EliteBook 6930p -- resolved issues?

I'm aiming to buy a new HP EliteBook 6930p in January 2010. There are a few issues that I've read about which concern me, however.

Some of these I have read have been fixed, although I haven't seen much in the way of confirmation of this. So I'm wondering, of these, have any been fixed in the latest production models of the 6930p?

1) The lid takes too much pressure to shut and/or doesn't stay shut.
2) The battery is loose when attached (any danger of it falling off?)
3) CPU whine -- I'm planning on getting it with a P8800 and ATI HD 3450 256MB, if that matters.

Thanks all.

 

I was chatting to the HP tech who was looking at this issue on my 8530w elitebook. He said all of the current models have this problem to some extent. He brought a new base enclosure with him to replace mine, but the new replacement was just as bad so we didn't bother. I think it is luck of the draw. I have several pre-production units and the batteries are nice and tight in them.

Put it this way, the battery won't fall out, but it is loose enough that you would actually worry about it loosing its connection. And loose enough that I actually endured HP support to try and get this resolved. Mine has about 3mm of play where one of the the latches is. And I'm not talking play when you apply pressure either , this is loose, as in it rattles around if you move the laptop.

I am shocked and disappointed at this issue, having been previously impressed with HP build/design quality. It is a shame because I never had a problem with the previous design of battery, which had been used for a few generations of top end HP's which I have had before.

 

Well, that just sucks. How recently was this? One would hope that a year after launch, this problem would have been resolved in the latest units being produced.

 

An year after launch they probably don't even bother with that product line anymore.

 

Well, when/has the EliteBook line been refreshed? If not, I wonder when ...

And how about the other 2 issues I noted? Anybody know anything about those?

 

Last week.

I have read that the refresh is due Q1 2010.

 

Well, I don't expect to have enough spare money for it until then anyway ... the problem of course is that Q1 2010 usually ends up meaning Q3 or Q4.

 

Anybody have any up-to-date info on the other problems (loose latch, CPU whine)?

Also, I'm hearing about the rubber buttons for the touchpad and trackpoint wearing really thin relatively quickly -- anybody seen that?

 

Well I don't notice any problems with my 8730w. The latch was hard to use at first, but now closes smoothly after some break in. My guess is that the latch mechanism was designed with such tight tolerances that it was hard to close. Works normal now though. The batter is also in tight.

 

1) Mine was built in Nov 2008, bought it as "refurbished" machine in July 2009, had it send in to JABIL in Poland (Service Centre for HP in Europe) in August where they installed a new motherboard and were supposed to fix the lock. Their fix didn't last as long, after a week it was back to normal, i.e. opening up by itself. I then completely opened it up and fixed the lock myself. You'll have to bend some parts inside to make it work. However, it will never be as on other notebooks due to the tension on the lock and hinges. I miss the lock on my old nx8220 which was so nice and just worked.

2) Battery, see this pic from my #1 review:
.

I also tried putting some adhesive tape underneath the battery to push against the lock, but to no avail.

3) Never had a problem with CPU Whine on the 6930p - neither with the first motherboard, nor with the current one.

I don't know where you are going to buy it from, but I would seriously considering getting a "refurbished" (used) notebook with the usual 3yr warranty. Else, if it doesn't have to be HP, I'd also go for the Dell E6400 (mainly because it comes with the better LED screen). Both @ ~ 730 EUR (incl VAT).

 

I've heard reports that some people have no problem with the battery fitting snuggly, so I don't know if its now fixed or not. Is the "play" only horizontal (in the plane of the keyboard), or does it wiggle vertically as well when picked up?

I have been looking at the HP Outlet, but the descriptions seem be rather cryptic about what hardware each unit has. Dell's outlet is pretty good about listing the specs. I briefly considered the ThinkPad T400/s, but I disliked a number of things, most notably the placement of the Fn/Ctrl keys and the "1993" look.

The Dell Latitude E6400 is the only other laptop on my list atm. I saw the E6400 v. 6930p head-to-head review on your page, thanks! That was very informative, I've been looking for just such a review.

The Dell's WXGA+ LED screen is a major advantage for me, and may be the deciding factor. I was pretty disappointed to see the brightness comparison in your review. I had been hearing that the brightness was actually pretty good with the ambient light sensor off, but I guess it's not as good as I thought.

On the other hand, as you can see from my forum signature, I am currently using a budget-consumer Acer from Walmart (I know ... for shame!) whose brightness is more than adequate for my needs. I would shudder to think that the HP's screen/brightness is worse than my Acer's?

 

Only horizontal play.

Thx, appreciated!

Well, I think the screen on your ACER is a WXGA type, which is slightly brighter than the CCFL WXGA+ I am using on my HP 6930p (which is an "AUO 3047", btw.). You could of course set the CCFL screen to maximum brightness and it would then be really bright, but it would also drain the battery more than needed. During the test both screens were set to maximum brightness though.

I am running my CCFL at ~ 60 -70% screen brightness. What I prefer about the LED version are the viewing angles which may not be as perfect as on an averave desktop screen, but at least offer more comfort than the CCFL type HP uses.

So if you are interested in WXGA only and don't need the WXGA+ resolution, then the 6930p with an LED screen is also good. I had the impression that the LED WXGA+ on the DELL is slightly brighter than the LED WXGA on the HP though, but I also didn't have a chance to directly compare them and also failed to note down the maker of this WXGA+ screen on the Dell.

Another issue I noted on the Dell is that it doesn't feel as well built as the HP EliteBook range. Except for the picky display lock and the battery play, it just feels better to be working on the HP EliteBooks. You could even step on it or have it fall down from the bed without worrying that something may break.

However, I think in the end it will be easier to get a DELL with WXGA+ LED than an HP LED WXGA because these LED HPs aren't as popular (unless you order them from HP, of course).

Oh, and one more thing: I have both WDC Scorpio blue HDDs - the 320 and 500 GB, and only the 500 GB version is slightly better. Both are a bit too noisy inside the 6930p caddy though... (AAM = 128).

 

I have & had several HP 6930p laptops.
I have a newer 6930p, new as in late July 2009 model and have had several other 6930p built from late Nov - December 2008 to early Jan -March 2009
It seems that HP may have addressed the battery lock on this July model.
With the battery removed on these 6930p models, you can actually pull on the plastic lock-hook and feel the spring give that allows the hook to come out some, 1/4" or so.
Whereas this July model does not have that same lock-hook play.
It is like they placed in a stronger spring?
All the 2008 & 2009 models have had no display lock issues, press till you feel or hear the click and it stays shut.

 

Hmm. I'm a programmer, and so I initially wanted WXGA+ for more room for various windows (things can get crowded on WXGA). Although, considering that WXGA+ really doesn't offer that much more screen real-estate, if I go with the HP, I may end up getting the WXGA LED, and then buy a docking station, 24" monitor and keyboard to use at home.

I get that impression just looking at the pictures. Not to say the Dell looks like garbage, because it certainly doesn't. Something about its looks just pushes me away a bit, though.

Hmm. I have the 400GB Blue which is damned near silent in my Acer. They're great drives, I'd hate to not put one in whatever new laptop I get.

That's very good to hear.