HP any good? (Thinkpad user contemplating the switch)

My Thinkpad T43 is starting to show its age. My main question is how is the build quality? Specifically, the overall feel when compared to a Thinkpad, keyboard, touch stick, etc.? I'm not sure if this can be generalized across all HP models, but if you are someone who has had experience with both I would love to hear from you.

Second, I remember someone said HP's business notebooks are much better than their 'consumer' offerings. Is this true? (IF so, how can I tell which is a business model, and which isn't - by the default O/S it comes with?)

I've always been indifferent to HP notebooks, but I have a chance to pick up this brand with university discounts. Any of these models will literally blow my T43 out of the water - CPU, RAM, video, HD, etc. I like that some models have both the touch stick + touch pad input, and all models have the 3-year warranty like Lenovo.

PS. Of the models available, the one that catches my eye so far is the EliteBook 6930p for its balance of features and weight.

 

I'm impressed with HP notebooks. As a customer of HP for the last 5 years I am pleased. Just taking the notebook out of the box is like unwrapping a fine piece of art. It's a very solid and sturdy notebook. It'll definitely take a beating.

 

Thanks for the reply. I'll try to play with them in person and see which weight I am comfortable with.

Do any of the models listed have switchable graphics like the T400?

 

HP's business notebooks are called "HP Compaq business notebooks" and they are very distinct from their consumer offering which are branded Pavillion. They are some of the best built business notebooks out there that matches the Thinkpads in build quality and the recent models even surpass it in ergonomics and overall finishing. They are often underrated because HP does not market or hype its corporate notebooks. You can't buy these in retail shops either. You have to use one before you judge it because most people change their opinions about HP after trying out their business notebooks (they had poor experience from their consumer offerings).

The keyboard is good with minimal flex, but the pointstick is worse than the Thinkpad (it's harder and not as comfortable to use). They generally have better screens.

 

I can say with confidence that the HP Compaq Business line is great. I too came from a T41, so I was surprised how solid the HP was put together, quality of materials and good feature set.

Keyboard is not as good (IBM being the best anyway) but its still great. Their consumer lines of recent look great and from what I've seen, are of good quality.

 

the only thing i like with the lenovo was the keyboard other than that the HP has been as good or better

 

Thanks for your replies! On the basis of the previous 3 posts alone, I've relegated the Pavilion series to second choice - wasn't particularly impressed with a couple of dv4/5 I looked at tonight. The 6930p is still my frontrunner:

# Operating Systems: Genuine Windows Vista® Business
# Processor Type: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo P8600 (2.4Ghz)
# Memory (Size, Type and Speed) : 4G 800Mhz 2DIMM
# HDD (with size and rpm) : 250GB/5400rpm
# Optical Drive (State reading and speed): removable DVDRW
# TFT Display size: 14.1" WXGA+
# Resolution: 1440 x 900
# Graphic Chipset: ATI HD3450
# Amount Video Memory: 256MB Dedicated
# Battery Type and Cell: 6 cell

 

I would definately recommend the elitebook 6930p. It is the current top-of-the-line mobility laptop in HP's business line.
I have the predecessor (6910p) and love it.

 

Now why not another Thinkpad?????
HP consumer line is just crap build quality wise. The business-line as mentioned above is decent, however, both Thinkpad and HP has pros and cons. It's up to you to decide, HP usually has higher price.
I have 2 HPs and a thinkpad, in my office my co-workers have some thinkpads. If to rate them I'd give Thinkpad a 9.75 and HP a 9.5.

 

I beg to differ about the consumer line. The quality and design is incredible. They are very sturdy!

 

I can't say I'm too impressed with the quality of my dv9000. Plastic-y creaky all over. Gets hot in the back corner, which leads to a design defect where the hinge seems to weaken and break. For some inscrutable reason hard drive bay 1 is in the hot corner, which results in the hard drive frequently getting above manufacturer's specs in temperature. Slipshod attention to detail all over in my opinion.

I will give you the design though. It's a very handsome 17" notebook.

 

What you're describing is apart of HP's Service enhancement type recall.

http://www.notebookhingecrack.com/

The DV9700 I had was very solid and sturdy just as this DV7T is currently.

 

You can say anything about the laptop you own, but the fact is that HP consumer range laptops don't come close to its business-line.
The Vostro 1700 is the budget business laptop, and its build quality is better than the HP equivalent (Pavilion)!

 

Mainly because I can get the HP at a discount

9.75 and 9.5 are pretty darn close though!

 

Your remarks are very biased. I never degraded the quality of the HP business line notebooks just simply voicing about the quality of my notebook.

It's not a proven fact. Conditions and circumstances vary and change upon the owner of the product. Treatment and care play a big factor.

Both lines perform well and are suited for their intended users.

 

I never said you did, and I myself has played with many HP Pavilion laptops several times. I know how they are.

Treatment and care have nothing to do with the build quality. We just talking about how the laptops are the moment they leave the factory.

Again, performance has nothing to do with build quality. In your opinion the Pavilion may be solid, but to many business-class notebooks owners, they are cheap toys.

 

and vice-versa...but they still get the job done.

 

The consumer lines are built to be less durable than the business notebooks (this is a deliberate design decision, ask PSG). This is mainly in the choice of materials used and the amount of stress testing performed. The keyboard and touchpad design, for example, are made from different materials that emphasises ergonomics more than looks (the consumer models uses glossy finishing to make them look beautiful, but aren't as comfortable to use). Parts like the keyboard and touchpads are also sourced from top suppliers (Synaptics and Chicony/NMB) for consistency, while the consumer range parts are sourced from various suppliers, hence less consistency. The business notebooks are also designed to be easier to service so parts can be easily replaced to reduce downtime. Then HP further differentiates them by assigning different service personnel for their business and consumer models so you are deliberately given different level of priority in service quality.

 

Vice versa means the business-class to you is cheap toy???
Cool, if so, enjoy the "solid" build quality of your Pavilion

More to what Chrixx said, the Pavilion lines uses a different type of plastic, while the Business-line (higher-end models) have mangesium alloy inner shield.

 

OK, so I got to play extensively with the HP business line of laptops today. A very nice gentleman took his time and explained the various features to me. Didn't really bother looking at the Pavilions so my choice is somewhat easier. But now need to decide if I really want a b-e-a-s-t (EliteBook 8530p, 8530w) versus a good tradeoff in weight & features (EliteBook 6930p).

General thoughts and comments:

- I was quite impressed with build quality - seems can rival my current Thinkpad if not exceed it. Supposedly the cover is scratch-proof, even with metal objects. Didn't bother asking if I can try using a coin, but the thought crossed my mind

- Pointing stick not as good as Thinkpads. Seems it only has one speed setting? On my TP I can greatly increase its speed (ie. how far the cursor travels) by gently pushing down on the stick. Also, the left mouse button of the pointing stick was very non-responsive... I pushed lightly many times around the edges of the button and there was no reaction. I found I had to push down hard, and in the center of the button. Hopefully this is just a demo unit defect, from wear n tear.

- screen seemed a bit dim even at max settings. could be related to the brightness surrounding the laptops as they were displayed in an open area. not sure what the 'ambient light sensor' does either...

- Even though the warranty is 3 years, it seems their service is not as fast as Lenovo's. The guy told me generally it takes 4-5 business days for a repair, whereas Lenovo advertises their service as "2 hour express". I recently had my Thinkpad's DVD drive replaced and the whole process took less than 1 hour. Worried if HP would be able to do the same.

- balance between weight & size / features of 6930p seems perfect. 14" screen, felt about the same weight as my T43, and the 1440 x 900 resolution closely matches my current 1400 x 1050.

- however, the 8530p/8530w's features are soooo tempting:

8530p (only US$80 more than the 6930p)
* Operating Systems: Genuine Windows Vista® Business
* Processor Type: ntel® Core™ 2 Duo P8600 (2.4Ghz)
* Memory (Size, Type and Speed) : 4G 800Mhz 2DIMM
* HDD (with size and rpm) : 250GB/ 7200rpm
* Optical Drive (State reading and speed): removable DVDRW
* TFT Display size: 15.4" WSXGA+
* Resolution: 1680 x 1050
* Graphic Chipset: ATI HD3650
* Amount Video Memory: 256MB Dedicated
* Battery Type and Cell: 8 cell
* Dimension (mm): 27.5 (at front) x 357 x 260
* Travelling Weight (kg) w and w/o weight saver: 2.66/2.86

8530w (US$580 more than the 6930p)
* Operating Systems: Genuine Windows Vista® Business
* Processor Type: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T9400 (2.53GHz)
* Memory (Size, Type and Speed) : 4GB 800Mhz 2 DIMM
* HDD (with size and rpm) : 320G/ 7200rpm
* Optical Drive (State reading and speed): BlueRay writer
* TFT Display size: 15.4" WUXGA
* Resolution: 1920 x 1200
* Graphic Chipset: Nvidia Quadro FX770
* Amount Video Memory: 512MB Dedicated
* Battery Type and Cell: 8 cell
* Dimension (mm): 27.5 (at front) x 357 x 260
* Travelling Weight (kg) w and w/o weight saver: 2.66/2.86

For only $80 more, the 8530p might be worth considering. Not sure if I would really watch Blu-Ray movies on the laptop, let alone burn BD's?? But downsides (to both 8530s) are the increased weight, and because they are so new, I won't be able to get them til end of September.

So, in summary: think I've narrowed down my choices to either the 6930p or the 8530p... that is, if I am indeed going with an HP and not another TP.

 

My DV9700t has a Synaptics Touchpad.

Have to agree with Infamous22 here, my notebook is very sturdy.

 

Not all have a Synaptics touchpad, some have Alps. Therefore, I said there isn't as much consistency. There is also greater consistency in terms of driver and software support, i.e. a greater range of OS is supported and the system design have longer life cycles.

The notebook is sturdy overall, until you've used a high end enterprise class notebook, you won't know the difference. There is nothing wrong with the Pavillions, but they're just more prone to problems and other issues I've mentioned. For the price, the Pavillions do their job just fine. Just don't expect miracles or compare them to Thinkpads which is a common thing people do here. They compare a Thinkpad to a Pavillion and say HP sucks when they have not even tried an HP business notebook.

 

I went from a T42 to an HP nc8430 business laptop (with some other stuff in between) and they're both great. You can get Thinkpads for hundreds of dollars cheaper though for comparable specs.

 

kai920: The new 6930p does have the HD3450, but the 85 10p/w is the old line -- it only has an HD2600. The upcoming 85 30p/w is the one with the 3650.
If I could've gotten the 3650 with the 6930p... I would be buying one soon, rather than waiting for the 8530p some time "in September". Where'd you happen to see the things firsthand, anyway?

 

Oh yes, good catch. I saw the laptops at a local university (HKUST) and I do vaguely remember a small notice about the 8530p/w names.

Here's the 8530w and 8530p. The 8530w has NVIDIA Quadro FX770M while the 8530p has HD3650. The 6930p 'only' has the HD3450, but like I said, it'll probably blow my x300 away.

 

Quadro FX 770m would be the most powerful of the two.

 

Don't think I'd consider the 8530w with the Quadro, but out of curiosity, would it be faster than the 3650 for gaming or is 'better suited' to CAD / high-end graphics work?

And, roughly how much faster is a HD3650 vs HD3450?

 

Quadro is better for CAD, not sure about gaming.
I can't answer the latter since there isn't any solid benchmarks at this point.

 

I'm curious as to if the models you demoed at the university were just that, unfinished demo models Kai. I am not trying to be rude or anything, I just know that it is typical for computer companies to go to university campuses with "soon to be released" products that are still receiving their final touches back at the home company workshop, so you get to look at a very close to final product dummy of sort. I know that Dell recently did that with the new Dell Latitudes coming out fairly soon here on my campus at Texas A&M. Unfortunately I was unable to attend the event because of other commitments, but I heard a few notes of praise about them.

So, they take new products to places where they know they have an audience that should soon have disposable income who are also easily excited by technology as that is what their lives depend on. Sounds like a good business idea to me. Personally, I will with hold my judgment until I receive my 6930p I have on order that is due to ship and arrive within a week or so.

BBGus

 

Yes, they were quite clear about the 8530s being demo units. The salespeople there were quite honest in that they had no idea what the final units would be like! Hence the reason these won't ship until late September..

However they didn't include the 6930p as being a demo unit, and the availability was at least 3 weeks earlier.

In any case, I will look out for your review which should help me a great deal in deciding between this and the T400/500.