HP EliteBook 8560p The Notebook Review
HP EliteBook 8560p is the latest generation 15-inch premium notebook from Hewlett-Packard's business. This aluminum-clad hard-working is designed to serve as a mobile desktop replacement for business professionals who require the latest technology wrapped in a durable shell. Keep reading to find out whether the new EliteBook is a "elite" as it looks.Specifications:
- Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
Intel Core i7-2620M (2.70GHz, 4MB L3 cache) - 4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM
- 500GB 7200 rpm SATA II Hard Drive
- DVD+/-RW SuperMulti drive with LightScribe
- 15.6-inch diagonal LED-backlit HD+ WVA anti-glare (1600 x 900)
- AMD Radeon HD 6470M with 1 GB dedicated DDR3 video memory
- 720p HD webcam
- 10/100/1000 Ethernet
- Intel Centrino 802.11a/b/g/n wireless
- Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
- 90W Smart AC adapter with HP Fast Charge
- 6-cell (62 WHr) Li-Ion battery
- Weight: 6.05 lb
- Dimensions (w x d x h): 14.72 x 9.86 x 1.34 inches
- MSRP: $1,499.00 (starting price: $1,099.00)
Build and Design
In recent years EliteBooks HP has distinguished itself in the business world thanks to the exterior design featuring a brushed-metal cladding and interior chassis is made of durable magnesium alloy. In short, EliteBooks looks cool and is built tough. The latest generation of HP's legacy EliteBooks take a few steps further with what HP calls "Forge" design philosophy. Forge is actually an acronym for the words, "Forms, Optimization, Wealth, Green and Enduring." If you want to ignore that the feathers of marketing for a while, what HP is trying to say is that the notebook is a stylish, offer excellent performance, giving premium feel, provide efficient power management for long battery life, and very well built to survive hard life business use.
They may sound like a bold claim but, based on what we see from the previous generation EliteBooks, marketing claims have a very real basis in fact.
One of the first things you notice when you take a new 15-inch 8560p EliteBook is that the notebook feels like it's made of very thick piece of aluminum. You will not feel the "flex" you normally see in laptops cheaper plastic. HP Notebook 8560p has a completely redesigned DuraCase that meets MIL-STD-8710G specification military testing standards, which means this notebook withstand greater wear and tear of regular laptops. Despite the rough build quality of this notebook should be easy to carry thanks to a starting weight of only six pounds.
Six pounds may sound heavy for 15-inch notebook when there are many 17-inch consumer laptop that tip the scales around the same weight. That said, I challenge anyone to build a business notebook encased in metal with a high-end CPU, discrete graphics card, and a built-in optical drive that weighs less than five pounds. Extra pound or more of the weight comes from all metal armor covering notebooks.
EliteBook P-series is available with the second generation (Sandy Bridge) Intel quad-core Core i7 and Core i7, I5 and I3 dual-core processors, with your choice of integrated graphics or AMD Radeon HD 6470M graphics. This notebook also has a USB 3.0 port and USB 2.0 charging port, in addition to various wireless options and either a disk drive or hard drive solid-state disk for storage.
Ports and Features
While we're on the topic of port, the team at HP's 8560p EliteBook packed with two USB "Super Speed" 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0 port, and "charging" USB 2.0 port (which lets you change the device like a smartphone or iPod even when the notebook is only on battery power). If that's not enough, you also get a standard VGA port, DisplayPort connectors, FireWire, microphone in and headphone jack separate audio outs, Ethernet, modem, serial port (yes, I say "serial port") and the ExpressCard/54 slot, Smart Card reader and SDHC / SD / MMC card reader.
The point is that the 8560p has a remarkable amount of built-in port ... and if that is not enough you can alway use the optional docking station to add additional DisplayPort, DVI or USB port.