HP EliteBook 8440W: Rugged, Powerful Business Laptop Lacks Multimedia Polish – Psychology

The horsepower EliteBook sony vgp-bps8 8440w will not obtain awards for ultrathin routine things or stylish looks, but beneath the virtually military-style exterior is mostly a dual-core (with Hyperthreading) Intel processor coupled with an nVidia Quadro FX 380M professional-grade images processor. at any time you preliminary unpack the laptop, the muted magnesium-clad method impresses with its stable feel. even nonetheless the body while using unit is mostly plastic, it’s a dense, unyielding plastic material that exudes ruggedness without having seeming overbuilt. Priced at $1649 (as of February 23, 2010), the 8440w isn’t really the lowest priced high-priced all-purpose laptop, but it delivers robust overall performance in the 5.3-pound package.vgp-bps8

The 8440w, certainly just about the most current update within the horsepower corporate workstation line, builds in abilities past the typical 14-inch notebook.sony vgp-bps9 The 1600-by-900-pixel, LED-backlit show is mostly a cut over most 14-inch displays, allowing more visible house windows to become on tap at any time you are operating in the multiple-application environment. The 8440w’s expansion choices tend to be more prosaic, however. You get 4 USB ports (three within the left, one certain within the right; the final doubles as an eSATA port), plus a mini-FireWire connector plus the requisite audio input and output jacks. show outputs–an analog VGA interface including a DisplayPort connector–grace the rear while using unit. A 2-megapixel Webcam is designed to the show bezel.sony vgp-bpl8

In our WorldBench six tests, the 8440w’s overall performance scores are actually very good, especially for multithreaded usages such as Photoshop and 3ds Max. The system’s general score of 119 is between the very best we’ve seen from the laptop or personal computer of the class. nonetheless the Intel primary i7 620M isn’t really the highest-performing Intel quad-core CPU, it truly is still a cut over average dual-core processors.fpcbp160

The 8440w’s gambling overall performance was also stable for just about any small laptop, since the method created incredibly high body costs in Unreal Tournament three at 1024 by 768 resolution. on the higher existing game, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: clear Skies, the 8440w’s body costs averaged much less than twenty frames every 2nd at 1280 by 720 in DirectX10 mode. you will most likely want to dial back once again the detail amounts and operate in DirectX nine mode, even at any time you are actively playing DirectX 10-capable titles. Then again, gambling isn’t really this system’s principal mission.fpcbp182

Certainly, the 8440w’s overall performance in normal utilization scenarios still left absolutely nothing to become desired. We set up microsof company workplace and Firefox 3.6, opening several house windows and tabs even nonetheless operating on text. The 8440w seemed responsive at all times, except when Firefox exhibited its normal quirk of locking straight down the method even nonetheless loading a dozen tabs at the same time (but that’s true with all PCs).lifebook t4215 battery

The computer keyboard within the 8440w is one certain while using best good examples of your laptop or personal computer computer keyboard we’ve seen. The design is affordable for just about any small laptop,sony vgp-bps8a however the principal typing keys are full-size and offer you exceptional tactile feedback even nonetheless requiring relatively small pressure. great touches abound: The house and complete keys, for instance, are divided with the PgUp and PgDn keys–a incredibly good compromise when area constraints sway laptop or personal computer designers to put that put of keys in the vertical row. The cursor keys are one half size, but physically divided within the principal keyboard, minimizing confusion at any time you are making use of individuals keys to navigate documents.

The trackpad operates well, and horsepower also supplies a pointing stick with its own put of computer mouse buttons.vgp-bps8b The buttons for similarly the trackpad plus the stick offer you an exceptional feel, requiring just the proper amount of hassle (preventing accidental presses). The trackpad also does not apparently be overly responsive, so you cannot should be troubled that hovering your palm over the pad will send your cursor gyrating wildly over the screen.sony vgp-bpl8a

Multimedia playback within the 8440w, inside another hand, is problematic. nonetheless our test method was supposed to arrive acquiring a Blu-ray drive, it arrived with only a DVD one. We copied over a WMV hd information to check on out high-definition playback. nonetheless colors seemed a small washed out and we caught some visible noise, hd playback appeared passable. DVD upscaling, however, was an unpleasant experience. We attempted dvd disks of Lord while using Rings: Fellowship while using arena and Raiders while using dropped Ark. In house windows mass media Center, DVD playback was noisy, with way as good much borders enhancement. When we set up PowerDVD Ultra nine and tweaked the nVidia manage panel’s noise-reduction feature, we’re actually able to mitigate some while using noise–but some sound experience remained visible, as did the horrible, too much borders enhancement.vgp-bps2a

Audio playback wasn’t much better. The integrated iDT audio manage screen integrated an equalizer that seemed to own small result on any while using tunes files we played. The loudspeakers seemed vibrant and edgy. And even nonetheless we anticipated relatively small within the bass, the general bass overall performance failed to even fulfill individuals lowered expectations. Our advice: at any time you obtain the 8440w, use an exceptional put of headphones for audio.vgp-bps2b

this could be mostly a corporate laptop,vgp-bps2c so we could forgive the audio problems to a limited extent. But there may be no excuse for that terrible DVD-upscaling problems we encountered.

Our method arrived with small within the method of bundled software–which we consider a optimistic in the business-class laptop. Usually, IT departments have their very own feelings regarding what computer program really must become supplied, so the insufficient bundled usages is no huge deal. The 8440w ships with Intel’s state-of-the-art administration Tool, which IT managers can personalize to make use of inner assist options.hp dv2000

Overall, the horsepower EliteBook 8440w is mostly a relatively extraordinary laptop or personal computer for corporation users, but it is marred by bad online video mass media playback excellent and mediocre audio. However, its exceptional computer keyboard and prolonged battery wrap up life will elegance to people that would prefer to work on their transportable method than view movies on it.dell inspiron 6400 battery