Cheap Notebook HP EliteBook 2560p Review

The HP EliteBook 2560p is what HP calls its "pint-sized powerhouse." This business laptop is billed as a travel companion with exceptional build quality, a slim form factor, and a weight of just 3.6 pounds. But can this 12.5-inch durable business notebook perform when you're away from the office?Dell XPS 13 notebook , Read our full review to find out more about HP's smallest and lightest EliteBook.

The 12.5-inch 2560p was designed for the traveling business professional in mind as it is the smallest and lightest in the EliteBook family of notebooks and because it's built with HP's DuraCase technology. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 laptop ,Meaning, this notebook is supposed to hold up against bangs, scratches, bumps, and falls--and prevent things such as display cracks, broken hinges, and hard drive data loss.

The chassis has a hard magnesium alloy as a sturdy support structure and is made to protect the top and bottom of the notebook against the elements.Dell XPS 13 notebook , The display is layered in magnesium and then covered in an anodized aluminum sheet. HP points out that this construction is "50 percent stronger than magnesium alone." The palmrests are brushed with an aluminum finish that helps prevent against scratches, Dell XPS 13 notebook ,and the display's hinges are made of metal alloy with steel pin axels. HP has tested the hinges withstanding power, stating that the notebook can be opened and closed ten times every day for a total of six years or 25,000 cycles.Dell XPS 13 notebook , It's quite impressive that the notebook still weighs in at 3.68 pounds with all of this added material and layering.

When pressing down in the middle of the keyboard, the notebook does not flex under pressure; nor do the palmrests. Dell XPS 13 notebook ,The display lid is similarly firm even though the outside screen surrounds are plastic. dell xps 15 ,The entire bottom outside casing is also plastic but doesn't feel poorly constructed.

The design hasn't changed much from last year--it's still covered in black and silver accents and carries a very professional look without being bland. Simply put,Dell XPS 13 notebook , the silver against black color scheme creates a nice contrast without being too outlandish. The surfaces are also smooth and feel great.

Overall, the build is exceptional and strong and the design is pleasing to the eyes. I have confidence that it will withstand years of bumps, bruises and the occasional mishap. Speaking of mishaps, the 2560p has a shock-mounted hard drive (to help prevent data loss in the event of a drop) and the keyboard is spill resistant. Really, there isn't much at all to complain about, Dell XPS 13 notebook ,but perhaps some users would be slightly put off or concerned that the battery sticks out from the backside. But, this is surely one of the best built and attractively designed 12-inch notebook I've come across.

As we point out in our first look of the newer HP notebooks, the 2560p is the only notebook in the market with an integrated optical drive in this smaller 12.5-inch form factor. Dell XPS 13 notebook ,Our review model didn't come equipped with one, but users have the option of adding a DVD+/-RW SuperMulti or a DVD-ROM optical drive. The port selection the notebook is quite extensive. Since this is meant to be primarily a travel/business notebook, it doesn't have HDMI. It also doesn't have USB 3.0 even though given its cost, it should have. Dell XPS 13 notebook ,What it does have is three USB 2.0 ports in total (one for charging mobile devices), a Smart Card reader, ExpressCard/34, SD/MMC, DisplayPort, eSATA, and a lock slot.

The HP EliteBook 2560p has a 12.5-inch HD anti-glare 720p (1366x768) display with LED backlighting. There aren't any upgrade options for the display. Dell XPS 13 notebook ,The display is of a lower resolution, but then again not many people will be photo/video editing or extensive work where a better resolution is needed while away from the desk, so the lower resolution shouldn't be a determining factor.

Head-on at full brightness, the details of the display appear good enough for getting regular work tasks done. The horizontal viewing angles aren't that good, however, and start to distort images about 5-10 degrees off-center.Dell XPS 13 notebook , The vertical viewing angles are much better; images don't begin to distort until about 25 degrees off center.

The contrast ratio is average to low--we measured it at 196:1 with a peak luminance of 149 nits in the center.Lenovo ThinkPad X1 laptop , This notebook displays acceptable color contrast for what it will primarily be used for.

The 2560p has three speaker grilles, located on the front of the notebook. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 laptop ,The audio is above average for a notebook of this size with a good range of volume at the high, middle and low levels. At a high volume the 2560p should be able to project audio out adequately for a presentation or training. Dell XPS 13 notebook ,At high levels the audio still sounds clear without sounding muffled or distorted.

Although, we had a few problems with the the location of the speakers. hp dv7 ,When the speakers are set on the front edge of the notebook instead of near the top of the keyboard, sound doesn't reach the ears as well because the audio doesn't project outward as it should. The placement also allowed me to feel the audio being played on the palmrests at higher volume levels. Dell XPS 13 notebook ,It's extremely distracting to feel the vibrations of the speakers when audio is playing; even in the middle volume range the speakers create subtle but noticeable vibrations through the palmrests.

The HP EliteBook 2560p has a Chiclet-style keyboard with extra spacing between the keys to help with key flow and travel. The keys are flat and have a textured feel to them. Key travel and throw are excellent; it's generally very easy to type with and is a quite comfortable experience. Dell XPS 13 notebook ,The support structure in the chassis prevents the keyboard from flexing under heavy typing pressure.

There are many keyboard features included with the 2560p. The first is a keyboard light located above the display; click the lightbulb button once to open it for use in dark rooms where there either isn't any light available or in situations where you don't want to bother the person next to you. Dell XPS 13 notebook ,It's small, but it is bright enough to lend a hand in dark places.Lenovo ThinkPad X1 laptop , Other features include a pointstick in the center of the keyboard, Wi-Fi, browser launch and mute quick keys in the upper-right, and a fingerprint reader on the bottom-right.

The only complaint I have about the keyboard is that the page up, page down, end, Lenovo ThinkPad X1 laptop ,and home keys are set on the up/down and left/right arrows. Users must press the function key to use them, which may be a turn-off for frequent users of them.

The Synaptics touchpad is quite small--meaning if you want to move the cursor from one end of the screen to the other, it'll take more time than it usually does (even if the pointer speed is set to very fast). Lenovo ThinkPad X1 laptop ,The surface of the touchpad is very smooth and creates an enjoyable experience that will still be enjoyable even when there's moisture on your fingers.Lenovo ThinkPad X1 laptop , The size of the touchpad is an issue, but if you turn the pointer speed up it shouldn't be a big issue. That being said, the touchpad is above average for notebooks of this size because of its texture; it improves its ease of use.