*HP EliteBook 8560w Owners Lounge*

I might post a pic or two tomorrow, I have tons of stuff to finish before going on summer vacation so not sure I have the time. It looks really good in real life though, the best looking PC laptop I have seen (and I have worked in this industry since the nineties).

And yeah it's much heavier and thicker than the MacBook Pro 15. The feeling is close to what you get if you put a MacBook Pro 15" and a MacBook Air 13" on top of each other. The power adapter is also about twice the weight and size of the MacBook Pro 15".

Personally though I don't care so much about the weight. I think the laptop looks really good, and all in all it's maybe 1 kilo more to carry compared to the MacBook Pro, in a bag that weighs around 6 kilo total anyways due to cables, hard drives, and extra stuff put in there.

Cheers

 

Thanks for the report!! Maybe you could add some more details after you've put her through her paces for a few days.

Now, how about some photos?!!

OOTM

600 GB SSD?????

 

I am planning to order this laptop in the next few days.. I am just confused about the video card to order with this.. M5950 or 2000M.. I have professional applications that i work with.. but I also will be using this for gaming purposes.. Since no benchmarks is available on M5950.. I am wondering.. which of the two is better for gaming..

 

Though similar the 5950 should be better because of the GDDR5 memoery instead of the gimped GDDR3 memory in the 2000m (which is like the consumer 460m gtx but way gimped).

The 5950 is physically the same card as the 6770m so just look at that for peroformance comparisons. The 5950 will be slightly worse because of driver difference between pro an consumer apps.

The 2000m is better for certain pro apps because of the CUDA processing and I believe OpenCL performance.

So unless your pro apps are optimized for nvidia cards the 5950 is better simply because its cheaper and performs better in consumer apps.

 

Has anyone tried using an 8X60 series laptop display plus two external displays connected to the VGA and Display Ports, so yielding three active displays? Possible?
Or is this only possible with the docking station?

 

Is the difference between the XU083UT and the XU086UT really just the DC2 screen? Why the heck is there almost a $700 price difference?

 

The DC2 screen is a $425 option -- not sure why the difference in the rest of the price. Not sure where the rest of the difference is coming from CPU, memory, hard drive, and memory look to be the same.

The DC2 in the 8760 is a much more expensive upgrade -- $650 -- I thought that was it initially.

 

Hello Johansan

I see you bought model, I'm also looking at, can I ask you, doest it really have bavklit keyboard? My online shop doesn't have any in stock to confirm.

 

If that's the case then would it be cheaper to buy the panel separately and replace the stock screen yourself?

 

Because I think the panel itself costs about $1200 from the factory... .

 

This is exactly right. I thought about doing this -- and then I looked up the parts list on HP Parts Search site -- it is ~$1200.

If you want it, buy it with the machine.

 

Heya. No it didn't have a backlit keyboard unfortunately. Kind of odd since it was the most maxed out model I could find.

Cheers
Johan

 

I couldn't get the backlit keyboard either, it's not available on hp direct, which I think is strange, oh well....

 

Someone got the backlit keyboard on the 8560w they bought as a pre-built. According to costcentral, none of the pre-built should have it. Maybe you'd get a backlit keyboard as well, even though it doesn't indicate it.

 

In mulaka13's mini review, its stated he got it from costcentral and it has backlit keyboard (apparent in the photo's). Specifically XU083UT is the one he ordered and reviewed.

 

CostCentral doesn't seem to keep the specs in line with the HP models. Not sure who to believe, but it looks like going by the specs on pre-built models on the HP site is more accurate than CostCentral.

For example, one of the 8760w models with a Dreamcolor screen is listed as having DC on the HP website, but the same exact model on the CC website says it's a plain TFT screen.

 

Hmm that is weird i thought the DreamColor model came with a backlit KB. Anyway could you post some pics of the laptop, especially the display.

 

I spoke with CostCentral and they checked on it and assured me that it did not have the backlit keyboard. So, I cancelled my order. I'm upset that it turned out it did in fact have the backlit keyboard since I probably would have kept my order.

I don't know why they shipped one out that had the backlit keyboard. Either it was a mistake on hp's part, or they really do have that feature. Unfortunately, since CostCentral charges a restocking fee, it ends up being a risk unless they can guarantee the backlit keyboard.

 

Exactly, pre-built the backlit keyboard is available, HP Direct is not. Don't ask me about the logic here, but it's not enough for me to cancel, I ordered the machine for the screen.

 

I have a hard time believing HP accidentally sent a backlit keyboard in a pre-built. I think its more believable that cost central is just using white sheet specs that are wrong and going off them.

 

Does anyone know how much these batteries:
HP ST09 - Notebook battery ( extended life ) (QK639AA) - UPS & Power

HP - Notebook battery ( ultra extended life ) (QK640AA) - UPS & Power

Increase battery life? I'd like to know if they are around 1.5x, 2x, 2.5x, 3x, etc.. Thanks for the help.

 

I don't at all understand why hp is not using optimus (in case of a non dream color displays)... is there any reason why a professional does not need the maximum possible battery life???
I even would expect a bios switch, to let the user decide what he wants; especially at this level of build quality and price!

Bye,
T.

 

Because there are a few issues...not exactly sure about the TN FHD screen, but the IPS Dreamcolor is a 10-bit screen and cannot be driven by the Intel GMA...FAIL...

and did you ever read my recommendation about what laptop you should get? I heard tomtom86 got his 8460w from the US and it has excellent battery life...which is what you so desperately want right????

 

I can't say anything bad about cost central because they were great about everything. As we know, they are wrong about the XU083UT not having a back-lit keyboard. When I initially ordered from HP I asked the sales rep and he confirmed the model had a back-lit keyboard. If you're really concerned about it, I would call HP and talk to a sales rep. At least we know that the XU083UT has it.

 

HP does not use optimus as it does not support Linux which many professional use. Though they could have implemented a BIOS switch like Lenovo and Dell but i guess they decided against it.

 

Is the FHD screen a 95% Color Gamut screen or just a normal screen? Anyone have an idea of how color accurate it is? Just wondering. Thanks!

 

89% I would expect a screen like this one:

Review HP Elitebook 8540w Notebook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

 

The normal FHD screen is 72% NTSC color gamut. It is the same screen as the one on the hp dv6. The DC2 screen is 110%-125% NTSC gamut.

 

Thanks for the quick responses...So the DV6T and the 8560w both have the 72% screen or what? lol. Sorta conflicting answers here...

 

It's not the same screen, but you can be sure it's a good screen, just not as good as Dreamcolor of course

 

Hey,

I have attached some photos of the 8560w next to the MacBook Pro 15" (2011 model).

Cheers
Johan

 

I also took two pictures showing screen reflections comparing the matte 8560w Dreamcolor screen to the glossy (hires 1680x1050) screen of the MacBook Pro 15".

All in all the 8560w feels much heavier than the MacBook Pro. The fan is very loud and triggers for almost nothing (sorting emails in Outlook). I have disabled "Fan always on" in the BIOS and also set power management to "passive" instead of "active" in the HP power management. Doesn't help. Compared to the MacBook Pro 15" which is completely silent most of the time it's a huge difference.

My main reasons for going with the Elitebook 8560w is Maya and Unity. As an example, the BootCamp demo in Unity performs at almost twice the speed in Windows compared to the same scene in Mac OSX (32 FPS when started in Windows on the 8560w, compared to 16 FPS on the MacBook Pro in OSX). Also Maya and Quadro is a good combination, which makes it worth lugging this brick around.

The power adapter is around twice the size and weight compared to the Apple 85W charger. Worth noting if you like carrying the power adapter around.

Overall I like the laptop. It has good performance, looks good (best looking PC laptop I have seen really), has a great display and lots of ports (5 USB!). The downside is the fan noise which is quite noticeable when connected to the power adapter, and the overall bulk (it feels almost like carrying 2 MacBook Pro 15" laptops and two Apple 85W chargers).

 

Do you have Quad core?

One of the reasons I went for Dual Core is that I hope for less fan noise, I will know soon enough....

 

Thanks for the comparo. The Mac is a pretty little toy, but the Elitebook is made for serious business. Clearly obvious here.

 

I have a Dual Core p-Model with intel graphics and the fan also behaves like
johansen said. The BIOS Option and system cooling set to "passive" did not seem to change anything.
The cores however do not become warmer than 45° if not stressed, so it seems the occasional spin-ups are not necessary for anything.

This seems to be a BIOS issue so we'll probably have to wait until HP fixes it...

 

Maybe you should post it here, so it can be fixed:

HP Support Forum - HP Support Forum

 

Can anyone with hands on experience comment on the 8650w's keyboard, particularly the backlit keyboard? I'm used to Thinkpads, which I still feel are the best all-around keyboards I've seen or used on any laptop.

I banged around on an 8560p at a sales outlet last week and felt the keyboard was very uncomfortable: little travel, stiff, sharp edges, *seems* the keys are far apart on their separate "islands", the touchpad buttons were stiff and rubbery. Does this sound anything like the keyboard on your 8560w??

 

What "sales outlet" did you see a 8560p at? I thought these were available online only? Other reviews I have read about the 8560w keyboard indicate that it is great, but I'm still waiting for mine...

 

Ill do that, i didn't know that forum.
(oops, i just outed me as a HP-newbie ;-)

 

Based on a hardware ID of AUO13ED on an 8560w here and based on the same hardware ID on my dv6t I can tell you that they are exactly the same screen for non-DreamColor.

As for switchable graphics (optimus discussion), I think it's more trouble than it's worth in a high-performance laptop until they get the drivers optimized. Once they do and once it works with OpenGL then I suppose it might be a good solution. Of course, there's no guarantee they'll ever get it fixed for us Pavillion 6100 series owners with switchable graphics.

 

It was at a computer mart in Seoul, Korea, and now that I think of it, it may have been an 8540p. But I do think it was an 8560p.

When do you expect yours?? (No flames, please )

 

I wish it were that easy. When I first asked cost central, they said that it did have a backlit keyboard. Then, I thought I should verify it since costcentral charges a restocking fee. So, I chatted with hp about it. They said that none of the pre-builts come with it and it is only available with the custom builds as an option. Then, I went back to costcentral and asked them to double-check. I didn't tell them what hp said because I didn't want to skew their statement. I just told them that I thought it was just an option on the customized but wanted them to make sure. Costcentral then said they checked with the warehouse and the warehouse confirmed that it does not have a backlit keyboard. So, I cancelled my order.

Of course, that was back in mid-June so perhaps both HP and CostCentral are better informed now that they are shipping. In any case, I did all I could.

 

I chatted with HP today and I told them to update their specifications for that build. I thought everyone might find the response interesting. This is today and they're still saying that it doesn't have a backlit keyboard:


2:17:51 PM Tim
Actually, I was told that none of the pre-built configurations of the 8560w have backlit keyboards, which includes the pre-built model XU083UT

2:18:24 PM Tim
And, it was reported in an online forum that some of them do in fact have backlit keyboards, since now that they are shipping people are reporting that fact.

2:18:46 PM Emy A.
Let me check every information here, Tim.

2:18:56 PM Emy A.
May I place you on hold for 2 minutes?

2:19:00 PM Tim
thanks

2:19:11 PM Emy A.
You are welcome.

2:23:45 PM Emy A.
Thank you for patiently waiting, Tim.

2:27:20 PM Tim
I would like to make a suggestion that for any pre-built configuration that has the backlit-keyboard, HP should update the specifications to say so. Could you pass that along? This page does not state that but it should: HP EliteBook 8560w Mobile Workstation (XU083UT) specifications - HP Products and Services Products

2:27:45 PM Tim
If it did, then at least the next person won't be confused by the mis-information

2:29:55 PM Emy A.
I'm sorry, but we don't have a pre-built laptop that comes with backlit keyboard.

2:30:41 PM Tim
Where are you getting that information?

2:33:55 PM Emy A.
I already check the link that you sent, but unfortunately, the laptop is not available in our store.

2:34:40 PM Emy A.
Let me double check if we still have a pre-built model that comes with a backlit keyboard.

2:36:36 PM Emy A.
By the way, may place you on hold again for 2-3 minutes?

2:36:40 PM Tim
yes

2:36:51 PM Emy A.
Thank you.

2:40:06 PM Emy A.
Thank you for patiently waiting, Tim.

2:40:14 PM Tim
No problem

2:40:41 PM Emy A.
We have a pre-built laptop that comes with a backlit keyboard.

2:40:56 PM Emy A.
It is the HP Pavilion dv5-2230us Notebook PC.

2:41:16 PM Emy A.
Emy A. pushes page, HP Pavilion dv5-2230us Notebook PC, midnight blue | HP® Official Store

2:41:26 PM Emy A.
Please click on the link to view the laptop.

2:42:19 PM Tim
So none of the 8560w pre-builts come with a backlit-keyboard?

2:42:27 PM Tim
Even the one I sent you the link on?

2:44:46 PM Emy A.
I already checked the link that you give me, the computer does not comes with the backlit keyboard.

2:45:21 PM Emy A.
It comes with full-sized spill-resistant keyboard with separate numeric keypad and drains .


There ya have it, even today they still deny it. So, who knows. If a restocking fee is involved, I'd get it in writing before you receive the laptop. That's why I emailed CostCentral, but then of course they told me the wrong thing, as did HP.

Based on the HP's response, they probably won't update the specs since they still think it doesn't have the backlit keyboard. So, an email confirmation is all you'll have to go on as some sort of recourse. Maybe someone in sales on the phone instead of an online HP chat would have been better, I don't know. My guess is, if there is misinformation with their chat operators, then probably some of the other employees are mis-informed as well so there's no telling what response you'll get.

 

I had a chat with HP CS and the guy said that all pre-build models come with backlit keyboard, and that some specs are confusing. Also it proves that HP has monkeys working on them, that can read some standart links and copy/paste.

You can see specs here (for example) and see that it has backlit keyboard.

HP's Small & Medium Business Online Store

 

There is a shop in Munich, Germany where you can see it before you buy it.
So now you have two locations 10000 miles apart. Which one is nearer to your location?

 

just received the 8560w (XUO84UT)....attempted the start up process and the keys: 3, e, d and c do not work!!!!

I guess it is back to start locating another unless the forum knows something I don't. thanks.

 

Thank you for the link. I found the same config using your link and it does in fact state that it has a backlit keyboard:

HP's Small & Medium Business Online Store

I think someone here on the forum got the pre-built with the DreamColor screen and said that it did not have a backlit keyboard, so that would go against the "all pre-builts have a backlit keyboard" statement. But, clearly at least one does.

In any case, I wish I had seen this before I made my decision since I would have gotten the 8560w instead of keeping the dv6t since I really did want a backlit keyboard.

Oh well, I'll live I suppose. I'll be keeping this computer for 4 or 5 years and I guess worst case I'll just get a USB light if I need it bad enough. I suppose I've gained switchable graphics (although it's slower in games until they fix the drivers), the faster 2720QM processor, and the blue-ray player over the 8560w I was going to get. It has got its benefits I guess.

Maybe next time I buy a laptop I'll wait until they start shipping before I make up my mind. Clearly, online forums are the best source for this sort of information.

 

Nice pics + rep.
How about the battery life ?? How much are you getting with med brightness while web browsing??

 

which one?

 

That's a pre-config, right? Did it come with a back-lit keyboard?