots with up to 4GB of memory when used with Windows Vista™ 64-bit operating system, the notebook has the power to support the most demanding applications and multimedia collections.

For a complete listing of features or to customize a Voodoo ENVY M:152, visit www.voodoopc.com.