Laptops Arena

Choosing between HP or Compaq laptops has never been something difficult as far as we are concerned. This is because HP is one of the most respectable and famous laptop manufacturers on this entire globe while Compaq is knows to have had serious trouble in the past as far as the level of customer satisfaction goes. However, since HP took over Compaq, both of the companies have grown: Compaq now has a range of more decent laptop while HP has increased its portfolio. This is why at this very moment, people that don’t care that much about the producing brand could have a hard time choosing between HP or Compaq laptops. In this article, we are going to reveal the specs of two similar HP and Compaq laptops.
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Let us start off with the Compaq 6720s. This laptop came with a 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor T5470 processor and 1 GB of RAM. The total storage capacity of the hard drive is 120 GB and the graphics card is the integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100. The display measures 15.4 inches in diagonal and it comes in a native resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. The dimensions of this unit are 14.1 x 10.5 x 1.27 inches in dimension and 5.5 lbs in weight. The Compaq 6720s comes with a 6 cell battery and a DVD burner which uses the LightScribe technology.

Other features are the 3 included USB port, one VGA out, an Express card slot, an SD slot, a modem port, the Ethernet port and the regular headphones out and microphone in jacks. The unit comes with an integrated Bluetooth adapter and the Windows Vista Home Basic operating system preinstalled.



We tried to look for a laptop that could fit into the same 15.4 inch category that is produced strictly by HP and the Pavilion dv5z was the best we could do. The display measures the same 15.4 inches in diagonal, with the exception that it comes at a much higher resolution, that of 1680 x 1050 pixels. This unit comes with a 2.1 GHz AMD Turion X2 Ultra dual-core processor ZM-80 and 2 GB of RAM. The total storage capacity of the hard drive is 160 GB and the graphics card is the ATI Radeon HD 3200. The dimensions of this unit are 14.05 x 10.2 x 1.37 inches and the total weight 5.84 lbs. the unit also hosts a DVD burner that comes with double layer support. The unit comes with the 64 bit version of the Windows Vista Home Premium operating system preinstalled. As far as the selection of ports and connections goes, this unit is host to 3 USB ports, one Express Card slot, a docking station connector, the Ethernet port, a HDMI port, a Kensington lock slot, a 5-in-1 media card reader, one VGA out and 2 headphones out and one microphone in jack. Both of these unit were priced at around $800 at the times of their review but I think that HP definitely wins the fight.

The EliteBook 2530p is a HP laptop recommended for students that are in need of an ultraportable to take to class and still, a laptop that can perform the essential computing tasks. This laptop does not come with powerful components so you cannot expect anything spectacular from this unit. Back in 2008, the starting price of this unit was $1550 but the price of the unit configures was $3000. Fortunately, the price of this HP laptop has dropped and it is now a unit that you can afford.<-300x250 Medium Rectangle - center->
This unit is based on a 1.86 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SL9400 processor and 2 GB of RAM. The total storage capacity of the hard drive is 80 GB while the graphics card is the integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD. Part of the price for the unit is for the extended warranty as this unit comes with a 3 year warranty. The dimensions of this unit are 11.11 x 9.18 x 0.99 inches with the 6 cell battery and the total weight of this laptop is 3.75 lbs. the 12.1 inch display of this HP laptop has a native resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels and even if the size of the display can seem a rather small, let us not forget that we are dealing with an ultraportable.

The horizontal viewing angles are great for a laptop with the size of the EliteBook 2350p. The colors are rich and beautiful and you will surely believe you have made the right choice as well. Unfortunately, the speakers are located on the bottom of the unit and since the sound is not projected up and towards the user, sound is a bit muffled and not as clear as one would like. However, there is no doubt that if the same speakers were placed above the keyboard, the sound would be really impressive.



The keys may not have that huge of a space between them but they do feel very comfortable when you type. The keyboard is backed up by LED light so typing in the dark is going to be easier even if the light is not the most powerful one around. Above the keyboard you shall find a series of touch sensitive multimedia control buttons which are quite common on different HP laptop models. The touchpad feels very pleasant to the touch and it is also quite responsive. Even if we are not used to seeing the most spectacular selection of ports and connections on a 12 inch laptop, we are still very pleased with what this HP laptop has to offer. The 2530p comes with 2 USB ports, one VGA out, a docking station connector, a FireWire port, a modem port, an SD card reader, an Express Card slot, the Ethernet jack, a security lock slot and the regular headphones out and microphone in jacks. Battery life is a key aspect of an ultra portable unit and this HP laptop has not disappointed us at this chapter. With the display brightness set to the maximum level, the wireless card enabled, 30 minutes of music playback and doing some document editing, the laptop managed to stay on for 5 hours and 50 minutes.

When you are on the market looking for a mini HP laptop which can offer good battery life and great portability options at an acceptable price, the HP Mini 5102 may just be the best choice. Why? Well, when this mini HP laptop was first launched on the market, the price of one unit was $749. In time, the price of the unit dropped to $600 and now, the unit is available for purchase for as low as $399.<-300x250 Medium Rectangle - center->Let us go though the specs and see if this laptop manages to deliver what it has promised to the public. The unit is based on a 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N4450 processor and 1 GB of RAM. The total storage capacity of the hard drive is 160 GB and the graphics card is the integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150. The display measure 10.1 inches in diagonal and it comes with a native resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. With 10.4 x 7.25 x 1.25 inches in dimensions and 2.64 lbs in weight, this unit is definitely in the ultra portable category.

The built in speakers are, just as we expected, weak. Well, speakers on a mini laptop will never be very powerful so every time you get the chance to use this mini HP laptop on your desk, it would be a wise choice to attach a set of external speakers. The keyboard of this mini HP laptop is spill resistant even if it is not fully sized, you will get used to the size of the keys in no time. The amount of feedback offers by the keys is just right and there is a pleasant click noise made when you press one of them.



The touchpad of this mini HP laptop is quite small and when you have got big fingers, it takes a while to get used to it. Since you will be using this mini HP laptop in a lot of different locations, there is a good chance you won’t always be able to use and external mouse so you has better learn to get along with the touchpad. The surface is glossy and it makes your fingers slide easier.  The selection of ports and connections on a laptop which has the size and price of the HP Mini 5102 can never be too satisfying. This unit is host to3 USB ports, a 4-in-1 digital media card reader, a VGA out, an Ethernet port, a security lock slot and the regular headphones out and microphone in jacks. This being said let us finalize this article with probably the most important aspect of this mini HP laptop: the battery life. We rarely get to see such battery performance like the one on the HP Mini 5102.  With the display brightness set to 70%, the wireless card activated while browsing some websites, the laptop managed to stay on for 8 hours and 45 minutes of constant usage. This means that this mini laptop is going to help you get though a full day’s work without having to worry about finding a power outlet.

The ProBook 4510s is a HP laptop PC which can make a great choice for people running a small business which are looking for cheap, yet good units to use inside the office. On the other hand, if you are on a budget and looking for a mainstream laptop to help you perform the regular computer tasks, this HP laptop PC could also be a great deal for you as well.<-300x250 Medium Rectangle - center->The unit configured here comes at a price of $750 and it runs on a 2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6570 processor and 2 GB of RAM. The total storage capacity of the hard disk is 250 GB and the graphics card is the Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500 MHD. The unit comes with the preinstalled version of the Windows Vista Business operating system. The dimensions of the unit are 14.6 x 9.83 x 1.25 inches and the total weight of the system is 5.8 lbs. the display measures 15.6 inches in diagonal and it comes at a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels.

The screen has very impressive horizontal viewing angles and the colors plus the levels of brightness and contrast are simply great. The speakers of this HP laptop PC on the other hand, are not that impressive. Even if they are located above the keyboard and the sound is projected straight up, the sound is tiny and there is no bass noticed whatsoever.



The keyboard has to be great because this is a business laptop after all and we all know that business laptops are used for intensive typing. The spacing between the keys is something HP has not quite used up until now. The keys have a matte texture and there is even a dedicated numerical pad which is going to prove itself very useful when it comes to working with data entry and spreadsheets. There is a little bit of flex registered in the keyboard area but it is nothing to disturb you while you are typing. The touchpad is very responsive so it’s ok if you don’t want to attach an external mouse. The only bad aspect here is that you really have to press those left and right touchpad buttons if you want to register any click.



As for the selection of ports and connections, we can tell you that you will be pleased with the 4 USB ports of this laptop that come together with an Ethernet port, a modem jack, the Kensington lock slot, a VGA out, a HDMI port, the Express Card slot, a media card reader and the headphone out and microphone in jacks. Battery life on business laptop will not be important unless they are given out to your sales staff which is always on the go and does not have a power outlet in handy. With the display brightness set to 8-%, the wireless card activated and the Windows Vista power management profile set to “balanced mode”, this laptop managed to stay on for 5 hours and 10 minutes. This score is very impressive for a 15.6 inch laptop.

When it comes to HP laptop computers, there is quite a lot to speak about and it would take a very long article to cover all the important models that HP has launched and used to impress the market.

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The HP Mini 311 is one of those HP laptop computers dedicated to people which are on a budget or are simply looking for a small and very portable unit that they can carry around wherever they go. Let us see a bit more about what this unit has to offer. This mini laptop is based on a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 processor and 1 GB of DDR3 RAM. The total storage capacity of the hard drive is 160 GB. The display measures 11.6 inches in diagonal and it comes at an amazing 1366 x 768 pixels. The unit reviewed here was priced at $400. As for the dimensions of this unit, the laptop comes with 11.4 x 8 x 1.2 inches and a total weight of 3.34 lbs. if the selection of ports and features is your main interest, you should know that this unit comes with 3 USB ports, one HDMI port, one security lock slot, a 4-in-1 media card reader, a VGA out, an Ethernet port and the regular headphones out and microphone in jacks. With the display brightness adjusted to 70% and the wireless card activated, this laptop managed to stay on for 6 hours and 20 minutes of battery life which is pretty ok considering that there are similarly sized and priced notebook that can do a lot worse.

At the other end of the line, we have the elegant and expensive HP Envy 13 which comes at a price of $1925 for the unit reviewed. The unit is based on a 2.13 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SL 9600 processor and 3 GB of DDR3 RAM. The total storage capacity of the hard drive is 250 GB while the graphics card is the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 with 512 MB if video memory and this card is switchable with the integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X 4500M.



The dimensions of this unit are 12.59 x 8.46 x 0.8 inches while the total weight of the unit without the power adapter is 3.75 pounds.  Even if the laptop is not as light as the model we have presented above, it is still an ultra portable unit that comes with a 13.3 inch display. This screen comes with a native resolution of 13665 x 768 pixels. Part of the reasons why this unit is so expensive is all the cool features that you get with this laptop. The unit hosts a Blu-ray optical drive which has yet to become something very common on laptops. Too bad that the selection of ports and connections is simply terrible. This laptop is host to 2 USB ports, one HDMI port, an SD card slot and the regular headphones out and microphone in jacks. All this is completed by 6 hours and 55 minutes of battery life with the display brightness set to 70% and the wireless card activated.