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    HP 8740w Review! - Full Metal Jacket!

    Discussion in 'Notebook News and Reviews' started by Aikimox, Jul 25, 2010.

  1. m8o

    m8o Notebook Evangelist

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    It's always been a curiosity to me as to why people don't put their location in their profile on this board so everyone can see where people are in the world like they do on the Pentax forum and all the automotive boards I frequent. If for example, I were to see that you lived in NYC or on LI, I'd say "sure, let's meet-up". But alas, I can't say so until you read this and reply and let me know if you are in-fact on LI or in NYC. ;)
     
  2. LoveNotebooks

    LoveNotebooks Notebook Evangelist

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    Thanks for the offer, I'll PM you this week. Generally I'd rather not impose so was looking for the possibility of seeing it in a commercial location.
     
  3. Aikimox

    Aikimox Weihenstephaner!

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    A docking station should resolve most of the concerns mentioned earlier, but since I personally, don't suffer from cluttering or any other port placement inconvenience - I don't even plan on getting it.
    In fact, right now I have most of the ports populated and the only annoying part is the difficulty of accessing the DVD drive. Will surely replace it with another HDD.

    I doubt that you can easily find a commercial place exhibiting DC2 equipped Elitebooks.
    As for the "must see to appreciate" - yes. You will see a huge difference between this screen and regular CCFL and WLED TN panels. I can even see a big difference between the DC2 and a 8-bit RGB LED currently found in the high-end Dell and Lenovo workstations as well as in AW M17X.

    Can I live without it? - 100%. But needed a good anti glare screen for both software development and entertainment. I see a much deeper and more alive colors in movies and games compared to regular panels and the viewing angles...just rock.
    Initially I thought that the 210nit brightness was a bit low compared to the 300nit in my M17X, but it looks totally adequate now. In a brightly lit office my alien would require about 230-240nit for me to be able to work normally and the IPS is set to 120nit now and it's very comfortable.

    Can I justify the high price? - nope. But luckily, this system was purchased with a nice 25% OFF discount, making the screen and a few other upgrades - free.
    Also, many early adopters including myself had their orders delayed a few times and as a result compensations were offered by HP. Thus, this very system did in fact cost me only 2.5k.
     
  4. Kyle

    Kyle JVC SZ2000 Dual-Driver Headphones

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    Didnt know that...my M6400 has 4 ram slots with a dual core cpu. :D
     
  5. Ahbeyvuhgehduh

    Ahbeyvuhgehduh Lost in contemplation....

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    I will echo other's remarks: the screen looks absolutely STUNNING and the price is absurd.

    Thanks so much for the review, though. I own the 8710w model and have had my eye on the 8740w for a while now....

    Am kinda disappointed with the battery life though ... interesting about the "track point fix" you mentioned.

    Kinda strange about the keyboard though ... from the pix the keys remind me of the "type" of keys I have on my Toshiba T115-S1100, which I like.
     
  6. Kyle

    Kyle JVC SZ2000 Dual-Driver Headphones

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    Mycanid, the 8710w does not satisfy you any more? :D
    Dont let the 8710w know you have your eyes on the "younger" thing :D
     
  7. Ahbeyvuhgehduh

    Ahbeyvuhgehduh Lost in contemplation....

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    :D

    No - I am quite satisfied with the 8710w and have no plans of upgrading soon.

    I just like to keep my eyes open for possible alternatives in case the machine breaks or is stolen, etc., etc.
     
  8. Kyle

    Kyle JVC SZ2000 Dual-Driver Headphones

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    It would be uber-awesome if a similar tigerdirect like deal comes along for the 8740w. It might take a year or two, but I can wait :D
     
  9. Joebarchuck

    Joebarchuck Notebook Virtuoso

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    Aikimo when do you think you will have the comparison review in between both screens?

    I am very interested in it.

    Thanks in advance.
     
  10. Aikimox

    Aikimox Weihenstephaner!

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    I will get a good camera either by tomorrow or Friday, so probably by Saturday morning it will be done. Will PM you when ready ;)
     
  11. LoveNotebooks

    LoveNotebooks Notebook Evangelist

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    Appreciate the honest feedback. With its port layout I'd probably want to look into a docking station. So is it making you more productive :)?

    I should call HP as I actually would like to see their entire line. Instead of the listed 3.6K it was only 2.5k? Do you have the name of any rep or should I just call in?

    My first 2 notebooks cost over 4k & still work if I'm looking to be frustrated but that was 10+ years ago, not sure if that is still justifiable or if I'd prefer multiple form factors and the marketplace still seems in such flux..

    You think next year's models will have switchable graphics & better battery life?

    I daydream about an energy efficient, no compromise, performance machine that's versatile but that doesn't seem to exist yet..
     
  12. Aikimox

    Aikimox Weihenstephaner!

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    I'm too busy messing with the system to think about productiveness at this point :p

    PM sent ;)

    According to Intel - 100%
    According to notebook history - 10% improvement.
    A man can dream though :rolleyes:

    On a side note:

    After stressing the system with numerous games and benchmarking apps, max registered temp - 86C for CPU and 85C - GPU.
     
  13. LoveNotebooks

    LoveNotebooks Notebook Evangelist

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    Thanks, keep us updated on your productivity status-in all domains ;)'

    If inspired, I think YouTube could use more 8740w reviews..(feel free to include gaming)

    BTW, curious how often you find yourself moving it?
     
  14. Aikimox

    Aikimox Weihenstephaner!

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    I'm extremely mobile.
    First, I bring the laptop to and from work every day and quite often maneuver between different apartments, buildings, etc.
    Second, I travel a lot.
    So, the semi-ruggedness, relatively light weight and a good anti glare screen with perfect viewing angles (especially important for meetings, presentations and workshops) had some influence. ;)
    I would normally recommend against HP 10/10 (almost 15 years in IT), but their recent Elitebooks destroy the equilibrium... *scratches his head in confusion*...
    Still can't believe what my eyes are seeing, so will do more testing.

    Would make videos but I lack the tools.
    Sometimes one has to choose between a high-end laptop and a good camera. :(
     
  15. LoveNotebooks

    LoveNotebooks Notebook Evangelist

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    That's assuring because so many people these days say don't bother with a 17" if you are frequently mobile. It could be depressing to get a powerful 17" notebook & rarely want to move it. So battery life is never an issue for you?

    P.S. - If you run across an HD cam hook us up.. :cool:
     
  16. LoveNotebooks

    LoveNotebooks Notebook Evangelist

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    Do you prefer the E6500 keyboard over 8740w keyboard because you are so accustomed to it? I was not such the happy camper:eek: when I received shipment.
     
  17. m8o

    m8o Notebook Evangelist

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    Wow! I have no flex like that on my E6500 at all .... lemme re-test: llllddddffffffieucnbbbbbbb bbbbbbb ... Nope. No flex what so ever. :D

    The time I spend on it without a doubt factors into my preference. But I'll also say there are keyboards you try, and they just feel right the 1st second you put your fingers on it. Take the IBM X20/X24; perfect laptop keyboards to my fingers; a cut above the X61T I have. The E6500 didn't give me quite that but was close (a bit too soft of a touch), tho I grew the rest of the way into it.

    The 8740w was one of those "oh... I don't know if I'm going to like this" experiences the 1st time I used it. I guess I'm just one that likes a wider key top with smooth beveled edges better than I like a stepped side and smaller key top that the 8740w has.
     
  18. ThinkFr33ly

    ThinkFr33ly Notebook Guru

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    How does the Firepro M7820 compare with its gaming oriented counterpart, the Radeon 5870?

    Is it possible to use the drivers for the 5870 as to maximize gaming performance? I don't do much CAD. :)
     
  19. Aikimox

    Aikimox Weihenstephaner!

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    1) Same performance in games (at least those 8-10 that I have).

    2)Dunno, so far I was unable to install the non-HP drivers.
     
  20. crazycanuk

    crazycanuk Notebook Virtuoso

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    M7820 games exactly like the 5870 counterpart.
     
  21. Aikimox

    Aikimox Weihenstephaner!

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    Temps in 3Dmark06 (same ambient) after repasting both the CPU and GPU:
     

    Attached Files:

  22. Ahbeyvuhgehduh

    Ahbeyvuhgehduh Lost in contemplation....

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    Yes indeed ... I have been very impressed by the last few generations of Elitebooks as well. :)

    Do you have the slice battery that goes along with the machine? I was wondering about battery life performance when put in "ultra battery saving mode". With the 8710w with the slice in such a mode I can get a little over 9 hours of battery life (got this in win xp pro and win 7 business). Of course that is with wireless turned off, screen turned to its lowest brightness and only doing word processing or looking at a .pdf file or digital photos....
     
  23. Aikimox

    Aikimox Weihenstephaner!

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    I don't have it yet but will get one for sure.
    So far the max I was able to get from the stock one is 2 hours.
     
  24. Quadzilla

    Quadzilla The eye is watching you

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    Yeah those temps look better now ;)...
     
  25. Aikimox

    Aikimox Weihenstephaner!

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    Thanks, Quad!
    It was your guidance ;)
    BTW, the "current" temps you see are right after the test.
    In a few minutes they got back to this:


    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 6, 2015
  26. Quadzilla

    Quadzilla The eye is watching you

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    The temps look great and you can clearly see your making ample contact .... So now just leave it be and enjoy that amazing machine you have ...

    I would be all over one but that thing is costly to say the very least with that dream color screen and looks to be worth every penny...
     
  27. Aikimox

    Aikimox Weihenstephaner!

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  28. Joebarchuck

    Joebarchuck Notebook Virtuoso

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    It might be asking too much but it would be great that you do the same thing with 3 PC the last one being an older screen similar to what most PC have such as white LED or even a CCFL one.
     
  29. Aikimox

    Aikimox Weihenstephaner!

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    That's a good idea but there's no laptop with CCFL currently within my reach :(
     
  30. nobodyshero

    nobodyshero Notebook Speculator

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    I'd much rather see LED vs RGBLED vs IPS in one screenshot then CCFL. You got close enough though Aikimox :D
     
  31. Tristan

    Tristan Garrosh Did Nothing Wrong

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    Wow! I was blown away by the m17x screen but that surpasses it! What are the calibrations set to on each screen?
     
  32. Tristan

    Tristan Garrosh Did Nothing Wrong

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    Whoops nevermind! didn't see that there was more than one page :rolleyes:
     
  33. dodgehemi0

    dodgehemi0 Notebook Evangelist

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    man that makes the Alienware screen look like a POS...
     
  34. Aikimox

    Aikimox Weihenstephaner!

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    It is still a very good screen, IMHO. The best of TN laptop panels in my opinion.
     
  35. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    I'd be interesting to compare your DreamColor 2 vs my UXGA, mano-a-mano. First off, thanks for the great review and congrats on the machine. It looks like one impressive workstation. Hats off to HP for delivering the goods. If I were to drop $3k on a notebook, which I never would, this would be it. Lenovo, the forebearers of IPS screens, better get their act together. I'd still prefer a ThinkPad and I'm hoping this will put some pressure on Lenovo to do likewise.


    Edit: Can you throw up the last wallpaper from the first post? It might look good on my X200.
     
  36. m8o

    m8o Notebook Evangelist

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    Then you'd be happy to hear that tho rightfully so the review states the MSRP, most of us paid well under $3K in actuality (there's a bunch of places to save $ when CTO'ing this and still get the IPS DC2 screen). ;)
     
  37. Aikimox

    Aikimox Weihenstephaner!

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    Thanks!
    Yes, ThinkPads are modest in terms of hardware lately. I was debating between W701, M6500 and 8740w. Had Lenovo offered a M7820 and a better screen - I'd have joined the club of W701 owners long ago, being a dedicated TP'der for over 10 years now.
    Also as M8o mentioned, - the final price for the HP was much lower. After all the discounts I ended up paying 2.5 for the beast. Still, with a 30% OFF W701 (similarly spec'ed) would probably cost me even less here in Canada.
    Anyway, so far so good, but I'm still suspiciously looking for quality/stability/reliability issues.

    Regarding the picture - PM sent. :)
     
  38. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    Well, I paid a little over $700 for my AFFS X200, which is about what I'm willing to spend these days. I think if you look too hard for faults, you'll find them. Why not just enjoy your machine?
     
  39. Aikimox

    Aikimox Weihenstephaner!

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    Good point! *went to play Dragon Age...*
     
  40. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    I'd ask why isn't this on the front page? This is perhaps the most interesting notebook to come out since maybe the X300 and no one else has a review. You're missing the boat here.
     
  41. knight427

    knight427 theenemysgateisdown

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    I was wondering if NBR is in the middle of their own review. Too bad if they got scooped by a user.
     
  42. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    Perhaps they are, but you'd think a review would have popped up somewhere by now, which makes me think HP isn't handing out any review units. The way I look at it, the more the merrier.
     
  43. mertz

    mertz Newbie

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    Aikimox, First of all. Fantastic review. Thanks for taking the time to write and post it as well as answer everybodys questions.
    Second, I couldn't figure out how to PM you (perhaps cause I just joined) so I'll ask the question here:
    I'm also in Canada and just wondering through which channels you were able to order this beast? I couldn't even find it on the HP Canada site, they only were listing the 8730w.
    I presently have two 8710w machines (WUXGA and good viewing angles) and a 6930p (awful screen, great everything else). I would like to get rid of both 8710ws to fund the 8740w. I am an Art Director by trade so this DC2 screen would really come in handy for colour critical applications. Thanks for any info!

    -mertz
     
  44. Thecla

    Thecla Notebook Deity

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    Yes, the lack of reviews for the 8740w is odd --- this is the only one I know of atm.
     
  45. Aikimox

    Aikimox Weihenstephaner!

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    Thanks! And welcome to the forum.

    Yeah, ordering and getting this beast wasn't easy.
    You're right, there's no way (or at least wasn't 3 months ago) to order the system from HP Canada.

    I ordered it from HP US through a sales rep. Paid with wire transfer. Provided the billing/shipping address of my relatives in NY (could also use MyUS services for receiving forwarding the package), then forwarded it to Canada with Fedex Priority. You could save quite a bit on the forwarding if sending through USPS. Also, keep in mind the customs :) I had to pay 150$ extra for the GST.

    If you don't have a good friend or relatives there, look for some phone forwarding services (eg. Skype), as you also need to provide a valid US phone number.
    BTW, all my communication with HP was via email or Skype (in rare occasions).

    Also, for extra 40$ you can upgrade the warranty to the Travel NBD 3yr ;)
    Let me know if you have any questions.
     
  46. coldmack

    coldmack Notebook Virtuoso

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    Wow man that screen from the pictures looks even more impressive than the hybrid matte screen what is on my current rig. I want to know what HP guys were on when they came up with such an impressive screen. Does anyone know if HP offers an IPS screen or a similar quality screen on their 14in workstation notebooks? I'd be so all over a 14in model with that screen; hell, I will even take one of those low voltage i5's just to get that type of screen on a smaller 14in machine.
     
  47. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    These screens have been around for quite a while. You could get one on a ThinkPad A series back in 2003. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of options for them right now. There's the 8540w and 8740w, but they're expensive. There's a few tablets with them like the X201t and Fujitsu T900, though I believe the Fujitsu panel is a S-PVA panel. The screens are very good, but the touch surface effects the picture quality. If you don't need a ton of horsepower, a used T60 certainly will offer enough juice for day to day use. Lastly, if you don't mind voiding you're warranty and would consider a 12", there's the AFFS mod on the X200/X201. I have one in my X200. It's gorgeous.

    To the best of my knowledge there's never been a IPS like screen on a 14" notebook. There was a rumor of one coming to a T4x machine back in the day, but it never came to market as far as I know.
     
  48. trvelbug

    trvelbug Notebook Prophet

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    gorgeous. makes my screen look like a toy.
    any chance you could post pictures with that beast running games
     
  49. Aikimox

    Aikimox Weihenstephaner!

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    Need to borrow a better camera, mine is unable to capture a good image with no blur and colour loss :(
     
  50. Koshinn

    Koshinn Notebook Deity

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    I'll take some shots, I just acquired a DSLR with 720p60 video capture!
     
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