Given the problems I've been reading about, should I be gun-shy about ordering an Elitebook?

I know that most people who purchase a laptop never visit a forum to post about their experiences. Typically, it is the vocal minority at both ends of the spectrum: very satisfied and very dissatisfied with their purchase who are most likely to share their experience. Having said that, I am a little concerned about the issues I keep reading about regarding HP in general and the Elitebook I am considering in particular (8440p/w).

My sense is that these units are largely the luck of the draw and that HP's customer service is generally good and will help you get things squared away. The problems I keep reading about are fan issues and power cords falling out with some people expressing concerns about the feel of the keyboards and occasionally receiving screens that are of lesser quality than one would expect.

I don't know if there is a preponderance of issues that should keep me from ordering the 8440 and instead go with one of my other choices (Lenovo T410s or Panasonic F9) or if I should take a chance on the Elitebook.

Based on your experience, are Elitebooks too much of a gamble right now?

 

I think it might be impossible for anyone here to address your question with factual data. I'm sure Lenovo and Panasonic have problems too, but who can say what your statistical chances are for each company?

Unless you can convince yourself that HP is really having more problems, I think you should focus on features, price and service. I haven't compared them side-by-side, but I think the 8440p will offer more powerful components in a stronger case. The Lenovo should offer a better keyboard (based on reputation) and a lighter/thinner case. I don't know anything about Panasonic.

Based on how you posed your question, I'm guessing you've already done the feature/price analysis for your needs and the 8440p won out. So I'd say give it a shot. You have 30 days to return it and you'll know the most common flaws to look for.

Good luck whatever you decide.

 

Actually there was a survey published by squaretrade a year ago, giving statistical data about laptop failures over a period over 3 years. There has been much debate over these numbers but it was clear that HP had the highest failure rate. But one should keep in mind that there is a big difference between consumer and bussines laptops regarding quality, and also that laptops over a 1k price range also had a slightly smaller chance (1% I think) of having falures.
It smarter to compare each laptop model individualy and read every possible review you can find, rather than to judge by brand. (for exameple asus had the best score, but when looking at the temperatures of their gaming laptops (asus G series, with a ROG tag) which they released the past 2 years you can see that every brand releases models which aren't exactly how they should be.

 

Thanks for the feedback thus far.

knight You're right, the 8440 did compare very well with the other two on paper. I am not sure about going down to the 16:9 screen and up in weight relative to the other two. I like the aesthetics, how much you can pack into the Elitebook performance wise, and the fact that there are a lot of favorable reviews for them (in addition to the reviews that had me a little worried).

student@antwerp You are right that there is a big difference between the business and consumer lines from most companies and HP is certainly in that camp.

I agree that the best option would be to read as many reviews as possible for each option; however, there are only a few reviews on the 410s and hardly any at all for the F9. Ideally, I would be able to see each one in person, read in depth reviews from users, and come to a conclusion. However, as of right now, I am relying in part on some subjective feedback from others as well.

 

I remember reading that survey and discounting its usefulness when considering business-class laptops (as you mentioned). I did find it informative on the consumer side, but again there are all kinds of exceptions. I agree that the best course is to investigate the specific models you are interested in, which the OP seems to have done already.

 

These two rules of thumb are central to beginning a search for a computer. I can't emphasize it enough.

 

The challenge hasn't been with reading reviews on the 8440W, it is the one of my three options for which there are a significant number of reviews, it has been with making sense of the contradictory information. Virtually every "official" review from a magazine or website dedicated to reviews has been glowing. Stating that only a slightly small touchpad and questionable viewing angles (and in some cases the drop from a 16:10 to a 16:9 screen) are the drawacks.

However, upon closer inspection of user reviews, some of the very strengths listed in official reviews (runs quite and relatively cool) are issues for real users as they state fan issues that may or may not be addressed from bios updates or changing system settings, and a pretty hot notebook.

This is has left me wondering if the official reviews error on the side of positive feedback because of less time spent with the computer than a typical user (not enough time for problems to surface) and that they may end up with handpicked units from the manufacturer. OR...have there been enough of these 8440s sold that it makes sense there would be some issues with some of them and those people would be inclined to find their way to a website to seek help with correcting the issues.

 

Personnaly I prefer browsing around forums and read consumer reviews to look what kind of problems people have with a specific model rather than read a professional review. As you suggested yourself, a consumer usualy spends way more time with a specific model than some reviewer who gets a review model which has to be send back.

I noticed this difference when reading the review of the Alienware m11x here at notebookreview. No mention was made of the hinge issue, but when you browse the forums you can clearly see this is a serious built error one should be aware off (if it wouldn't be for that issue I would probably have the m11x in both colours). I was also interested in the sxps 16 which impresed most reviewers, but when I took a quick look at the forums I noticed the first models had heat issues which seriously interrupted a decent gaming experience.

Eventhough a lot of people on forums represent consumers with problems (who come to forums for solutions) and might give a wrong image about a specific model (you always have lemons), I still think they give valuable information since I'm more of a pesimist and will probably not buy any laptop which has several reports of a certain error. I prefer thorough research to avoid badly constructed models (which every brand has)instead of hoping to get a working product from a badly constructed laptop model.

Regarding your specific doubts about the screen viewing angles, you could always go to a store and check it out for yourself (there's nothing so prone to subjective opinion as screen quality). But I would certainly look further into the fan issue, since overheating is one of the worst things that could happen to a laptop.

 

@Student@Antwerp2009: excellent comments, just one point, you can't find business notebooks in any retail store

 

...which is why it is great to order from somebody like HP. Their return policy is excellent and pain free.

The best way for me to see a business notebook is to look around at the airport and ask somebody if they like their notebook. They probably won't let you try it, but you'll be getting the opinion of somebody likely to be a road warrior.

 

Also, if you want some very detailed reviews (in addition to this site), go to Notebookcheck: Notebook & Laptop Reviews and News. That website has some of the most detailed reporting I have seen to date.

 

Oh I don't know about that in the rest of the world, but here in Belgium there are quite a few shops which sell HP bussines laptops.

Though I must admit this is only in professional computer stores, and not in multimedia markets which offer the lowest prices (like mediamarkt, saturn, etc) but where most "salesmen" are teenagers with zits on their face trying to explain you things they barely understand themselves.

The only downside of those professional stores, especialy in a remote town like mine, is that you pay a lot more for consumer laptops than anywhere else (my acer costed 1299€, while the professional store sold it for 1399€ with the exact same specs).

 

Look in the owners thread and see how many problems has the latest batch of 8740w's.... Not many
In fact, I only know of one real (for me) problem - bumped backlit keyborad. Switching to the regular (rock solid) one fixes it. Fan after resume from sleep was fixed with the latest BIOS update, BTW.
Anything else?

PS. there's NO system in the world today that has no issues

 

I'd just order it. return if you don't like. I don't think HP charges a restocking fee. remember most owners of a product are the happy silent type the noisy ones that post on forums are the ones that are having issues.

I have a HP 8530p and I upgraded from a T500 (which sucked, horrid screen, cheap construction). if your experience is like mine - you won't return it.

 

Hey Everyone-
Just wanted to give an update. I went with an 8440w. I got it this weekend and have been using it the past couple of days. So far, I am really glad I got this model.

Thanks for all of the help!

 

Well...the brief honeymoon is over. Last night, my first chance to use the Elitebook in the evening, I noticed what I think is a dead pixel. It remains this white color constantly.

I know it is not in that bad of a place for a dead pixel; however, it drives me nuts. I can't decide if I am going to:
1) return to the computer
2) ask for the screen to be replaced
3) try and get used to the pixel

 

If you like the system - get the screen replaced.
There's also a chance that the pixel is simply stuck and might revive.

 

According to HP support, it is a green and not a white pixel and therefore, they won't replace it. I told them that's too bad because it'll cost some green when I return it.

Oh well.

 

There are some software tools that can help reviving stuck pixels. If that's a single pxl, I wouldn't worry anyway.