I just got a HP 6910p, which is HP's 14.1" premier business laptop range. It was toss between a Lenevo T61 or HP 6910p, in the end the 6910p edge out since there where no T61 14.1" available locally that had WXGA+ (1440x900) resolution and a 7200 rpm hard disk. I will be comparing the 6910p with my current and previous laptops which are: HP nx8220, HP dv6000, HP zx5000, IBM G40 and Toshiba *forgot the model*. I got a few laptops that are HP, not that I am a fan of HP its just a coincidence due to the circumstances at the time of purchase such as with the 6910p where the T61 models was not available locally.
HP6910p specs: GU42pa
CPU: Intel C2D T7700 2.4Ghz 4MB L2 Cache
OS: MS Vista Business 32/64bit
RAM: 2x1024MB DDR2-667 (2GB Total; expandable to 4GB)
Display: 14.1” WXGA+ 1440x900 Anti-glare 200nit
GPU: ATi X2300 w/128MB Dedicated DDR3 RAM
HDD: 120GB 7200rpm
Optical Drive: MultiBay II DVD SM DL
Battery: 6 cell Li-Ion 55WHr
Wireless: Intel Pro/Wireless 4965 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth, Infrared, Vodafone 3G Broadband
Weight: 2.30kg w/6 cell and Multibay II DVD SM DL drive
2.15kg w/6 cell and weight saver
Dimensions: 330x240x33-40mm WxDxH (front-back)
Ports/slots: 3xUSB 2.0; MultiBay II; 10/100/1000 Lan; Modem; S-Video out; VGA out; Firewire; Audio in; Audio out; internal microphone; SD/MMC card reader; Smart Card Reader; Type I/II PC Card Reader; SIM card slot; Docking connector; Second battery connector.
Other: Finger print reader, Touch stick with 2 buttons, Touch pad with 2 buttons, Volume up – down, Volume mute, Presentation, Wireless, HP Info Centre touch sensitive buttons.
Design and Build
The 6910p does not have a flashy design, some people may not like it as its just shades of gun metal gray and black. Some people like me do like the low-key design and gives the laptop a very professional look. The design is very similar to the nx8220, as some of my office mates could not tell the difference which is the newer laptop among the two. For me I like the design of the 6910p compared to a T61 which has an off-center screen and 6 cell battery that is not flushed.
The build quality is very good, on par with the best laptop quality builds like the Thinkpad T-series. This laptop is solid, no chassis flex and LCD panel flex under normal use. I can carry the laptop one corner w/o flex or creaks.
Keyboard and Pointing device
The keyboard is a fullsize one, like the build quality it is on par with the best laptop keyboards in the market. I don't have a long term experience with a Thinkpad, so I don't know if its better or worse than a Thinkpad keyboard as for me its just has a different feel. There is some flex near the enter key, however its minimal and does not flex under normal typing. I need to push the area to see the flex. Coming from a nx8220 laptop, I welcome the bigger keys that the 6910p have. I don't like where the home, pgup, pgdn and end are placed as they are lined up vertically at the right side. I still prefer the nx8220 layout that is similar to a desktop keyboard where its clustered near the backspace in 2 rows. I guess its better for me, as my other laptop is a dv6000 which has an identical layout.
I always liked the touchpad of the nx8220. Its deep and skewed to the left, so I don't accidentally touch it while typing. Unlike my dv6000 and zx5000, their touchpad have no borders and centered on the laptop which makes it a constant pain of jumping mouse pointer. I also like the the touchpad surface as its not too slippery. The 6910p also comes with a track point, which I can say is not as good the Thinkpads. Its stiff and I don't have the option of using a different cover, it only comes with a flat top rubber cover.
Screen
The screen is 14.1" WXGA+ (1440x900) matte (non-glossy) which is rated 200 nit brightness. It is certainly better than the nx8220 screen, because nx8220 has a poor screen. I don't think its a good screen, its probably somewhere in the middle of the pack. The dv6000 and even the older zx5000 has better screens, then again the 6910p is a business laptop and not a multimedia laptop. Horizontal and vertical viewing angles are decent, there is noting to write about and noting to complain about. The LCD panel seems to be made by Chi Mei Optoelectronics, as it identified as cmo.
Sound
The sound for the 6910p is pretty good, but its not exceptional. I can confirm what the other reviews on notebookreview.com that the 2 speakers are located on the right of the laptop, so it looks like the speaker screen on the left is just for vent and looks. The sound quality is pretty good, not as good as dv6000 altec lansing or zx5000 harman kardon but good enough for presentation. The amount of bass is alright for a small speaker, unlike some Asus laptop speakers which are really poor.
Summary
Overall the 6910p is a very good laptop, its got the punch of the bigger laptops in terms of cpu (T7700) and harddisk (7200rpm) speed. It sacrifices the video performance (amd/ati x2300) for the mobility (2.3 kgs). Its build quality is one of the best which should last the daily travel and its a pleasure to use as you feel the quality in the keyboard, hinges, etc.
A more detailed review of 6910p can be seen here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=140343
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3960
I will try to post details of running Linux on the 6910p in a few days.
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