Just ordered my 8510W

Hey guys:
After more than a few days of indecision between this and the T61p (when/if it ever came out), I went ahead and bit the bullet, and bought the 8510W.
Specs are as follows:

Since I'm using this at school, I went ahead and also dropped the coin for the 4 year accidental damage coverage.

My anticipated arrival date is 7/2/07. I'll take some pictures and write a review oncer I get it in my grubby little mitts.

-Jeeves

 

congrats with the purchase. Looks pretty expensive though...

 

That's awesome. I can't wait to see.

How much did it set you back?

 

Very nice. I think its probably one of the best looking laptop on the market. Combines the simplicity of the MBP with the utilitarian look of a Thinkpad.

How much did this cost you?

 

That workstation card, what is the equivalent in consumer graphics cards?

 

NVIDIA Quadro FX 570M is the card. I'm not sure, but I think it's either a 8600m GS or 8600m GT

 

After looking on the HP site, it looks like he got the $2,799 model. RM286UA

 

Yeah, quite a doozy right there. Hopefully the 8510p will be substantially cheaper.

 

I got 8% off since I was an academic purchase. The rep also threw in free overnight shipping.

Yes, it was bloody well spendy though. My wallet is still crying.

My justification was the fact that a) I needed it ASAP, and b) it has to last me for at least 4 years. If I could have waited for the 8510P, I would have.

Knowing my luck though, as soon as my RMA period ends, they'll roll out the 8510P, in such time that I could have gotten it for school, which'd leave me a touch upset.

-Jeeves

 

BTW:
from my reading, it LOOKS to be that the 570m is the equivalent to the 8600m GT. However, testing shall be necessary.

Any request for stuff to benchmark it with when I get it other than the standards?
-Jeeves

 

Whoa, how did you get an academic discount? is it only by phone or is there some secret page online to activate it?

 

I did it via phone. I just called in, and told them the straight up truth. I was a college student, wanted a business class laptop, and asked if they could give me any sort of discount. They said they could do 8% and free overnight, and I said sold.

The rep I dealt with was Chad Allen. He can be reached at:
800-888-9909
xt: 21584

Hope this helps!
-Jeeves

 

Why will 8510p be cheaper ? Except for the graphics card, I see no difference. ?!

 

Because . . .

1. Workstation video cards are more expensive mainly due to the specific drivers.

2. As a mobile workstation, the 8510w is ISV-certified, that's not free.

3. The 8510p will not have an WUXGA screen option.


And, the Quadro FX 570M is most probably based on the 8600M GS but we will not that for sure soon...

Btw, congrats... nice system... but you didn't get the Blu-Ray drive...

 

Dreamer:
Actually, 8510p CAN have WUXGA screen... Have a look here. But I think it won't be available publicly, only in some limited offers.

 

Well, the 8510p and the 8510w are the same notebook, but they just won't offer an WUXGA option for the "p" version.

 

Yes and no. As a consumer, you won't see any WUXGA option available in the configurator. However, it can be installed in the factory and it can also be ordered by sales reps (but I'm not sure if by any or only selected ones). I know what I'm talking about - there might be a review of real WUXGA version of 8510p in 2-3 weeks (no demo, pre-sale model...)

 

I didn't get the blu-ray drive because I was already spending WAY too much money. I figured that down the road when they get cheaper, I'll buy one to swap in then.

I'm thinking for the games I will occasionally play (I'm an RTS whore, not an FPS'er)m the 570m will do me fine. I also have an aversion to ATi parts, since the drivers have always felt rather kludged together versus nVidia's, at least in MY experience in building systems with both (don's flame suit).

CeCo: I rather hate you for having so much insider info. Are your "spider senses" giving us any better indications on the 8510p release?

-Jeeves

 

After having a WUXGA 15.4 in screen for over 3 years, I'm starting to think I'll be happy with an WSXGA resolution.

It is amazingly sharp, but my laptop does not have the power to render 1080p video, and good luck trying to game with a native res of 1920X1200. Also, it makes text incredibly small until you start tweaking with sizes. WSXGA looks to be a good compromise between the completely lame WXGA(+) and the uber-res WUXGA.

But hey, I suppose if you have the cash to opt for the blu-ray, you might as well milk its potential. Especially with the advancements in HD processing in the new cards.

 

Well, I'm not an insider at all (I'm not an employee of HP, any of its affiliate, partner, distributor or reseller, not even a family member or friend of anybody from HP...). But I'm annoying enough to get these data from my sources, because that's the only way for them to get rid of me

8510p - it will definitely be postponed and I would see July 1st/2nd rather unrealistic. Although there are already part numbers and configurations for USA/Canada, I doubt they will be released already next week. Europe will have to wait even longer - 8510w and 8710p/w are to be shipped by the end of July and 8510p has an unknown date yet.

However, there are already part numbers for 8510p components, they can be configured (as you can see in USA's QuickSpecs with those models), so the reason is probably ATI being unable to produce sufficient volumes of VGA chips for HP to produce LARGE VOLUMES* of 8510p's without delaying orders.

* If you can read between the lines here, you'll probably realize why there might be a review of ONE 8510p in 2-3 weeks I'll explain this after some time so I won't hurt my sources.

 

C:
I know exactly what you are meaning now that you rephrase it into those terms. It's good to know that having ordered the 8510w, I won't be faced with the 8510p being out just a few days after I get mine.

As I said, I'll be reviewing my rig when it reaches me. If you (or anyone else) has a request for a benchmark to be ran, please do let me know!

BTW: Rep for ya...
-Jeeves

 

I don't like the words that are coming out of your keyboard. This whole "delayed" talk, not a fan.

 

cool! i will be eagerly waiting for a review on the 8510w too. Are you taking the one with the quadro 570M or the firegl v5600? Does anyone know if it's going to look exactly the same as the nw8440 or is it going to be slightly different?

 

jeeves915:
I'd like to remind you that I have information especially from Europe; I'm not 100% sure whether it will be the same for USA or not (HP in NA tends to announce models 2-3 weeks earlier than in Europe).

t1mmer:
I'm not a fan of it too Therefore, if you read my last paragraph in my previous post you'll find out why I'm NOT nervous about the delay

gashbell:
Have a look at current models - all of them are with Quadro (it just confirms common theory that ATI is simply unable to produce high volumes of VGA chips and that might be the reason why 8510w has a choice of VGA card - maybe HP added it after they had exact specs to avoid shipping delays).

 

After reading a review on Anandtech of the desktop 2600 parts, I'm feeling better about avoiding them. They look to be rather...sub-par... in comparison to nVidia's offerings. ( http://anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3023)

Gash: I ordered the one with the 570m, as the FireGL is not available yet.

C: I have a gut feeling that the rep that told me August is probably on the money when it comes to the US. I had been calling daily, and they probably were starting to refer to me as the, "annoying 8510p guy". However, this is just my gut, which has been wrong before...(see ex-girlfriends, et al.)

-Jeeves

 

jeeves915:
Well, we probably share the same "nickname" except I am simply "annoying guy" (and not only in HP...).

Anandtech: those cards are desktop cards; VGAs for laptop will have different clocks/speeds etc. I would wait for laptops and their tests to compare 2600/2600HD and 8600 GS/GT.

 

C: I agree that laptop parts are a complete and total different football game. However, seeing them drop the ball so badly with the desktop parts makes me very leary about their laptop parts as well. Call it being once bitten and twice as shy.
-Jeeves

 

Well, I'm happy that I'm too old to play games frequently My only concern is if HD 2600 powers some simulation games (SIMxxx) in WUXGA mode without any significant performance decrease...

 

Well...I called HP on Friday to check on my laptop. The person I talked with said it had been delayed (!), and they wouldn't be getting until the 16th of July, if not later.

In a fit of pique, I canceled my order. I'll be calling back come Monday to talk with my rep, and see what I can't do. Until then...I'm back at square one.
-jeeves

 

That's some BS right there. Not you cancelling your order...but these freaking delays.

 

Thats why I lost my temper, and canceled my order.
It also didn't help that the customer service staff sounded like they were in Central America. Having a language barrier didn't help any.
Hopefully this won't turn into a T61 style debacle.
-Jeeves

 

I think there are component supply problems that we don't know about, which is causing Lenovo the delays as well?

 

Interesting... Because website still shows July 6th as estimated shipping date (which is also funny, because only a few days ago, July 1st was shown).

Anyway - it just confirms information I have that these models won't be available prior mid-July...

 

C:
As I said, it's very frustrating. Especially when the reason I ordered it was that I COULD have it in hand early.
Oh well...we shall see. I'm now pondering on waiting for it, or ordering something different. Any suggestions?
-Jeeves

 

From my experience I can say that I have to wait in both cases (choose another model/keep the ordered one). Especially in this "high-end" segment shipments are not as often as in low-ends and one month is not an unusual waiting time for me.