Hp nc6400 & Hp nc8430

Hi!
Was thinking of purchasing a hp notebook...
I'm not sure though which one to pick
... and there are some few details I am not completely sure on.
Please help me out!

- Choosing between the nc6400 & nc8430 -

I'm concerned about the small differences between the models, so
correct me if i'm wrong:
nc6400, in comparison to the nc8430:
Pros: Cheaper, lighter, longer battery life
Cons: Inferior graphics card, and sound...

Well, are there any other pro/cons I've missed?
- And which model is the most sensible to choose? I must say I prioritize portability...

- AND PLEASE ANSWER THESE DETAIL QUESTIONS: -
1. Is it Bluetooth 1.0 or 2.0 on the 6400/8430?
2. Is it DVI out on any of the models? Or only HD-15?
3. What is the real battery life of the 6400? The specs says 4.5-6h, but tests show merely 3h (on low-cpu usage and standard battery).

Thanks in advance!
Sincerely,
HaZeR

 

I don't have personal experience with the nc6400, but judging from specs, I'd say that's about right, with the addition of a lower-resolution screen to the cons side of the chart.
If you don't mind losing the X1600, I guess the nc6400 would be the way to go - the nc8430 is pretty slim and light as 15.4 inchers go, but losing an inch and a half of width and over a pound does make a difference.

Specific answers:
1. According to the spec sheet, Bluetooth is version 2.0
2. Neither one has a DVI out on the notebook itself, but you can get a docking bay for either one which has that and a boatload of other ports.
3. I would say 3 to 3.5h is realistic; probably more if you go for integrated graphics.

 

nc6400 is a general, light-weight business machine, mostly suited for typical office tasks. It offers a pretty good battery life. nc8430 is a performance machine, suited to graphically demaning tasks such as gaming, video editing, 3D modeling, etc.

nc6400 has one advantage over nc8430: it has multibay II. nc8430 has only a fixed drive bay.

 

Great answers! Thanks!
Now to a techie problem:
I've already got a stationary with a 20.1" screen and I was thinking of buying a switch which changes between two different screen/sound/mouse/keyboard inputs... for example: the monitor inputswitch works by two dvi-in (for each of the computers) and one dvi out (for the monitor)

Questions are specifically:
1. Can I somehow plug the laptop through a hd-15-to-dvi cable/converter?
2. Will the resolution/border settings get all "#¤¤, when switching between the computers? I.e. do I have to manually change the monitor settings when switching to the laptop? (I know digital input automatically sense the image borders.

The switch: KVM Switch DVI
The screen: Samsung 204B

 

Both nc6400 and nc8430 support a docking station, which has DVI-out. The DVI-out port supports resolutions up to 1600 x 1200 at both full and reduced blanking, and 1920 x 1200 at reduced blanking. So, I'd say that the easiest altervative would be that you bought a docking station for the monitor.

 

Yeah that would be surely the easiest, but far from the cheapest.. the docking station you're talking about (basic one i presume) costs approx NOK 1600,- / $ 250,-
... A bit pricey on top of a NOK 13000,- / $ 2020,- notebook. (Already stinging economically). So I would rather know if my solution is possible, than using the expensive (though easy) solution with buying the dock in addition.

So back to my previous reply: does it exist a hd15-to-dvi cable and does it work with the switch? Moreover will there be any problems with the screen settings when switching?

Thanks in advance!