HP Targets Education Market With New Systems, Lower PricesHP Targets Education Market With New Systems, Lower Prices

Eyeing growth in the K-12 and higher education segments, Hewlett-Packard has slashed prices on some PCs, printers and support services by as much as 15 percent for students and educators .

HP also rolled out new products for the education market, including several AMD-based notebooks.

The 15 percent discount to teachers and students will be available directly to buyers who preregister at the HP Home & Home Office Store's Academic Purchase Program on the HP Web site, the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company said.

The new notebooks, which start at a street price of $929, include the HP Pavilion dv6000 Entertainment Notebook PC, with a 15.4-inch display and an AMD Turion 64X2 chip; the Compaq Presario V6000, with an AMD dual-core processor and 15.4-inch screen; and the HP Pavilion dv9000 Entertainment Notebook, with a 17-inch widescreen display. HP also said its HP Pavilion Slimline s7500 lineup will include the option for a TV tuner and carry a starting price of $449.

HP also rolled out a $79 all-in-one printer, the HP Deskjet F380, said the company will offer remote control for its PC Tune Up service.

The HP education discounts and new notebooks come a week after Apple unveiled a sub-$900 iMac for the education space. In addition, rival Dell this week plans to announce major pricing actions in the consumer and small-business segments.

HP and competitors such as Dell and Lenovo have vowed to stay aggressive on pricing in the desktop and notebook space, as a market-share free-for-all has emerged in recent months.