HP Compaq 2510p Ultraportable Notebook

The Bottom Line
The HP Compaq 2510p ultraportable notebook is certainly a system that any business traveler should look clasely at, but some of the key items that a consumer might be looking for make it only an average choice for a small and lightweight home or school notebook.

Pros

* LED Backlit Display
* Models Available With Cellular WAN Modems
* Three Year Warranty

Cons

* Lacks Software Bundle
* Limited Expansion Ports

Description

* Intel Core 2 Duo U7500 Ultra Low Voltage Dual Core Mobile Processor
* 1GB PC2-5300 DDR2 Memory
* 80GB 4200rpm ATA Hard Drive
* 8x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner
* 12.1" WXGA (1280x800) LED Backlit Display with Intel GMA X3100 Integrated Graphics
* v.92 56Kbps Modem, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g Wireless, Bluetooth 2.0
* Two USB 2.0, One FireWire, Type II PC Card, SD Slot and Fingerprint Scanner
* 11.1" x 8.4" x 1" @ 2.8 lbs.
* Windows Vista Business

Guide Review - HP Compaq 2510p Ultraportable Notebook
HP uses the HP Compaq name specifically for systems that they sell for business. The HP Compaq 2510p is their newest ultraportable notebook system that is designed for the business traveler. This has some very specific connotations of what comes with the system or not. For example, it comes with a long three year warranty compared to HP's consumer systems that generally feature only one year. On the flip side, the2510p does not come with any preloaded software bundles while the consumer systems do.

The 2510p is a very complete and portable package. Weighing in at under 3 pounds and only an inch thick, one might expect it to be lacking in features such as an optical drive or a smaller processor. Thankfully, HP has packed in all the features that you might need in a notebook system, including an internal dual layer DVD burner. But don't assume that the battery life will be too poor. The LED backlit display and ultra low voltage processor help the system to last for some time.

The same size does have a bit of a drawback though. The number of available peripheral expansion ports on the system is restricted. Many systems are offering three USB ports, but the 2510p only features two. It also uses the older Type II PC Card slot rather than the newer and faster ExpressCard. This may be good for legacy cards but limits its potential upgrades.

The model in this review has a good number of networking features, but HP also sells two versions with essentially the same components but also a cellular WAN modem. One model is offered with support for AT&T and another for Verizon depending upon which service provider you wish to use.