Enlarge / Is there a better way to have a tri-monitor setup? (credit: Getty )

In a technical disclosure published this month, HP explored a Micro LED monitor concept that would enable consumers to easily use various multi-monitor configurations through use of "Lego-like building blocks." HP has no immediate plans to make what it has called "composable Micro LED monitors," but its discussion explores a potential way to simplify multi-tasking with numerous displays.

HP's paper [ PDF ], written by HP scientists and technical architects, discusses a theoretical monitor that supports the easy addition of more flat or curved screens on its left, right, or bottom sides (the authors noted that top extensions could also be possible but they were "trying to keep the number of configurations manageable"). The setup would use one 12×12-inch "core" monitor that has a cable to the connected system. The computer's operating system (OS) would be able to view the display setup as one, two, or multiple monitors, and physical switches would let users quickly disable displays.

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  The illustration shows a monitor made of a core unit and two extension panels viewed as three monitors (left), two monitors (middle), and two monitors with different orientations (right). [credit: HP/Technical Disclosure Commons ]

Not a real product

HP's paper is only a technical disclosure, which companies often publish in order to support potential patent filings. So it's possible that we'll never see HP release "composable Micro LED monitors" as described. An HP spokesperson told me:

Enlarge (credit: Microsoft)

Here at Ars, we’ve been around long enough to chronicle every single time that Microsoft has tried to get Windows running on Arm-based processors, instead of the Intel and AMD-made x86 chips that have been synonymous with Windows for more than three decades. The most significant attempts happened in 2012 with Windows RT, which looked like Windows 8 but couldn’t run any x86 Windows apps; and in 2017 when Windows 10 Arm PCs arrived with rudimentary x86 emulation .

The main PC company backing each of those Arm efforts was Microsoft itself, which launched the original Surface to showcase Windows RT and the first Surface Pro X during the Windows 10 era. Since then, Microsoft has periodically refreshed the Arm version of the Surface tablet while continuing to sell Intel versions. A couple of PC OEMs put out Windows RT tablets, and most of them took a stab at one or two Windows 10-into-11-era Arm PCs. But there was never a big unified push that made it clear that the entire consumer PC ecosystem had bought into Arm.

This week’s announcements felt different—yes, there was a new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop from Microsoft leading the charge (and the new Surface Pro is the first Surface Pro ever to ship Arm as the default option for most people). But the Surface launch was accompanied by a major wave of systems from essentially every major PC OEM, suggesting at least some level of elevated enthusiasm for the Snapdragon X series that didn’t exist for older Arm chips.

Enlarge / HP's new OmniBook X laptop (left) and EliteBook Ultra G1q (right) will start at $1,200 and $1,700, respectively. (credit: HP )

HP is rebranding its consumer and commercial computers. The company will no longer use branding like Spectre and instead use Omni for all of its consumer-facing laptops, desktops, and all-in-ones (AIOs). Similarly, it will no longer refer to its commercial laptops as Dragonfly.

HP announced today that it will no longer release computers under consumer PC series names like Pavilion. Instead, every consumer computer from HP will be called either an OmniBook for laptops, an OmniDesk for desktops, or an OmniStudio for AIOs. The computers will also have a modifier, ranging from 3 up to 5, 7, X, or Ultra to denote computers that are entry-level all the way up to advanced. For instance, an HP OmniBook Ultra would represent HP's highest-grade consumer laptop.

HP's new naming convention for consumer computers. (credit: HP)

"For example, an HP OmniBook 3 will appeal to customers who prioritize entertainment and personal use, while the OmniBook X will be designed for those with higher creative and technical demands," Stacy Wolff, SVP of design and sustainability at HP, said via a press announcement today.

Enlarge / The HP Envy 6020e is one of the printers available for rent. (credit: HP )

HP launched a subscription service today that rents people a printer, allots them a specific amount of printed pages, and sends them ink for a monthly fee. HP is framing its service as a way to simplify printing for families and small businesses, but the deal also comes with monitoring and a years-long commitment.

Prices range from $6.99 per month for a plan that includes an HP Envy printer (the current model is the 6020e) and 20 printed pages. The priciest plan includes an HP OfficeJet Pro rental and 700 printed pages for $35.99 per month.

HP says it will provide subscribers with ink deliveries when they're running low and 24/7 support via phone or chat (although it's dubious how much you want to rely on HP support ). Support doesn't include on or offsite repairs or part replacements. The subscription's terms of service ( TOS ) note that the service doesn't cover damage or failure caused by, unsurprisingly, "use of non-HP media supplies and other products" or if you use your printer more than what your plan calls for.