HP offers PC with 24-hour battery life

Hewlett-Packard Co., the world’s largest personal-computer maker, introduced a notebook PC that can run for as long as 24 hours on a single battery charge.

Customers would have to buy an optional battery, a special display and a so-called solid-state hard-disk drive to get the extended running time, Hewlett-Packard said. With those options, the EliteBook 6930p costs about $2,200. After an online discount, the price will be $1,816.

Hewlett-Packard has added new PCs over the last two months to capture consumer demand for notebooks and extend its lead over Dell Inc. The new notebook will compete with Dell’s Latitude E6400, introduced in August, which can run for as long as 19 hours on a single charge.

The company’s notebook sales rose 26% in the quarter ended July 31, while desktop revenue increased 6%. PCs account for a third of the company’s revenue.

Customers wanting the 24-hour battery life will also have to download additional graphics and system software, HP said. The machine will be available in October.

A basic version of the PC costs $1,199, Hewlett-Packard spokesman Mike Hockey said. The additional battery costs $150, and the solid-state hard disk, which stores information on chips rather than a magnetic disk, is an extra $900.

Shares of Hewlett-Packard, based in Palo Alto, rose 86 cents to $45.74.