I was comparing this with the HP ProBook 4530s - the big differences were - Docking station, SIM CARD slot and the i5 processor + Windows 7 Professional 64 bit.
I have been working with this computer for ~5 months since I have one at work provided by the company.
I love it. I have seen it perform very well using multiple resource hungry applications and it is fast.
To my surprise, although the SIM card slot is there, when you open it up there is no SIM card reader installed - it is a separate module which could be acquired on eb** for ~$100.
This applies only for the HP 8460p XU057UT . There are different part numbers/models (XU057UT) with different specifications and prices. So do your research before purchasing
These were my first impressions. Now in detail:
The good:
-I love the keyboard and the spacing between the keys.
-The touchpad is big and it has a small golden "spot" which if you double tap, it disables the touchpad.
-QuickWeb - This computer has a minimal OS built in one of the partitions which means that when the computer is shut down, if you touch the key between the wireless hardware switch and the mute button, it will start the computer with a linux based OS that is very fast and it gives you almost instant access to a web browser and skype. Yes, it allows you to connect wireless - that is how you get online. The quickweb button looks like a globe and in windows will open the default browser.
-The aluminium case is nicely built and it feels nice,looks elegant.
-Windows 7 Professional 64 bit edition. You can install xp mode.
-Camera is nice and it works fine.
-Docking port on the bottom - I am using it with an external monitor and keyboard and occasionally take it with me on the road every now and then. The docking port will set you ~135 off here at amazon
-The ability of installing an extra HDD in the Optical Drive bay.
-Easy to open cover on the bottom for upgrades using the battery cover
-Up to 8 Gigs of memory easy to install.
Almost forgot to mention - this thing comes with a western digital 320 gb so if you plan on installing an SSD - my work computer has an SSD and the difference is huge.- so the software that comes with windows which you'd use to create a system image asks you for a hard drive equal in size or larger - an ssd 300 GB is ~$ 600 and up Or you can get a retail windows license and a smaller SSD. Probably System Builder disk/OEM win 7 would do you fine. note to note - if you install windows 7 from scratch or you format the hard drive and remove the partitions, you will lose the quickweb feature as it resides in the partition _HP Tools.
-Comes with a lot bundled software - some of it useful some not so, depends on your needs - you can uninstall the one you do not need. I like the hard disk encryption and fingerprint reader plus the HP assistant will update all the drivers for you.
-Counterstrike Source is playable with the integrated HD3000 Intel graphics if you lower the graphic settings. This does not mean you can get it for gaming. You can do very very light gaming.
And the fan will start screaming and the laptopwill get warmer - not really hot on the right upper side of the keyboard where the chipset and processor are.
-Sandybridge implementation: This baby has USB 3.0 ports. 3 of them and an esata port.
-Has a DVD writer combo which is fine - the usual.
-Onboard sound is ok.
The bad:
-The touchpad keys look like they are not lining up perfectly.
-The screen is not so great but on the other hand is a matte screen.
-The keyboard light does not provide enough light for you to see all the keys. Not a big deal to me as I touch type.
-I still can't get over the fact that HP did not include some useful disk creation software that would not have this limitation(equal or larger HDD). Or create the installation disks for the OS.You get disks with the drivers and software they provide. Not the OS disc.
I hope this review is useful to you. If you have any questions, post a comment and I will get back to you.
