HP Compaq nc8000 series

The retro styling of HP Compaq's business-oriented nc8000 notebooks may not appeal to everyone, but the speed, endurance, and sturdiness of these laptops certainly will. The nc8000 series also adds firmware security to keep out the bad guys and keep prying eyes away from your data. If you can get by the less-than-stellar pointer controls, you'll love the keyboard and the overall experience. We think the nc8000 is on a par with our other Editors' Choice, the Dell Latitude D800.With a slightly retro, art-deco look and rather ponderous, 12.8-by10.8-by-1.6-inch (W/D/H) dimensions, the HP Compaq nc8000 desktop may strike some as chunky--but only before they sit down to use one. The impression of stubbiness will quickly morph into an appreciation for this solid-feeling notebook. The deck area supporting the keyboard, which exhibits too much flex on many notebooks, feels firm on the nc8000. In turn, this makes typing on the full-size, nicely laid-out keyboard feel just like you're sitting in front of a desktop PC. But as solid as it feels, the nc8000 still weighs only about 7.5 pounds with the optical drive and the AC adapter.Perhaps after spending so much time creating a superior typing experience, HP Compaq's designers ran out of time. Whatever the reason, the unit's pointer controls are a disappointment. The touchpad is slugglish, and the eraser head requires too much pressure; the top pair of selection buttons feels flimsy; and the bottom pair of selection buttons is stiff.On the plus side, the nc8000 ran nearly cool to the touch in our hands, with only a little heat emanating from the middle of the bottom panel during our full-on graphics testing on AC power. The nc8000 also has above-average sound, with the front-edge-mounted speakers producing a surprising amount of volume and lower midrange. It's no boombox, but it's better than average for a notebook, and it's loud enough for tabletop presentations.

The standard array of connectors lines the edges of the nc8000: on the front, audio mute and volume controls; on the right, audio in/out jacks, dual Type II PC Card slots, an SD memory slot, and a modem port; on the left, a modular drive bay; and on the back, Gigabit Ethernet, VGA, parallel, PS/2, serial, AC jack, mini-FireWire, and USB 2.0 ports.

The nc8000 is currently sold in four preconfigured models, ranging from $2,049 to $2,849; however, you may season to taste with a variety of options: an Intel Pentium M processor from 1.4GHz to 1.7GHz; 256MB to 2,048MB of 333MHz DDR memory; 40GB or 60GB 5,400rpm hard drives; and a 15-inch screen with your choice of native resolution: 1,024x768 XGA; 1,400x1,050 SXGA+; or 1,600x1,200 UXGA (the latter two displays offer wide viewing angles). An ATI Radeon 9600 Mobility, with your choice of 64MB or 128MB of graphics memory, packs enough punch for all but the most avid gamers.

HP Compaq also markets an nw8000 as part of this line, with the main difference being the GPU. The nw8000 features ATI's Fire GL T2 OpenGL-certified graphics processor with 128MB of dedicated graphics memory.

Modules for the nc8000's left-mounted HP MultiBay (also found on the smaller nc6000) include a DVD+RW drive, a 24X/10X/24X+8X CD-RW/DVD combo drive, a 24X CD-RW drive, a 8X DVD-ROM drive, a 24X CD-ROM drive, a second battery ($169), a second hard drive, and a floppy drive. Wireless options include 802.11b/a/g and Bluetooth.

The nc8000 also features HP Protect Tools Embedded Security, a rather lengthy moniker for a security solution that includes firmware, software, and smart-card components. Advanced user verification and file encryption are its two main features.

The nc8000 comes preloaded with Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Windows 2000 for its operating system. The software utility bundle includes HP Compaq's Insight Management Agents, Intelligent Manageability Diagnostics for Windows, a plethora of user documentation, and Adobe's Acrobat Reader for displaying the system documentation.

The HP nc8000 came in second place in mobile performance in our latest roundup of mainstream systems. Hot on its heels was the Toshiba Tecra T1, which came in just two points lower than the HP nc8000. The IBM ThinkPad T41 was the winner, scoring nine points higher than the HP nc8000. In real-world terms, however, this is a very small difference that wouldn't translate to any noticeable performance gap between the two, since they both scored high. The HP nc8000 definitely has what it takes to run office and content-creation apps at a fast clip.

System configurations:

HP Compaq nc8000
Windows XP Professional; 1.6GHz Intel Pentium M; 512MB DDR SDRAM 333MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 32MB; Toshiba MK6022GAX 60GB 5,400rpm

IBM ThinkPad T41
Windows XP Professional; 1.6GHz Intel Pentium M; 512MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 32MB; IBM Travelstar 40GN 40GB 5,400rpm

Toshiba Tecra M1
Windows XP Professional; 1.6GHz Intel Pentium M; 512MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; Trident Video Accelerator Cyber-X P4 32MB; Toshiba MK6022GAX 60GB 5,400rpm

The HP Compaq nc8000 is a top performer in battery life. Thanks to its 14.4V, 4,400mAh (63WHr) battery, the system lasted much more than five hours, delivering one of the best single battery scores from a mainstream system we've seen. Neither the IBM ThinkPad T41, with its 10.8V, 4.400mAh (48WHr) battery, nor the Toshiba Tecra M1 could stand up to the power of the HP Compaq nc8000's cell. For a mainstream notebook--or any notebook for that matter--this great battery life is something most users will appreciate.

HP Compaq Tablet PC TC1100

HP juiced up its new Compaq Tablet PC TC1100 today, adding many of the improvements we sought in the old TC1000. Upgrades include a 1GHz Pentium M processor, which leads to better performance and longer battery life; a battery-free writing stylus; and sturdier hinges and latches. Thankfully, HP didn't change the tablet's basic design: at 3.1 pounds, it's still small and easy to tote. Although a few quirks remain in the form of a small, snap-on keyboard and a costly docking station, the TC1100 stands as one of the best tablets available for both home and business users.The 3.1-pound, 10.8-by-8.3-by-0.8-inch Compaq Tablet PC TC1100 is one of the smallest and lightest slate-design tablets available. Clip on the 1-pound, detachable keyboard, and it resembles a 4.1-pound ultralight laptop with a twist: the tablet rotates 180 degrees, allowing others to view presentations without having to turn the whole system around. The keyboard can also twist and hide behind the tablet, and the entire setup snaps into a 7.2-pound docking station/monitor stand that features a swappable bay for secondary storage drives. Unfortunately, the detachable keyboard will cramp your style, but you can always attach a full-size keyboard into a USB 2.0 port on the tablet or the docking station. And if you plan to write and tap on the screen with only the stylus, you can leave the small keyboard behind.

The keys are cramped on the detachable keyboard.
When the tablet is sitting in the dock, you can swivel it between Landscape and Portrait modes while the operating system automatically adjusts the screen image. Unfortunately, although the dock is handy, it will set you back an extra $299.

The Compaq Tablet PC TC1100 retains the handy ports, slots, and buttons offered by its predecessor: two USB 2.0 ports, a VGA port, one Type II PC Card slot, a Secure Digital slot, three programmable buttons, three audio jacks, and a wheel on the tablet that lets you scroll through menus and documents. The docking station provides additional connectivity, including three more USB 2.0 ports. The tablet also includes a battery-free variation on the previous model's writing stylus--much handier. We're happy to find that the Compaq Tablet PC TC1100's various hinges and latches feel sturdier than those of in its earlier iteration.HP gave the Compaq Tablet PC TC1100 a much-needed component boost, resulting in this significantly faster and longer-lasting tablet. When you buy, you can choose either a 1GHz Pentium M or an 800MHz Celeron processor; a 32MB Nvidia GeForce4 Go 420 graphics chip; a 30GB or 40GB hard drive; and from 256MB to 2GB of fast 333MHz DDR SDRAM. With Intel's 855PM chipset and Pro/Wireless 802.11b mini-PCI card, the TC1100 qualifies as an official Centrino.

Our test configuration, featuring a 1GHz Pentium M, 512MB of memory, and a 40GB hard drive, performed more than twice as fast as the previous model did in CNET Labs' tests. The Pentium M's power-saving capabilities also lent a hand with the Compaq's battery life, helping it last 34 minutes longer than its predecessor.

The Compaq Tablet PC TC1100 features more software than its older sibling, including a few useful tablet PC apps, such as Corel Grafigo for tasks such as sketching and annotating, plus a trial version of FranklinCovey's TabletPlanner--personal organizer software that's designed specifically for tablets. HP also bundles its useful QMenu program for manipulating system settings, as well as Roxio Easy CD & DVD Creator for those who have purchased an optional CD-RW or DVD/CD-RW drive. The operating system remains Windows XP Tablet PC Edition.The Compaq Tablet PC TC1100 delivered good performance in our tests, earning it second place in this small tablet test group. But the Acer TravelMate C110--even with its slower 900MHz Pentium M processor--still beat the Compaq by nine points. The Gateway Tablet PC's score, the lowest in this test group, was undoubtedly hurt by its lesser amount of RAM. In short, the Compaq Tablet PC TC1100's performance while running office and content-creation apps will satisfy most users.

System configurations:

Acer TravelMate C110 Tablet
Windows XP Tablet; 900MHz Intel Pentium M; 512MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; Intel 82852/92855 GM/GME Graphics Controller (up to 64MB shared); IBM Travelstar 40GB 40GN 4,200rpm

Gateway Tablet PC
Windows XP Tablet; 1GHz Intel Pentium M; 256MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; Intel 82852/82855 GM/GME Graphics Controller (up to 64MB shared); Hitachi DK23EA-40 4,200rpm

HP Compaq Tablet PC TC1100
Windows XP Tablet; 1GHz Intel Pentium M; 512MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; Nvidia GeForce4 420 Go 32MB; Fujitsu MHT2040AT 40GB 4,200rpmThanks to its 11.1V, 3,600mAh (40WHr) battery, the Compaq Tablet PC TC1100 achieved very long life, clocking in at nearly 4 hours. The Gateway Tablet PC was only a few minutes behind it--not surprising, considering its battery is the same size as the Compaq's. The Acer TravelMate C110 Tablet, with a smaller battery, came in a distant third, clocking in at 2 hours, 17 minutes. In other words, the Compaq Tablet PC TC1100 offers great battery life--a must for a tablet PC--when running office and content-creation apps.