VoodooPC
Encyclopedia
Voodoo Computers Inc. or VoodooPC was a luxury
personal computer
brand owned by Hewlett Packard. Voodoo was originally started as a niche PC maker in Calgary
, Alberta
, Canada
. It was founded in 1991, and in September of 2006 Hewlett Packard announced they would acquire Voodoo. Voodoo specialized in high performance computing. As of June 28, 2011, VoodooPC offers only two models: the Envy 133 (laptop) and the HP Firebird (desktop), although both are no longer available for purchase. It is unknown at this time if any new products are in production. As of 2011, the VoodooPC website remains online, although no products are currently available for purchase from HP under the VoodooPC or VoodooDNA brands, and the Next Bench community has been disbanded.
case and mounted 7" auxiliary screen.
, and in 1999 Ravi Sood (brother to Rahul) joined the board of operations. Prior to the acquisition Voodoo employed roughly 40 people between their Canadian headquarters and their web development office in Bangalore. Since the acquisition the expansion continues, and HP employs over 150,000 people.
In August 2007, HP announced the HP Blackbird 002
gaming PC
with the label VoodooDNA inside the case. The HP Blackbird can have its hard drive replaced in just 12 seconds due to the tools-free entrance design, and was released on September 15, 2007.
For the launch of their new brand direction they used the tag line of 'Blending Art, Innovation and Performance;' confirming the businesses future as a HP brand.
The Envy 133 laptop has been announced as generally available, while the Omen will (initially) be purchasable by invitation only.
line of notebook PCs is touted by HP as "building upon the Voodoo ENVY legacy".
Other available products:
Luxury good
Luxury goods are products and services that are not considered essential and associated with affluence.The concept of luxury has been present in various forms since the beginning of civilization. Its role was just as important in ancient western and eastern empires as it is in modern societies...
personal computer
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
brand owned by Hewlett Packard. Voodoo was originally started as a niche PC maker in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was founded in 1991, and in September of 2006 Hewlett Packard announced they would acquire Voodoo. Voodoo specialized in high performance computing. As of June 28, 2011, VoodooPC offers only two models: the Envy 133 (laptop) and the HP Firebird (desktop), although both are no longer available for purchase. It is unknown at this time if any new products are in production. As of 2011, the VoodooPC website remains online, although no products are currently available for purchase from HP under the VoodooPC or VoodooDNA brands, and the Next Bench community has been disbanded.
Desktop offering
Voodoo PC is most well known for its desktops and offers one desktop brand, the Omen. On June 10, 2008, the computer's complete redesign was revealed, showing a new brushed metalBrushed metal
Brushed metal is metal that has been abraded , usually with a fine grit sandpaper. The brushing gives the metal a distinctive look, as it retains some but not all of its metallic lustre and is given a pattern of very fine lines. It can be compared to metal with several small scratches all running...
case and mounted 7" auxiliary screen.
Management
The company was founded in 1991 by Rahul SoodRahul Sood
Rahul Sood was the founder of VoodooPC , and became the outgoing Chief Technology Officer for the Hewlett Packard Global Voodoo Business Unit...
, and in 1999 Ravi Sood (brother to Rahul) joined the board of operations. Prior to the acquisition Voodoo employed roughly 40 people between their Canadian headquarters and their web development office in Bangalore. Since the acquisition the expansion continues, and HP employs over 150,000 people.
Acquisition by HP
On September 28, 2006, Rahul Sood announced on his blog that HP would be acquiring VoodooPC for an undisclosed amount. Rahul Sood will be assuming the position of Chief Technology Officer for HP's Global Voodoo Business Unit.In August 2007, HP announced the HP Blackbird 002
HP Blackbird 002
The HP Blackbird 002 was a gaming and high-performance PC built by HP’s Voodoo Business Unit. It launched on September 2007 and won over 10 Editor’s Choice awards, one from C-NET, which gave it a 9.3 out of 10. The chassis was made out of brushed aluminum and it sat on a cast aluminum foot...
gaming PC
Gaming PC
Enthusiast computing refers to a sub-culture of personal computer users who focus on extremely high-performance computers. Manufacturers of performance-oriented parts typically include an enthusiast model in their offerings...
with the label VoodooDNA inside the case. The HP Blackbird can have its hard drive replaced in just 12 seconds due to the tools-free entrance design, and was released on September 15, 2007.
New direction
Since the acquisition of Voodoo in 2006, the business has been re-developing the brand of Voodoo. This was culminated on the 10th June 2008 with the revelation that Voodoo will focus on high-end, top spec computers rather than gaming machines. Voodoo will also continue with Voodoo DNA machines with HP.For the launch of their new brand direction they used the tag line of 'Blending Art, Innovation and Performance;' confirming the businesses future as a HP brand.
The Envy 133 laptop has been announced as generally available, while the Omen will (initially) be purchasable by invitation only.
Current products
As of October 18, 2009, both the HP Firebird and Voodoo Envy 133 are no longer available for purchase on HP's website. The HP EnvyHP Envy
The HP ENVY series is a line of high performance laptops manufactured and sold by Hewlett-Packard, which was launched on October 15, 2009 as two models, the Envy 13 and the Envy 15...
line of notebook PCs is touted by HP as "building upon the Voodoo ENVY legacy".
Other available products:
- HP Gaming Mouse with VooDooDNA
- HP Gaming Surface with VooDooDNA
Discontinued products
- Rage (gaming desktop)
- Aria (media center)
- Hexx (gaming desktop, small form factor)
- Vibe (media center/Xbox combination)
- Eden (fanless/silent gaming desktop)
- Omega (canceled)
- Omen (gaming desktop)
- HP Blackbird 002 (high end gaming desktop with VoodooDNA)
- HP Firebird (lower end compact gaming desktop with VoodooDNA)
- Envy 133 (premium ultraportable notebook) with SplashtopSplashtopSplashtop is a remote desktop software solution that allows users to connect to and control their computer from a mobile computing device, such as an iPad, iPhone, webOS, or Android device...
instant-on OS.