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The HP Pavilion Wave is a sneak-attack tower PC that looks — and can even act like — like a speaker. 

In a departure from virtually anything else we've ever seen from HP (now HP, Inc.) or any other Windows computer company, the HP Pavilion Wave is a category-redefining introduction that will likely leave you wondering whether this system belongs in the den, the kitchen or on a shelf next to your favorite vase. The answer may be all of the above.

HP Inc., which has been taking some design risks since its separation from HP Enterprise late last year, introduced the tiny, yet versatile and reasonably powerful Pavilion Wave on Thursday and will offer it for sale on the HP website starting Sept. 16.

The Wave's unusual triangular design came, at least in part, out of HP's desire to cater to millennials, 78% of whom, according to HP, say design matters a lot. However, that look also helps HP deliver a number of key innovations.

A speaker inside

At the core of the roughly 9-inch-tall-by-6-inch-wide PC is, in fact, a speaker, which is surrounded by system components and positioned so it fires upwards (yes, some of this will remind causal observers of the workhorse, circular, Mac Pro) This lets the sound waves take advantage of the unique parabola that tops the Pavilion Wave system. 

Even the parabola is unusual. It has been designed with a combination of plastic with metal fused to it through something called vacuum metalization, and an EVA foam core, all of which help better reflect sound and, yes, dissipate heat. Like the audio, the hot system hair is funneled up through the center of the PC, past the parabolic reflectors and out of the system.

Despite the opening at the top, HP officials claim that the Pavilion Wave operates as quietly as a notebook PC.

In addition to the mono, 360-degree speaker, which is powered in part by Bang and Olfsun technology, the Pavilion Wave is a listening device. As a Windows 10 system, the Pavilion Wave will include Windows Cortana digital assistant.

HP Inc. partnered with Intel to refine the design for optimal Cortana performance, at one point testing it with an array of eight speakers around it. They were used to gauge how the Wave's far-field listening system would pick up commands while the speakers recreated real-world background noises.

HP will offer the Pavilion Wave in a range of Intel Quad-core CPU configurations, ranging from Sixth Generation Core i3 through Core i5. The systems will also support up to a 2 TB hard drive and 128 GB SDD and 16 GB of RAM. It will offer a USB-C port, as well as three USB 3 ports, HDMI-out, DisplayPort, Gigabit Ethernet and an SD Card reader. The system will range in price from $529.99 up to $699.99 for the three core configurations. Two base models will offer Intel integrated graphics, while the top end configuration will add discrete AMD-powered graphics. Consumers can configure the system how they like on the HP website, including swapping out the Core i5 CPU for a faster Core i7, but that will raise the price of the PC.

For business

HP also introduced a new business-class PC, the HP Elite Slice, a modular system that will let HP customers add features by the slice.

Each one will snap into the other via a USB connection, without the need for external wires. The tiny systems are designed to fit in increasingly shrinking and flexible work spaces.

The main system, which is about the same thickness as two AA batteries stacked together, will feature wireless charging and dedicated conference call buttons.

Among the modules that will be offered are an optical disc drive (retro, yet cool), speakers, and a VESA Plate if you want to lock the system in place on your desktop. They are all sold separately.

The base PC will feature Intel Core i3-through-7 options, up to 32 GB of DDR 4 memory, HDMI, DisplayPort and USB-C, USB 3.0 and Integrated WLAN.

Elite Slice PCs will start at $99 and ramp up to $999. There will also be a special Elite Slice for use in meeting rooms, it will have a similar configuration to the mid-range, $899 model, but add Intel Unite collaboration hub technology.