HP EliteBook 2530p Review Discussion

If you're a corporate road warrior or a student trying to fit as much computer as possible in the smallest space possible, the HP EliteBook 2530p might be the perfect notebook for you. This 12.1" workstation featuring the latest Intel low voltage processors and integrated graphics for extreme battery life, and plenty of ports and storage options inside an impressively durable shell. The EliteBook 2530p looks like a surprising amount of computer in a rugged three-pound chassis. Is it worth a little extra cash to get your hands on this tiny titan? Keep reading and find out.

Read the full content of this Article: HP EliteBook 2530p Review

 

Quick question: any relatively close figure (rounded to the half-hour is fine) for battery life when put on the power saver profile, and used for surfing the web and other such low-power tasks? I want my next laptop to have absolutely absurd battery life, hence the question Sinc eI'm a student, it's really nice not having to plug in.

 

I'll run some back-to-back tests with the notebook in power saver mode and the screen turned down all the way. However, in general most low volatage notebooks from all manufacturers tend to get 1-1.5 hours "per cell" in power saver mode ... so I suspect we're looking a 6-7.5 hours in battery saver mode with the six-cell battery and 9+ with the 9-cell.

Again, that's just an estimate based on my experience with new notebooks equipped with low voltage processors. I'll have to do the "real-world" tests in power saver mode to give you a final answer.

 

Great review. That is one a nice ultraportable.

Two questions.

The 2510p featured a 1.8" PATA drive slot. What size is the harddrive enclosure in the 2530p? It would be great if it is 2.5" (for 7200rpm HDD) for those who can't afford SSD yet.

How's the keyboard compared to say a ThinkPad X-series?

 

It's 2.5", so you can upgrade / change things quite easily.

HP really does a nice job with the 12.1" + optical drive form factor. It clearly deserves the editors choice for the accomplishment of getting an optical drive into such a small and rugged form factor. I loved the 2510p that proceeded this, and HP managed to improve on that.

The only thing I wish was offered is a WXGA+ resolution.

 

well if you pay HP I am sure they would let you keep it

 

At 12.1" at this weight? Might as well get a 13.3"?

 

Ours is a pre-production unit. I wouldn't want to pay for this particular model ... unless I got an awesome discount.

Seriously, though, if I was personally in the market for a new 12-inch notebook right now to use as my primary work notebook this would be the one I'd buy.

 

Dell Inspiron 13: 4.84lbs ... and made of flexible plastics.

HP EliteBook 2530p: 3.75lbs ... and made of metal alloys and aluminum.

One of these notebooks feels like it could stop a bullet and keep working ... the other one feels like it would snap in half if you dropped it down a flight of stairs.

 

BAH! This is so close to being the perfect laptop.

The only thing I don't understand is how the laptop can truly be considered sexy with that ugly rounded battery sticking out the back.

6 cell battery flush with the system and this would be my next laptop, even if that meant they had to get rid of the optical drive.

 

The 3-cell battery fits flush to the notebook ... and it should give you 3+ hours of battery life without too much trouble.

HP probably could have done a flush-mount 6-cell battery if they didn't include an optical drive in the chassis, but there are still many people who want/need an optical drive.

 

Very nice notebook and a nice review,but I like Lenovo x200 more...I convinced my dad to buy one...It is good,byt I think that my old x40's is built better and has better keyboard....a little OT tho

 

How is the keyboard feel / size? Is it compatible to a Lenovo x200?

 

Here are the 2530p and X200 keyboards for comparison. Personally, I like the EliteBook 2530p keyboard more ... but keyboards can be a very personal thing. Some people love the type of keyboards on Apple MacBooks and Sony VAIO notebooks, but other people hate that style of keyboard.

 

Great review. Especially the part concerning the heat and noise under different conditions.

 

Wish I had the money...

 

If only it had the WXGA+ screen of the X200s. I need more resolution for working on large composite figures as science grad students tend to do.

 

Inspiron is not a business class notebook anyway. The new E4300/4200 would be a more direct competitor. If you include other consumer/business oriented laptops, at HP's price, you can easily get Sony SZ, SR (4.2 lb) or even Z (3.3 lb). They should all perform better than HP and just as durable.

 

Is the keyboard different from previous elitebooks? I have used them and I found them to be decent but a little weird feeling. I prefer my x200's.

And that is AWESOME battery life considering the brightness is up all the way.

 

Great review!

HP already had something great with the Compaq nc2400 (the original ancestor of the 2530p), and it looks like they've darn well perfected it with the EliteBook 2530p.

The only 'issue' I have is the keyboard. I've typed on some 8510w's with the wider, flatter keys, and I tend to make many more typing mistakes compared to my nw8440. I know that the nc2400 had the older, more deeply scooped keys just like the nw8440. I'm wondering if the 2530p keyboard is interchangeable with the nc2400 keyboard? The 2530p would be the perfect ultraportable with an nc2400 keyboard

But, as it is, this is definitely one of the best 12.1" notebooks out there. It'll be interesting to see how it compares to the Panasonic Toughbook W7 and T7 models (especially in terms of build quality & durability)

 

Fair enough about the Inspiron versus the EliteBook, but as nice as the Sony VAIO SZ and SR are I wouldn't consider them as rugged as the EliteBook.

 

Thank you for the review. I am still a 14.1" notebook guy, but if i ever go down to 12.1" i know which one to buy.

Cheers.

 

Also, while the reviewed version was priced at about $3000, you can get a pretty nicely configured 2530p (minus the Intel SSD) with a 3 year warranty for about $1500CAD before taxes. That's quite a bit cheaper than something like the Sony Z and very competitive in price with an X200, factoring in the warranty.

I was really looking hard at this notebook and I'm really glad it turned out to be a good one, especially battery life. I'm definitely considering it for my next computer purchase.

 

hum, just read on the hp page that, when you don't have an integrated cdrom (which i have no use for), you get an additional usb port. no clue of other changes.

but i do know it should be doable to have 2 disks in it, hp noted it when they first presented it.

can't configure it with two intel ssd, right now, though

then again, i can't configure anything when trying to order from europe, so you americans are lucky boys overthere...

 

How about the Thinkpad X200? IMO it's better than the HP one.

 

I've always believed the X60/X61/X200 is overrated compared to the 2510p and now the 2530p. I don't understand the hype surrounding Thinkpads when HP's business notebooks are just as great, but often underrated. Bottom line is Thinkpads are nothing special besides the brand name, so you're buying into the Thinkpad brands much like buying a Mac for the Apple brand.

 

There are pros and cons for both. I never said HP is not great cause I own one also. And because I own both Thinkpad and HP, I'm not biased to either one. IMO, HP is one of the greatest, but Thinkpad has the edge in build quality.
However, things may change. With the trend Lenovo is doing with Thinkpad right now, someday I may bash thinkpad brand as well. The keyboard is an unforgiveable issue already.
As said, there are pros and cons for both. There is a reason why I chose the HP 8710w but not thinkpad T/W series.

 

Was your unit configured with the 2.5" disk and the optical drive? According to the HP website it's a trade off.

 

My eyesight must be pulling a number on me.

Unless the DDR3 SODIMMs have grown significantly longer in length than DDR2 SODIMMs (picture in the review showing bottom view with slots/ports opened) , I do not see how that can be 2.5" drive.

 

Wow, that line is so, so intrinsically fallacied.

Really Jerry? Really? I mean, come on, this is 2008. Business ultraportable or not, mono speakers are pathetic. The Sony TT has stereo speakers. Almost all smaller netbooks costing 1/6th of this have stereo speakers. I mean, a mono speaker is something fundamentally unacceptable in a $299 EEE PC. How can a $3000 notebook come with a mono speaker and not be criticized for it?

 

because it is not for the multimedia crowd? 99% of the business computers never need to make any noise at all. one speaker, loud enough to understand speech is good enough.

 

Exactly. There are actually quite a few business notebooks (and some quasi-business notebooks: MacBook Air) that have mono speakers.

While these mono speakers usually stink, the mono speaker on this HP was surprisingly good enough to put out reasonably loud volume with good range (for a tiny speaker) that didn't suffer from horrible distortion. That's pretty good (great, actually) for a mono speaker.

I agree that stereo speakers would be better, however, it's worth mentioning that a human being's perception of "stereo" sound is based in part on the separation of the audio sources. The smaller a notebook is the closer the speakers have to be to one another ... negating the effect of "stereo" sound and making it sound like audio coming from a single source (mono sound).

I'd be willing to bet several OEMs have spent money in testing whether people can tell the difference between stereo and mono speakers on ultraportable notebooks ... particularly when the volume is low or at "normal" use levels.

 

The review unit only has a 1.8" hard drive. The 2.5" drive fits in the other slot under the name card holder (green patch in the image).

 

hi, few questions regarding the notebook:

1st - the cpu is sl9400 and not s9400 , am I correct?
2nd - is the display a led one? illumilight as hp calls it? according to hp specs it is..

3rd - are the keys in the keyboard standard-sized or reduced in size comparing to full scale keyboards? the x200 keyboard keys are full sized and that's why they had to compormise and let the touchpad go...

4th- is the screen mat or reflective? how would you rate it's quality comparing to other notebook screens ? subjectively ofcourse..

Thanks a lot..

 

1) Yes, it is the SL9400. Our pre-production unit labels it as an "L9400" (see attached image) but I've confirmed that it is indeed an "SL9400" so I'm not sure why Windows is reporting it as an "L9400."

2) Yes, LED backlit screen

3) Most of the keys are standard size, but some have been resized to fit the smaller form factor (if you check the keyboard image you'll notice the tilde "~" key is skinnier than normal and the number "1" key is skinnier than normal. Also the tab, caps lock, left shift and ctrl keys are slightly smaller than "full size."

I still have no problem typing on this keyboard since all the main keys are full size.

4) The screen is a matte screen and I think it's pretty good.

 

Thinkpads ARE overrated. I returned my X200 and bought an HP 2710p. Couldn't be happier. The Thinkpad keyboard was disappointing given all the hype on review sites. It was loud (clackity), and your fingers can hook to the bottom edge of the keys if you're typing too fast (since there is a lot of space) and accidentally pull the key out. The side edges of the Thinkpad keys unexplicably taper out rather than in.

But most importantly, Thinkpad displays are absolutely hideous. The viewing angle of the regular X200 I had was so bad that a solid black background would have different colors without even moving your head as you stared directly at it. Contrast and color accuracy on the X200 was complete crap. And getting the LED display doesn't help, I've seen the X300 LED display and it was in fact even more washed out than the X200. The battery life of Thinkpads are overhyped too, using completely unrealistic settings. I could only get an hour and fifty minutes off a 4-cell battery on the X200.

Then there's bloatware. Thinkpad drivers don't come as standalones (without the extra software). It's all part of that ridiculously bloated software called Thinkvantage. Sure you can delete some of the bloat, but you still have to go through Thinkvantage software to do everything, like say hooking up a VGA projector.

I think people who claim Thinkpads as the be all and end all, haven't really experienced another business class notebook (Sony Z, HP elitebooks, Panasonic toughbooks, MBP).

 

i think currently the hp elite line is the most diverse and awesome line existing. with all sort of special features for special needs in business.

i espencially like the 17" with the 30bpp display for artists. that should be what a new macbook should bring...

 

the HP EliteBook has a nice case design. And plus add in that scratch resistant chassis its great for everyday travelers. If my XPS M1210 were to ever break i would choose the HP Elitebook as a replacement

 

Are you kidding me? The Sony SR looks and feels like a plastic toy (in person, not the Sony marketing photos). The Sony SZ gets you about 3 hours of battery life on battery saving profile and 25% brightness. The SR with the dedicated gets you about 2 hours realistically, and with Intel about 3 hours. Compare that to the HP 2530p's 5 hours on Performance mode and 100% brightness. And PCMark05 apparently shows the HP 2530p kicking the other ultraportables' rears by over a thousand points.

The only Sony model comparable to the HP Elitebook series is the Sony Z. But even then the Z battery life is subpar and the Z sounds like a vacuum cleaner. And I wouldn't want to drop the Z with the screen open onto hard wooden floor either.

 

Thats like saying a high capacity floppy drive is better than a regular capacity floppy drive since it stores more. Sure, its true, but its next to worthless either way.

And for the record, no, I have not actually heard the 2510p speaker, and while I do not doubt its greatness relative to other mono speakers, I am only stating that its rather interesting that you can praise a mono speaker in a $3000, supposedly state of the art notebook, when the same feature would be much maligned in a $299 netbook. Just for perspective.

And having similar ports/features to the MacBook Air is in fact, not a good thing. Because if it was, all notebooks would have exactly 4 ports - power, headphone, 1 USB, and one micro display. Lets instead look at say, the Sony Vaio TT/TZ/TX (thats a three year old business ultraportable with an LED backlit screen, DVD-RW drive, and *gasp* stereo speakers!), the Lenovo U110, the Asus U2E, and HP's own $299 Mini Note 2133 netbook. All have smaller screens than the 2530p/MBA/E4200/X200 and all have stereo speakers.

 

you're definitely too fixated on stereo. stereo doesn't matter much for small notebooks at all. a loud, non-distorted audio is much more important.

but other than that, i agree with you about comparing to macbook air is like comparing cars to a bicycle..

the main gain of stereospeakers is just one thing: 2x as much loudness.. uhuuh


edit: and, again and again, it's a BUSINESS notebook. except if you're into music production business, you have no interest in the business to actually have any speakers at all, so stereo is completely useless. and if you're into music production (like i am, and djing), then you don't care about the mono speaker in there anyways because when ever you need good quality, you only care about headphones or real speakers.

 

For me the only bad thing about the laptop is the low-voltage processor. I'm willing to buy an X200 + Ultrabase with a normal voltage processor at around the same price as this Elitebook.

 

??? 1.86ghz core2duo is much more than enough for any usage (of course, exagerated.. but for what exactly do you need such a fast processor?)


edit: for the record: i'm using traktor for djing, i use ableton (though, at its limit) for music production, i use visual studio 2008 for programming (including some plugins), office, firefox, watch hd-movies (on 720p), all on my core2duo 1.2ghz ulv. so i'm having a total of 2.4ghz power.. the new ones have 3.72ghz all in all. should really be fast enough for most tasks (together with the fact that it has much more cache and memory bandwith)

 

say , what about HDMI ? any docking station solution available for this ??
I'de appreciate a link if you have one...

thanks!

 

if the docking is still the same then there is no hdmi for it

 

I regular use many of the Adobe Creative Suite applications, especially Premiere Pro. Having only used 1.0Ghz and 1.6Ghz laptops before, I am really looking for something powerful yet portable.

 

hm kay for premiere pro, you can never have enough power..

but overall the more in ghz, the more in memory bandwith, and the bigger cache together should give quite a performance boost.

and you don't want to have a jet starting on your legs just for the 12" quadcore 4x3ghz that needs to be cooled we aren't yet _there_. i'd love to, but you'll have to wait another year or two for that 12" notebook..

 

I don't know if you want to use Adobe CS for the regular X200. The screen on the X200 is quite hideous. I think the X200-tablet and X200s have much better screens, but these two use LV/ULV processors.

Personally I think your bottleneck might be the HDD rather than the processor on those LV/ULV laptops.

 

actually that Core 2 Duo 1.86GHz Low Voltage processor is more than enough for an average user. Surfing the Net ,Checking mail, word processing Photoshop etc. 6MB of L2 Cache is huge for that laptop. It really does give it a big performance jump. I have a Dell XPS M1210 with a Core 2 Duo 1.83 GHz with 2MB of L2 Cache. I can tell you I can run Adobe CS3 Products with no problems. I also have a Dell XPS M1730 with a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo CPU and I can tell you I barely see a difference between the two when it comes to running everyday tasks.

 

Again, its not the sound itself, or that stereo speakers are all that important on a small notebook, but I cannot see the same mono speaker going over well on a device of similar size and 1/10th the price, much less this $3000 machine and was simply commenting on that.