HP launches world’s first notebook with integrated Leap Motion

As its name suggests, The HP ENVY17 Leap Motion Special Edition (SE) comes with the company’s gesture-recognition system built in, meaning that it can sense and react to hand and even individual finger movements in the air.

The-HP-ENVY17-Leap-Motion-Special-Edition-Photo-AFP

As its name suggests, The HP ENVY17 Leap Motion Special Edition (SE) comes with the company's gesture-recognition system built in, meaning that it can sense and react to hand and even individual finger movements in the air.

Able to detect swipes, pokes, points and any other digit-based gesture within a space of four cubic feet in front of its sensor, the Leap Motion Controller essentially turns the air into a huge touch screen and is currently the closest the average consumer will get to the levels of technology on show in 'The Minority Report.'

And although the standalone version of the device only launched in July, there is already a huge selection of bespoke apps available for it enabling users to do everything from remotely browse their music collection to navigating Google Earth and serious gaming just by waving their hands around in the general direction of their PCs.

But as well as integrated Leap Motion technology, the notebook also features a 17-inch full HD display, an Intel Haswell chip for optimum battery life and a serious NVIDIA graphics card for better gaming and creative productivity.

HP is by no means the only computer manufacturer contemplating the synergies that Leap Motion can bring. At the beginning of the year, Asus announced that it would be bundling a standalone Leap Motion controller with its premium all-in-one and notebook computers and other manufacturers have also expressed great interest in the gadget's possibilities.

However, HP deserves some kudos for getting to the market well ahead of its competitors. It only announced in April that it intended to add Leap Motion's capabilities to its future computers but has already launched the first device with the technology fully integrated, rather than bundled separately.

For those that like the idea of gesture-based computing but don't like the idea of buying a HP product to try it out, the Leap Motion Controller is sold separately for $79.99 and plugs directly into the USB port of a Mac or PC.

Meanwhile, the HP ENVY Leap Motion SE notebook is expected to be available for pre-order in the United States on October 16 with prices starting at $1,049.99 - the HD display is an optional extra.