HP EliteBook 8530w Laptop Review

The HP EliteBook 8530w is the latest 15.4″ workstation featuring the latest Intel processors and Nvidia Quadro FX 770M wrapped inside an impressively durable shell. The Elitebook 8530w and 8530p (non-workstation version) replace the 8510w and 8510p, respectively. Is it time for an upgrade at your office? Take a look and see what we have to say about this powerful workhorse!

The 8530w starts out at $1,499 but more powerful configurations top out at $3,549.

Our pre-production EliteBook 8530w came with the Intel T9400 processor, clocking in at 2.53GHz, and jammed packed with 6MB of cache. For graphics, HP included an Nvidia Quadro 770M series video card with 512MB of GDDR3 memory. A fast 160GB 7200 RPM hard drive was also included, which helped applications load without much lag. This workstation consistently exceeded our expectations, thanks in large part to the workstation-class GPU. Serious users will find this machine packs plenty of power for even the most demanding tasks, and "normal" users who are only concerned with working in Microsoft Office and encoding the occassional video for work will have more power than they know what to do with it.

In a day and age when more and more notebooks are offering hybrid graphics (a combination of both integrated and dedicated graphics that allow you to reduce power consumption when you don't need extreme graphics performance) we would have liked to see a hybrid graphics solution inside the Elitebook 8530w. As it stands, this isn't a deal killer because most people interested in this notebook are concerned about performance ... not getting every possible minute of battery life.

CEOs and businessmen often go to meetings and they often lug around their trustworthy partner: the laptop. Due to this, laptops are subject to constant wear and tear by being transported frequently. Thus, Hewlett-Packard stresses the importance of durability.

While the HP Elitebook 8530w battery has all the major features of most business laptops, it also is capable of being transported without any worry of abuse. Hewlett-Packard designed its proprietary technology in the HP Elitebook 8530w, which is called the “Duracase.” To guarantee durability, the Elitebook 8530w is made with a magnesium alloy that is stronger than conventional plastic by 18 times.

Specifications:

• Intel Core 2 Duo T9400 Processor (2.53GHz, 6MB L2 cache, 1066MHz FSB)
• Microsoft Genuine Windows Vista Business
• 15.4-inch WUXGA+ anti-glare (1920 x 1200)
• 160GB 7200RPM Toshiba 2.5" HDD
• 512MB NVIDIA Quadro FX 770M Workstation GPU
• 4GB DDR2 800MHz RAM (2 x 2GB Configuration)
• Blu-Ray and DVD+/-RW Optical Drive
• WiFi, Ethernet, Modem, and Bluetooth Connectivity
• 8-Cell 73WHr Battery
• 3-Year on-site Warranty
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 14.0" x 10.4"
• Weight: 6.5lbs without power adapter, 8lbs with power adapter

During normal use (browsing the web or working on a text document) the EliteBook 8530w battery remained nice and quiet. However, after watching some streaming video online and after stressing the graphics the cooling fan inside the laptop gets quite loud. When doing tasks that stress the processor and graphics card, the laptop's fan works hard to keep this laptop cool. This is something of a mixed blessing in that while noisy, it helps to lower the internal temperatures and helps extend the life of your notebook components.

Finally, we recorded the following external temperatures using an IR thermometer after running two consecutive PCMark05 benchmarks. This should serve as an indicator of how hot the notebook will get after about 30 minutes of serious use. All temperatures are listed in degrees Fahrenheit. While the 8530w isn't the coldest notebook we've reviewed, it does stay amazing cool considering the powerful processor and graphics.

The 8530w comes equipped with a 15.4" anti-glare widescreen with the highest resolution possible for a screen of this size. At 1920 x 1200 pixels, this high-definition display is capable of displaying the finest details in workstation applications like Maya, CAD, 3dsMax, and more. Or course, you can also enjoy this extra resolution for 1080p movies when you use the BluRay optical drive.

When viewing the screen from straight ahead, colors are rich and the contrast is excellent. High-definition movies (compliments of the BluRay drive) are absolutely stunning. Horizontal viewing angles are almost as impressive, and the vertical viewing angle from above is likewise impressive. The only time the screen starts to disappoint is when you view it from below ... but the overwhelming majority of users will never view the screen in this way.

Pros:
The HP Elitebook 8530w is a powerful and durable workstation in the guise of a laptop. It is full-featured and its tough shell means all your important files and information are kept from harm’s way. It even has a suite of security tools available to provide business-level protection. Another plus is the host of powerful video card options allowing for a great gaming and high definition media experience.

Cons:
This laptop boasts to have stability, durability, and excellent features. A laptop of this stature could only come with a pricey tag. This model is also quite heavy (agbout 2.86 kg) for a mobile PC. Some users noted that the internal speaker leaves much to be desired and the touchpad area is small.

The HP EliteBook 8530w is one of the most impressive workstation-class 15.4″ notebooks we’ve seen. Whether you’re a small business owner looking for a durable notebook with plenty of performance or a large business looking to outfit a large staff of creative professionals with mobile workstations, the HP 8530w battery makes a smart choice. However, there’s no such thing as a perfect notebook and our pre-production unit of the 8530w was not without its flaws.

While there are a few things we can criticize about the 8530w, it’s hard to be too critical of a pre-production unit because there is always a “possibility” that a minor issue (such as touchpad buttons or cooling fan volume) could be resolved with the final versions that ship to customers. Still, based on the review unit we have on hand we feel our relatively minor criticism is warranted.

Bottom line, there are many reasons why professionals need to buy the HP EliteBook 8530w and very few reasons not to.

HP Pavilion DM3 Review

There's so much to like in HP's new Pavilion dm3 that it's hard to know where to start. Perhaps with the looks: The aluminum and magnesium case looks cool, totally modern, and though it's got some plastic components (most notably the underside), it feels quite durable. The Mac-style keyboard is spacious and comfortable, even though the unit's got a 13.3-inch screen to keep things portable and svelte.

One of the highlights is the new keyboard. Though the sample we saw had a US one, we were still impressed with both the layout and the key action of this isolation-style effort. As far as we can recall, this is the first time HP has used this kind of keyboard on one of its laptops and it appears to have nailed it first time.

Key Specs
Processor: 1.3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300
Memory: 2GB RAM
Storage: 500GB hard drive
Optical Drive: None
Screen: 13.3 inches (1,280x800 native resolution)
Graphics: Integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD
Weight: 4.2 pounds
Dimensions (HWD): 1.2x12.8x9.1 inches
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)

Hardware configurations will vary, with single-core and dual-core versions likely. There'll be both AMD and Intel variants available, too, but with HP claiming a whopping 10 hours from the Intel version (powered by a six-cell, 57 Watt-hour battery) it would appear to be the one to get.

The glossy 13.3in display, meanwhile, has a 1,366 x 768 pixel resolution, and image quality raises it substantially above the average. Vibrant colours and good contrast made the most of our test photographs, and our HD movie clips positively leapt from the screen.

The big problem with going down the AMD route is that it seriously lags behind its CULV counterparts when it comes to battery life. The Pavilion dm3 battery struggled to an unimpressive 4hrs 37mins in our light-use battery life test, and under heavy load that figure dropped further to 1hr 43mins.

The dm3 is a thin and light notebook with a 13′ display. It weighs in at just over four pounds, making it light enough to carry around all day long. It utilizes mild processors that are relatively affordable and that increase battery life.

The DM3 is that next step in this evolutionary path. The machine comes in both AMD and Intel flavors, so let's get the differences between these 64-bit Windows 7 machines out of the way, first. The AMD version packs the 1.6GHz Athlon Neo X2 dual-core CPU, a 320GB hard drive (7200 rpm), and an ATI Radeon HD 3200 series GPU. In short, a spunky little system.

The Intel version, on the other hand, offers the 1.3GHz Pentium SU4100, a 500GB hard drive (7200 rpm), and an integrated GPU--not exactly heart-stopping. It'll probably be enough to get you through the day and watch videos without a hitch, but the lack of a proper, discrete GPU on the Intel model already tips the scales in favor of the AMD (in my humble opinion)--but I haven't had a chance to play with either, yet. Obviously, we can't go into performance specifics at this time, but for a little perspective, the dv2 got a 45 in WorldBench 6. Another thing we can't test right now is battery life. HP spokespeople promise that this machine will last up to 10 hours with the standard-issue 6-cell HP Pavilion DM3 battery.

With the exception of an internal optical drive, the dm3 brings over most of the features found in the HP dv3z, including three USB ports, HDMI-Out, a multi-card reader, VGA-Out, and an ExpressCard slot. HP remains faithful to the Altec Lansing speakers, although they have been relocated from above the keyboard to the bottom of the front bezel. There will be an embedded 3G option as well, either with Verizon or AT&T.

Naming schemes follow the same recipe that HP has had since day one: A "z" at the end means there's an AMD inside, while the "t" denotes Intel. So the dm3z, for instance, will sport AMD's latest Neo processor, the dual-core version of the one found in the HP Pavilion dv2-1030us. The dm3t, on the other hand, will use either Intel's consumer ultra-low voltage or standard voltage processors.

You don’t have to splurge for a $1,599 Envy 13 to get a notebook made with premium materials in HP’s lineup. Like its higher priced cousin, the Pavilion dm3t uses a combination of aluminum (on the deck and lid), while the bottom casing is made of aluminum alloy. We especially like the Moderno Argento gray finish and how it contrasts with the glossy black display bezel. This brushed metal looks a bit more modern than the ASUS UL30A, which has a lighter-colored aluminum lid but a plastic deck (albeit with a cool intersecting pattern).

The 4.2-pound dm3t is heavier than both the UL30 (4.0 pounds) and the Envy 13 (3.8 pounds), but because it omits a DVD drive, it measures just 1.0 inch thin; we had no problem slipping this laptop in a backpack.

Not everything is as we'd like, though. Network connectivity is restricted to slower 10/100 'Fast' Ethernet and Wireless-G Wi-Fi, as opposed to the Gigabit and Wireless-N Wi-Fi oft demanded these days, though Bluetooth is at least included. Whether the dm3's lacklustre network speed matters is up for debate. Many ordinary users probably won't see the problem, but those with more demanding tastes might baulk at these restrictions.

General connectivity, on the other hand, is good enough. It might lack niceties like eSATA or standby powered USB ports, but the dm3 has HDMI and VGA for video and a total of four USB ports - a good number for a portable machine like this. These are joined by a memory card reader, audio jacks for headphones and a microphone, and the Ethernet port.

The HP Pavilion dm3 laptop battery is one of the fastest thin and light notebooks we've seen. It posted a WorldBench 6 score of over 100--a feat achieved by very few laptops - and had very good PC Mark 05 and PC Mark Vantage numbers. Its Nvidia GeForce G105M graphics card is not really meant for gaming but at low-settings (and low expectations) you can just about manage to play 2-3 year old games. Both 720p and 1080p high-def videos played smoothly, without any stutter on the Pavilion dm3 - multitasking isn't an issue as well.

Although it's not really an entertainment-tuned laptop, the HP Pavilion dm3-1035tx manages to pull off a rather good audio-visual experience - courtesy of its LED-backlit widescreen and better-than-average onboard speakers. The included six-cell battery lasted 1 hour 43 minutes in our battery tests, at high performance preset and full-screen brightness; expect just over 3 hours of surfing the web over Wi-Fi on a single charge at power-safe mode.

HP ProBook 4510s Review

HP's latest business focussed notebooks have a new name and a new look. With plenty of power and a good price, are these the best machines for your business?

With a new naming convention and a new aesthetic HP for its notebooks, HP is clearly trying to reinvent itself for the business market and judging by this first look at a final production sample ProBook 4510s, it’s not doing a bad job.

As far as looks are concerned the ProBook is a certainly a success. It's finished in glossy black plastic, and the keys are the "Scrabble-tile" arrangement (HP calls it a "chiclet" keyboard) by now familiar on Apple and Sony's notebooks. The keys have a decent amount of travel and the base feels solid: it's easy to get a full head of steam when touch-typing. It's also pleasing to see HP using the whole width of the notebook's base, with the right hand side given to a full number pad, which makes spreadsheets easier to work on. The only downside to the glossy lid is that fingerprints stick all too easily.

HP ProBook 4510s battery has simple design. Actually someone would even say that it has “vintage” design somewhat similar to old IBM notebooks. Chassis is made of black plastic and has flat surfaces and “sharp” edges. Rigidness is average which doesn’t come as surprise since this is, after all, “s” model that cannot be compared to, much pricier, “b” and “p” series. Cover is made out of black piano finish plastics that will collect all traces of fingers that ever touched it. Display frame and area close to keyboard are made out of same plastic. Luckily, palmrest is made out of matte plastic so reaching for maintenance cloth will not be that frequent job. Another color variant called “Merlot Red” (dark red) is announced, and judging by the pictures it will be much more attractive than this, black one.

Keyboard is better segment of this notebook. It follows, these days very popular, MacBook design characterized by large gap between keys. Alpha numeric part of keyboard is good and without significant bending although num pad does suffer from significant bending especially along right edge. HP is noticed about this problem, and we got information that in final retail version it will be corrected. Cursor keys are nicely distinct so finding them will not be a problem. This is nice feature since a lot of newer notebooks that we reviewed had cursor keys that are “blended” with num pad. Touch pad is moved to the left side, centered with “space” key, which is good position. Touch pad keys are separated and operate similar to piano keys: only bottom part reacts at pressure. We also liked the fact that touch pad keys are almost silent, as they should be on an business notebook.

The ProBook 4510s is configured as follows:

Intel Core 2 Duo T6570 Processor (2.1GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 800MHz FSB)
Microsoft Genuine Windows Vista Business (with option for Windows XP downgrade)
15.6-inch LED-backlit anti-glare HD display (1366 x 768)
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
2GB DDR2 800MHz RAM
250GB 5400RPM HDD
LightScribe DVD+/-RW Optical Drive
WiFi (802.11a/b/g/draft-n), Ethernet, Modem, and Bluetooth Connectivity
8-Cell 63WHr Battery
Limited 1-year standard parts and labor warranty
Dimensions: 1.25" x 14.6" x 9.83"
Weight: 5.8lbs

With the enterprise EliteBooks and the small-business Compaqs commanding HP's business laptop line, you'd think two brands would be enough to hold down the fort. HP, however, is out to prove that its new ProBooks will be a worthy third segment to what already seems like a crowded family. The HP ProBook 4510s ($700 direct) is one of three desktop replacements in this new line, which should give IT managers some fashionable yet affordable solutions to choose from. The 15.6-inch (16:9 aspect ratio) widescreen, glossy finish, and new-look keyboard are what you'd find on a consumer laptop or one geared toward style-minded businesses.

One thing that all model variants of the HP ProBook 4510s and 4515s have in common is the 16:9 HD resolution of 1366x768 pixels. However, you have a choice when it comes to display surface. According to HP a glossy variant (BrightView) as well as a matte display (anti-glare) are available. To our dissatisfaction our test sample unfortunately has the reflective display variant, which isn't recommendable for planned use of the laptop as a device for work due to ergonomic reasons.

Indeed the maximum brightness of the display (CMO1571) turned out surprisingly high throughout the course of our measurements. The panel reached a maximum of 282 cd/m² in the central area – very good. Also the average brightness at around 250 cd/m² is completely in order.

Even though the illumination at just 78.4% turns out to be below average, looking at the display subjectively there are no shadowing effects to be seen, because the minimum measured brightness of 221 cd/m² is too high.

Below the metal grille we have an isolation-style keyboard, which like Apple, HP refers to as 'chicklet'. Keys are somewhat smaller than we're used to seeing on HP laptops, but as usual it's still very comfortable and the new design allows for plenty of key separation. A slightly narrower than normal left-Ctrl key is the only compromise in the layout, but it's a small inconvenience given you also benefit from a full number pad. Fundamentally, then, this is a very good keyboard and it delivers excellent tactile feedback, too.

Below the excellent keyboard is a raised wrist rest coated in soft-touch plastic; an effect continued on the touchpad and its buttons. Unfortunately this finish really shows off grease so it's almost as bad as the lid, which is hardly ideal in a business laptop that might be shared among different people. It looks and feels nice, but it's not necessarily practical.

As expected, the integrated graphics are enough to handle the Aero effects of Windows Vista Business, but you won’t be playing any intense shoot ’em ups on this laptop. The ProBook 4510s battery delivered a score of 841 on 3DMark06 (at 1,024x768), which is in line with other low-cost notebooks. To put that in real-world perspective, the machine mustered only 16 frames per second (fps) when playing F.E.A.R. and 6.7fps on Company of Heroes. While the ProBook's graphics scores are a little lower than those of the ThinkPad SL500, neither system can handle modern gaming.

The lower-priced ProBook 4510s models come with a six-cell battery, but our SKU included an eight-cell power pack that delivered exactly 3 hours of runtime on our harsh DVD-rundown test, which should equate to 5 to 6 hours under more judicious use. (Again, compare that with Lenovo’s 2 hours and 12 minutes on the ThinkPad SL500.) Opting for the six-cell battery instead would save you $50, but you'd also forgo the laptop's Bluetooth connectivity; the lesser battery lasted 2 hours and 11 minutes.

The HP ProBook 4510s is a stylish notebook featuring a 15.6-inch screen along with a sleek design that offers function and style. Along with the large display the 4510s features a separate numeric keypad. At 5.7 pounds the 4510s is a bit heavy to be considered an ultra-portable, but it still weighs in far less than your average desktop replacement. The battery life, security software, and clean design make the ProBook 4510s an excellent small-business laptop.

HP backs the ProBook 4510s with a one-year warranty with 24/7 phone support. For small-business buyers on a budget, the model represents a compelling value. In our test configuration, you can get better performance and HP battery life with this system than with the Lenovo ThinkPad SL500. And for just a little more than $500 for the base model, you can still get a big screen and plenty of features.