HP TouchPad With 9.7-inch and WebOS 3.0 and 1.2 GHz Dual-Core Snapdragon The Brief Review

HP TouchPad With 9.7-inch and WebOS 3.0 and 1.2 GHz Dual-Core Snapdragon The Brief Review

If you've got a few minutes to spare, HP would like to explain how its TouchPad distinguishes itself from other tablets.

A new series of videos touts the TouchPad's key features, ahead of its launch on July 1 (starting at $499). Of course, what HP doesn't show in these videos are the TouchPad's inherent weaknesses: The hardware, while comparable to other current tablets in raw power, measures closer to Apple's first-generation iPad than the thinner and lighter iPad 2, so HP doesn't spend much time talking about it.   

There she is, the HP TouchPad. It's the webOS slate we've been yearning for ever since probing (then) Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein on our first-ever Engadget Show, but sadly, it looks as if HP has yanked any and all Palm labeling from the final product.

Other specifications include webOS 3.0, "true multitasking," Touch-to-share, instant-on productivity, a 9.7-inch display (1024 x 768 screen resolution), a dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon CPU (!), inbuilt gyroscope, accelerometer, compass and 16GB / 32GB of internal storage space. There's also a front-facing 1.3 megapixel webcam, support for video calling, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, A-GPS (3G model only), "twice the memory of a Pre 2" and a set of stereo speakers. 

There's a new paneled email application a Growl-like pop-up notification system, support for Skype calling, compatibility with Amazon's Kindle e-book store, plenty of cal / email integration courtesy of HP Synergy, a slick virtual keyboard, VPN support, wireless printing as well as Google Docs, QuickOffice, Dropbox and Box.net compatibility. 

The HP TouchPad is the device to bring it to market, and the capacitive tablet can now be pre-ordered in select markets.

The TouchPad Wi-Fi will be available in 16GB and 32GB versions, selling for $500 and $600, respectively. Optional accessories for the TouchPad include the HP Touchstone Charging Dock, a Wireless Keyboard and a TouchPad Case (all sold separately). U.S. retailers and commercial resellers for the TouchPad include Best Buy, Staples, Office Depot, Walmart, Sam's Club, OfficeMax, Amazon.com, Fry's, Microcenter, other leading local and regional retailers, as well as HP's online stores.

HP is confident that the TouchPad will become a success though:

"What makes HP TouchPad a compelling alternative to competing products is webOS," said Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager, Palm Global Business Unit, HP.

HP ProBook 4520s With Intel Core i5 430M Processor and 15.6-inch LED The Review

HP ProBook 4520s With Intel Core i5 430M Processor and 15.6-inch LED The Review The HP ProBook 4520s is a small and medium business notebook that replaces the older 4510s from last year. The new model bumps the configuration from the older Intel Core 2 Duo family of processors to the newer Intel Core line, including the Core i3, i5 and i7 processors. 

The Specifications:

• Intel Core i5 430M Processor (2.26GHz, 3MB cache)
• Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (32-bit)
• 15.6-inch LED-backlit anti-glare HD display (1366 x 768)
• Intel GMA HD Integrated Graphics
• 4GB DDR2 800MHz RAM
• 320GB 7200RPM HDD
• LightScribe DVD+/-RW Optical Drive
• Atheros AR9285 BGN Wifi, Bluetooth 2.1, 1Gb LAN
• 6-Cell 47WHr Battery
• Limited 1-year standard parts and labor warranty
• Dimensions: 14.64 x 9.83 x 1.09-inches
• Weight: Starting at 5.27lbs
• Price as configured: $749

 Build and Design
The HP ProBook 4520s has a clean and semi-rugged outside appearance; a step up from the previous generation model. Besides those changes the notebook retains much of the same design as the previous model. The keyboard is a chiclet design with a glossy black plastic inlay, continuing to the screen bezel which shares the same look. The bottom of the notebook has the same clean design at the expense of removing access to all user-upgradable parts.

Build quality is very good and a step up from the older model. The brushed metal lid gives the 4520s some much needed strength and screen protection that the plastic lid on the previous model lacked. The palmrest and speaker grill also gained some rigidity and now offer very little flex under strong pressure. The keyboard tray has some minor flex under pressure which wouldn't be a problem on the more expensive models.
The solid bottom cover has very little flex, which you might find if the bottom was covered in individual panels. 

Screen and Speakers
The ProBook 4520s comes equipped with a 15.6" anti-glare display with a 16:9 widescreen ratio. 

The speakers on the HP ProBook 4520s performed roughly on average with other small and medium business notebooks. Peak volume levels were fine for a small or medium size room.

Each key is relatively flat with a nice matte texture and the keys sit above a glossy black support frame. The support frame surrounding the keys is quite firm thanks to the design of the chassis which adds additional support for the keyboard. The individual key presses are quiet without loud clicking sounds as you type. The depth of each key press is excellent, though some people may dislike the flat, chicklet-style keys. Overall the keyboard layout is extremely nice for a 15-inch laptop.

HP updated the touchpad on the 4520s from the older 4510s, with the notebook now including a button-free Synaptics ClickPad. The primary difference is a larger surface to use for making gestures and a cleaner appearance without additional buttons. If you are a notebook user who likes to rest their fingers on the touchpad buttons while you move your cursor around the screen you will be in for a world of surprise. Even in the defined touchpad button zones the touchpad picks up your stationary finger input and tries to incorporate it into a multitouch gesture. Making the touchpad button areas a "dead zone" would completely resolve this problem.

Overall the touchpad was very sensitive and easy to use (not including the aforementioned problems). Multitouch gestures were quickly recognized and worked smoothly. If the touchpad didn't have the problems associated with the left and right buttons with fingers resting on the surface, it would have been one of the nicer models we have used on a notebook.

Ports and Features
Port selection on the HP ProBook 4520s is good for a small-business notebook but it seems there is room leftover that could have been used for additional ports. The notebook has three USB 2.0 ports, one eSATA/USB combo port, VGA and HDMI-out, LAN, dialup modem, and audio jacks. The system also features an ExpressCard/34 slot and SDHC-card reader for expansion.

Performance and Benchmarks
System performance on the HP ProBook 4520s is very good with the newer 2010 Intel Core processor lineup. HP offers preconfigured models with the Intel Core i3 350M processor as well as the Intel Core i5 430M, which is included in our review unit. The newer Intel GMA HD graphics increased 3D performance and the newer processor is much faster than the old Core 2 Duo seen in the past model.

Heat and Noise
The HP ProBook performed exceptionally well in our thermal tests, keeping case temperatures well within our comfortable range. Under a full load the system barely broke a sweat with a peak recorded body temperature of 81 degrees Fahrenheit on the top and 89 degrees Fahrenheit on the bottom. During this time system noise levels were very reasonable and a hair above ambient levels.

Battery Life
The HP ProBook 4520s comes with a 47Wh 6-cell battery standard, but for the same price the older 4510s configuration gave you a 63Wh 8-cell battery. 

Conclusion
The HP ProBook 4520s offers many improvements from the previous Core 2 Duo-based 4510s. The metal exterior cladding improves looks over the older plastic finish and gives the body a stronger feel. Inside, the brushed metal surface is used above and below the keyboard. Looks are improved but in use we found the all-in-one touchpad surface to cause problems with resting fingers on the touchpad surface over the buttons.

The Intel Core i5 processor in the 4520s performed very well in our tests, offering improvements of more than 30% over the previous model.

Plus:

• Great keyboard
• Very good performance
• Good looks and build quality

Minus:

• Frustrating touchpad
• Smaller battery than previous model

HP EliteBook 8560p The Notebook Review

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.

 The bottom of 8560p which is strong enough (no flex or creaks under pressure) and features a single large access panel to make an upgrade or replace components. This should be very easy for IT managers or even a single small business owner to upgrade the RAM or replace your hard drive. You also will see the docking station connector on the bottom of the notebook if you need to plug into a 8560p display some external or you need additional ports. 

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.

HP Pavilion g6s With Sandy Bridge Technology. Affordable!!

HP Pavilion g6s With Sandy Bridge Technology. Affordable!!
For those who love colorful notebook, the HP Pavilion notebooks bring you the g6s a budget-friendly but is supported by Intel's Sandy Bridge platform that qualified. This new laptop comes in a choice of gray glossy including charcoal gray (standard), Sonoma red, pacific blue, purple sweet, luminous rose.
 
This notebook is also powered by a choice of Intel Core i3/i5, memory up to 6GB of RAM, integrated Intel graphics Graphics HD 3000, or can select Radeon 6470M graphics card, and hard drives up to 750GB.

 
Hp Pavilion g6s has a 15.6-inch screen LED-backlit 1366 × 768 px resolution and offers HDMI output and also features the HP webcam with microphone, built-in Altec Lansing speakers, multi-in-one card reader and a SuperMulti DVD burner (optional Blu -ray drive). This notebook is DLNA certified and supports Bluetooth and WiFi.
 
HP Pavilion notebooks g6s Starting price $ 549.99. You can configure this laptop through the HP online store.

HP Pavilion G6s Specifications:

•      Intel Core i3 and i5 processors (upgradeable)
•      Original Windows 7 Home Premium
•      Fast, easy, trusted Web browsing with Windows Internet Explorer
•      512MB and 1GB graphics options
•      Built in Wi-Fi (Wireless-N1)
•      A 6-cell battery (as compared with 4-cell)
•      Everything you need to manage e-mail, Web surfing, music
•      5 free HP games, already loaded on your PC
•      ENERGY STAR ® qualification