HP unveils new Presario PCs

Hewlett-Packard will adopt new high-end and low-end processors from Intel for the Presario consumer PC line it acquired from Compaq Computer, the company announced Wednesday.

The new PCs, intended to woo holiday shoppers, will include budget models based on Intel's Celeron processor, a first for the Presario 6000 line. Prices for Presario 6000s with Celeron chips running at 1.7GHz and 1.8GHz will start at $729, including monitor.

The Presario 8000 line will include models with new 2.66GHz and 2.8GHz Pentium 4 processors, introduced earlier this week by Intel. Prices start at $1,349 for a 2.66GHz system and $1,499 for the 2.8GHz system, including monitor.

The new Presarios come with Microsoft Works or Office software, which contrasts with HP's decision earlier this week to switch to Corel's less expensive WordPerfect software for its Pavilion PC line.

PC makers have been trimming prices this year amid stalled growth and fierce competition for the low end of the market. Most have rolled out extensive discount and rebate programs to tempt the dwindling back-to-school market.

While the new HP has a slim lead in the overall PC market, the company's market share has been slipping under fierce competition from Dell Computer. HP, however, still accounts for 61.7 percent of U.S. retail PC sales, NPDTechworld analyst Stephen Baker said.

The new Presario models are available now through HP's direct sales site.