HP’s aptly named new business line, EliteBook, leaves no doubt as to what caliber notebooks it offers. The 14.1-inch 6930p, the line’s flagship model, has an elegant, durable design, new security features, and thanks to Intel’s new Centrino 2 platform and available discrete graphics, some of the best performance in its class. It’s our top pick among business notebooks.
Built to Last (and Turn Heads)
HP bills the 6930p as a business-rugged notebook, and with its brushed metal design, it looks both tough and elegant. It includes a brushed, anodized aluminum lid combined with a magnesium alloy chassis. Indeed, this 5.2-pound notebook is sturdy, but at 13.0 x 9.6 x 1.2 inches it’s a bit wider and thicker than the Dell Latitude E6400 (13.2 x 9.4 x 1.0 inches). To lessen the weight, you can opt for HP’s Illumi-Lite LED-backlit display for an additional $50.
Inside, the matte-black, spill-resistant keyboard is offset by a brushed metal deck and upper panel, both of which match the lid. HP’s new DuraKeys feature a fingerprint resistant UV coating that claims to be six times more scratch-resistant than HP’s previous business notebooks. The only design element we found off-putting were the two holes to the left and right of the touchpad, which is where the metal posts for the lid go when the system is closed.
Above the keyboard are touch-sensitive controls for HP Info Center, which contains ProtectTools Security Manager and Connection Manager, Wi-Fi, Presentation Options, mute, and volume settings. The touch controls responded immediately and didn’t require much pressure; all we had to do was tap. However, some may prefer traditional buttons.
The keyboard, which has a comfortable textured finish, was easy to type on and made little noise. Although the touchpad is well sized and has the right amount of friction, the touch buttons are far too narrow and aren’t very tactile; often we had to press them deliberately to make the computer respond.
Display and Sound
The 14.1-inch, 1280 x 800-pixel display indeed looked bright when we watched an episode of Mad Men. The matte screen offered versatile viewing angles; we could comfortably watch when we pushed the screen forward, which is good for presenters and frequent flyers, and even at a near 180-degree angle from the sides. The speakers, located on the front underbelly of the notebook, delivered surprisingly loud sound.
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