Processor: 1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo L9400Memory: 3GB RAMStorage: 80GB SSDOptical Drive: DVD+/-RWScreen: 12.1 inchesGraphics: Intel integrated GMA 4500 MHDWeight: 3.1 poundsDimensions (HWD): 1.0x11.1x8.4 inchesOperating System: Windows Vista Business
Designed to withstand the rigors of everyday travel and then some, HP’s lightweight EliteBook 2530p is packed with business-friendly features and delivers outstanding productivity performance with over five hours of battery life. Its $2,499 price tag, however, may be too steep for some.
With its brushed-aluminum lid and slender 3.1-pound frame, you wouldn’t think the 2530p is built to meet the U.S. Military specifications (MIL-STD 810F) for durability, but don’t let its sleek looks fool you; this is one tough notebook. The EliteBook is protected by HP’s magnesium alloy DuraCase chassis, which according to HP, is 18 times stiffer than the ABS plastic used on most notebooks. Additionally, the magnesium/aluminum lid is 50 percent stronger than a typical magnesium lid and is held firmly in place by a pair of reinforced hinges.
Beneath the lid sits HP’s 12.1-inch Illumi-Lite display, which uses LED backlighting as opposed to the typical CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent lamp) technology used on most notebook displays. Besides being more energy efficient and boasting a longer lifespan than their CCFL counterparts, LED screens—being mercury-free—are environmentally friendly. The 1280x800 display was bright and delivered good color reproduction and a relatively wide viewing angle, and the matte finish did a great job of reducing glare.
The 2-megapixel Webcam embedded in the screen’s upper bezel provided adequate video quality for online chatting. Although its photo image quality was certainly better than that of a 1.3-megapixel camera, it was still slightly grainy. In addition to HP’s Webcam utility, the system ships with Presto’s BizCard software, which allows you to use the camera to "scan" business cards directly into a database. The software is easy enough to use, but (as with most card-reading systems) has trouble recognizing characters from time to time, particularly while scanning small fonts. Next to the Webcam is a tiny lamp that provides just the right amount of light for working in a darkened room or on a red-eye flight.
Despite its diminutive size, the 2530p sports a full-size keyboard that is generally comfortable and responsive, but the function keys are a tad small. The keys are wear-resistant, and the keyboard uses Mylar film beneath the keys to protect against spills. Nestled into the brushed-metal wrist rest (which is also wear-resistant) are a small touchpad with two mouse buttons and a fingerprint reader. We love that HP outfitted this model with a pointing stick controller as well.
A very thin strip of illuminated touch-sensitive controls at the top of the keyboard deck lets you enable the Wi-Fi Link 5100 wireless radio and the touchpad, access the HP Presentation applet, and adjust speaker volume via the slider control. There’s also a key that opens the HP Info Center, where you can access the user guide and additional features, including HP’s 3D DriveGuard hard drive protection utility, ProtectTools Security Manager, and Wireless Assistant utility.
Business and security features are plentiful. In addition to an embedded TPM solution and the fingerprint scanner, HP’s ProtectTools provides total hard drive encryption for added security in the event that the notebook is lost or stolen. FileSanitizer, a neat utility that permanently deletes folders and files, is also part of the ProtectTools suite. Disk Sanitizer, a BIOS-based utility, will overwrite the entire hard drive (up to seven passes), so you can rest assured that sensitive data will not fall into the wrong hands when it comes time to reallocate or retire the system.
HP’s QuickLook 2 is a neat little time saver that lets you access Outlook e-mail and view calendar and contact information without having to boot into Windows. Other handy programs include HP’s SpareKey utility, which lets you use clues to log in to Windows if you happen to forget your password; and Credential Manager, which adds an extra layer of security by consolidating and encrypting all your network and user passwords into a single identity file, so you can access multiple Websites, networks, and applications with one password.
The 2530p is powered by a low-voltage Core 2 Duo L9400 processor running at 1.86GHz, 3GB of RAM, and Intel’s integrated GMA 4500MHD graphics engine. This model comes with an 80GB solid state drive (SSD), which helps boost performance while conserving battery life, plus an integrated DVD burner—a rarity among 12-inch notebooks. Connectivity ports include two USB and one FireWire port, a docking station connector, a VGA output, two audio (headphone and microphone) jacks, and Ethernet and modem jacks. ExpressCard/54 and Secure Digital slots are located on the right side of the chassis.
Despite its low-voltage processor, the 2530p performed quite well on FutureMark’s PCMark Vantage productivity benchmark test. Its score of 4,380 bested the Acer TravelMate 6293 and Lenovo’s ThinkPad X200 by more than 1,100 points, and even topped the Toshiba Tecra R10 by 810 points, which is doubly impressive, since the R10 is a larger system. Windows Media and iTunes encoding scores were also good, but lagged behind the Tecra by a small margin. Similarly, the 2530p's Cinebench 10 score of 3,745 came in behind the Acer, Lenovo, and Toshiba scores but is still on target for notebooks in this class.
Graphics performance was pretty much what we expected from an ultraportable system powered by an integrated GPU. The 2530p was unable to run FutureMark’s 3DMark Vantage benchmark, but its 3DMark06 score of 765 (running at 1280x800) shows that this system is not meant for gaming. It is, however, meant for untethered computing, lasting a healthy 5 hours and 3 minutes on our DVD battery rundown test, which means you can expect even longer battery life while running basic productivity applications. Better yet, HP claims a 50-percent increase in battery life with its 9-cell battery, a $129 option. HP covers the EliteBook with a three-year warranty that includes 24/7 technical support, but the battery is covered for only one year.
The HP EliteBook 2530p may cost more than most business-class notebooks (about $1,000 more than the Tecra R10, in fact), but its sturdy, travel-friendly design, solid performance, and numerous business-centric features put it in a class by itself. All things considered, we think it’s worth every penny. Price (at time of review): $2,499
With its brushed-aluminum lid and slender 3.1-pound frame, you wouldn’t think the 2530p is built to meet the U.S. Military specifications (MIL-STD 810F) for durability, but don’t let its sleek looks fool you; this is one tough notebook. The EliteBook is protected by HP’s magnesium alloy DuraCase chassis, which according to HP, is 18 times stiffer than the ABS plastic used on most notebooks. Additionally, the magnesium/aluminum lid is 50 percent stronger than a typical magnesium lid and is held firmly in place by a pair of reinforced hinges.
Beneath the lid sits HP’s 12.1-inch Illumi-Lite display, which uses LED backlighting as opposed to the typical CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent lamp) technology used on most notebook displays. Besides being more energy efficient and boasting a longer lifespan than their CCFL counterparts, LED screens—being mercury-free—are environmentally friendly. The 1280x800 display was bright and delivered good color reproduction and a relatively wide viewing angle, and the matte finish did a great job of reducing glare.
The 2-megapixel Webcam embedded in the screen’s upper bezel provided adequate video quality for online chatting. Although its photo image quality was certainly better than that of a 1.3-megapixel camera, it was still slightly grainy. In addition to HP’s Webcam utility, the system ships with Presto’s BizCard software, which allows you to use the camera to "scan" business cards directly into a database. The software is easy enough to use, but (as with most card-reading systems) has trouble recognizing characters from time to time, particularly while scanning small fonts. Next to the Webcam is a tiny lamp that provides just the right amount of light for working in a darkened room or on a red-eye flight.
Despite its diminutive size, the 2530p sports a full-size keyboard that is generally comfortable and responsive, but the function keys are a tad small. The keys are wear-resistant, and the keyboard uses Mylar film beneath the keys to protect against spills. Nestled into the brushed-metal wrist rest (which is also wear-resistant) are a small touchpad with two mouse buttons and a fingerprint reader. We love that HP outfitted this model with a pointing stick controller as well.
A very thin strip of illuminated touch-sensitive controls at the top of the keyboard deck lets you enable the Wi-Fi Link 5100 wireless radio and the touchpad, access the HP Presentation applet, and adjust speaker volume via the slider control. There’s also a key that opens the HP Info Center, where you can access the user guide and additional features, including HP’s 3D DriveGuard hard drive protection utility, ProtectTools Security Manager, and Wireless Assistant utility.
Business and security features are plentiful. In addition to an embedded TPM solution and the fingerprint scanner, HP’s ProtectTools provides total hard drive encryption for added security in the event that the notebook is lost or stolen. FileSanitizer, a neat utility that permanently deletes folders and files, is also part of the ProtectTools suite. Disk Sanitizer, a BIOS-based utility, will overwrite the entire hard drive (up to seven passes), so you can rest assured that sensitive data will not fall into the wrong hands when it comes time to reallocate or retire the system.
HP’s QuickLook 2 is a neat little time saver that lets you access Outlook e-mail and view calendar and contact information without having to boot into Windows. Other handy programs include HP’s SpareKey utility, which lets you use clues to log in to Windows if you happen to forget your password; and Credential Manager, which adds an extra layer of security by consolidating and encrypting all your network and user passwords into a single identity file, so you can access multiple Websites, networks, and applications with one password.
The 2530p is powered by a low-voltage Core 2 Duo L9400 processor running at 1.86GHz, 3GB of RAM, and Intel’s integrated GMA 4500MHD graphics engine. This model comes with an 80GB solid state drive (SSD), which helps boost performance while conserving battery life, plus an integrated DVD burner—a rarity among 12-inch notebooks. Connectivity ports include two USB and one FireWire port, a docking station connector, a VGA output, two audio (headphone and microphone) jacks, and Ethernet and modem jacks. ExpressCard/54 and Secure Digital slots are located on the right side of the chassis.
Despite its low-voltage processor, the 2530p performed quite well on FutureMark’s PCMark Vantage productivity benchmark test. Its score of 4,380 bested the Acer TravelMate 6293 and Lenovo’s ThinkPad X200 by more than 1,100 points, and even topped the Toshiba Tecra R10 by 810 points, which is doubly impressive, since the R10 is a larger system. Windows Media and iTunes encoding scores were also good, but lagged behind the Tecra by a small margin. Similarly, the 2530p's Cinebench 10 score of 3,745 came in behind the Acer, Lenovo, and Toshiba scores but is still on target for notebooks in this class.
Graphics performance was pretty much what we expected from an ultraportable system powered by an integrated GPU. The 2530p was unable to run FutureMark’s 3DMark Vantage benchmark, but its 3DMark06 score of 765 (running at 1280x800) shows that this system is not meant for gaming. It is, however, meant for untethered computing, lasting a healthy 5 hours and 3 minutes on our DVD battery rundown test, which means you can expect even longer battery life while running basic productivity applications. Better yet, HP claims a 50-percent increase in battery life with its 9-cell battery, a $129 option. HP covers the EliteBook with a three-year warranty that includes 24/7 technical support, but the battery is covered for only one year.
The HP EliteBook 2530p may cost more than most business-class notebooks (about $1,000 more than the Tecra R10, in fact), but its sturdy, travel-friendly design, solid performance, and numerous business-centric features put it in a class by itself. All things considered, we think it’s worth every penny. Price (at time of review): $2,499
author : John R Delaney
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