HP Elitebook 2730p
October 05, 2009
www.hp.com
This ultra-light convertible HP laptop is part-tablet, part-phone. It weighs less than five pounds, lasts more than five hours on a charge, has a semi-rugged build and includes unique business-travel features such as business card–reading software and a night light. It is one of the best business tablets on the market.
I held one of these silver, brushed-metal 2730p's in Pat Phelan's car. Its DuraCase anodized aluminum lid and magnesium alloy chassis had already taken a beaten. In fact, it meets military standards (MIL-STD-810F) for altitude, high temperature, vibration, and dust. According to HP, it can operate at temperatures of up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit and withstand 10 grams of dust per cubic meter blown at about 20 miles per hour for 6 hours. It can take a full cup of coffee poured on its keyboard. My brother has taken it into Iraq's tent cities.
This sweet little number lacks a CD or DVD drive. However, you can plug one into one of its USB ports. A biometric fingerprint reader and night light located next to the screen is part of the package, and the system has a nice assortment of connectivity options, including two USB ports, FireWire, VGA, Ethernet, modem, headphone, and microphone. It also has an ExpressCard/54 on the left edge and a SD Card slot on the right. I can run my O2 SIM in this convertible and use it as a messaging device when I buy the optional EVDO/HSPA mobile broadband module. I can send and receive text messages, make GMS voice calls and connect to Skype.
If you get the 80GB SSD instead of hard drive and run it with Windows 7, you will boot up in less than five seconds from a cold power-off mode.