Review: HP 2210p

Notebook manufacturers are always balancing performance & weight of their notebooks in the quest for thin and light notebooks. Some like Fujitsu has many ranges of light yet powerful notebook but expensive. HP came out a good contender for the thin and light arena, its HP 2210p.

HP has dropped its NC series for a numerical identification for its notebooks and only time will tell if this move does contribute business value. The pictured 12.1" model is powered by the Intel Core 2 Duo T7300 (2MB L2 Cache), has 1 GB DDR2-667 RAM, 80GB hard disk running at 5400rpm. Users can use its combo drive to burn CDs though a DVD+-RW will be better. A 4-cell battery, 3 USB ports, fingerprint reader, Bluetooth & intel 802.11a/b/g wireless top up this deal and backing all these is the friendly HP warranty of 3 years parts and labour carry-in. This model weighs in at 1.68kg

One good thing about HP carry-in is you can drop/collect it at any nearest singpost office (Available for those living in Singapore only). The only other manufacturer that makes such an arrangement is IBM. Other manufacturers require a visit to their service centers where could be out of place for someone who do not drive. This is also one of the earlier models of light notebooks (2kg and below) that comes with its built-in optical drive. Others like the IBM X61 and Apple Mac book air uses a external drive which may be cumbersome to use.

The full size keyboard is good for typing but users be warn, users with fat fingers may be at an disadvantage as its key spacings can be quite close for some. Its Intel X3100 graphics is so-so but good enough for office use with the occasional engineering drawings viewing.

The pictured model retails at S$2,300 (w/o GST) which is quite affordable. A lady best friend without breaking the piggy bank....