HP set to launch the Compaq 2730p Centrino 2 tablet PC

According to our friends at AVING, HP is set to launch a business-themed tablet PC with Intel's Centrino 2 on-board. The device -- dubbed the Compaq 2730p -- will be an update to the 2710p, and will feature a 12.1-inch WXGA display, a 1.86GHz Core 2 Duo L9400 CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 120GB hard drive, a GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics chipset, and Windows Vista... of course. No word on a price or release date, but plenty of handsome pictures if you hit the read link.

[Thanks, Elais]

[Mike @ Jul 17th 2008 9:56AM]

Seems to look like alot of bloatware on the system tray bar! :P

[kjb434 @ Jul 17th 2008 10:05AM]

That's par for the course for any manufacturer.

Why can't they understand i just want the base operating system?

I always have to cleanout and reinstall...

[Kamokazi @ Jul 17th 2008 10:07AM]

Yeah...which is a little unusual for HP Business laptops. They are generally pretty free of crap, with a rare exception from time to time.

Their consumer ones are pretty trashed though. Not as bad as Lenovo or Sony trashed, but close.

[ntw1103 @ Jul 17th 2008 10:24AM]

An hp with bloatware? .... never lol. I have a tc4200. it came loaded.
The computer looks pretty good to me, but it has intel graphics... Lame.
If Hp released a tablet with a pointer nub and non-intel graphics I would buy it.

[Vinay @ Jul 17th 2008 10:25AM]

That's not the official HP photo. It's the picture of the laptop someone at Aving has owned, probably for a while now.

He/she could have stuffed all the bloatware in it.


Ok, leaving this aside, I hope^2 this thing is equipped with dedicated graphics and an N-Trig-esque dual digitizer with a glass screen.

[Nikoooo @ Jul 17th 2008 9:56AM]

Still no button on the frame around the screen... Come on HP, buttons may be ugly, but they are so useful!!!

[Safeway @ Jul 17th 2008 10:10AM]

Where are the Dell Latitude E-Series laptops?!

HP Business laptops are crazy overpriced when compared to the likes of Lenovo ThinkPads and Dell Latitudes.

[ntw1103 @ Jul 17th 2008 10:27AM]

Actually I have found that Lenovo cost more than HP(at least with their tablets.) the last time I looked. I haven't looked at dell, simply because I don't want one.(again)

[Safeway @ Jul 17th 2008 11:47AM]

I am comparing the IBM T61p to the comparable HP workstation laptop. When you throw in T9300, discrete graphics, and WUXGA, the Latitude is a good $1,000 cheaper.

[thedesolate1 @ Jul 17th 2008 10:12AM]

I wish they released a TX series with these kind of specs and maybe a real gpu... oh and wimax. Here's hoping we get an update during the fall.

[iofthestorm @ Jul 17th 2008 5:06PM]

tx2500z has Radeon 3200 which is almost as powerful as a dedicated GPU.

[Kurian @ Jul 17th 2008 10:27AM]

Looks cool but specs are crap. More overpriced shit.

I hate to admit it but when you compare apples to apples, a Dell/Alienware laptop for $6000 packs a lot more per dollar than almost every other shitty laptop.

[LondonConsultant @ Jul 17th 2008 2:18PM]

Well, I was impressed by 2730p - must use state of the art upscaling.

[Kurian @ Jul 17th 2008 10:27AM]

Looks cool but specs are crap. More overpriced shit.

I hate to admit it but when you compare apples to apples, a Dell/Alienware laptop for $6000 packs a lot more per dollar than almost every other shitty laptop.

[huh @ Jul 17th 2008 10:32AM]

Wow, you guys make a lot of assumptions.

It looks nice and small. how much does it weigh? Battery life? If it's around 3lbs and can support more than 3 hours battery life, it's a winner. Many extra points for having a decent webcam and dual passive/active digitizers.

[FanboyforFangirls @ Jul 17th 2008 10:42AM]

any news on the touch screen capabilities? after all it is a tablet pc..

[roach @ Jul 17th 2008 10:45AM]

HP TC1100 forever!!!...until somebody creates a tablet with similar design and gpu.

[Alexkass @ Jul 17th 2008 10:53AM]

no dual touch like the lenovos, dells, hp pavilion tx series?

crap!

[saq @ Jul 17th 2008 11:28AM]

I too am really interested on estimated battery life on this puppy. The previous model in this series, the 2710p, was a real champ of battery life with its U7600 processor squeaking out just under 8 hours on the standard battery. If they can pull comparable figures with a 1.83ghz processor then I might just sell my Fuji T2010 that does 13 hours for more beef.
Then again I've heard I will be able to take any processor of the right series and shove it in my T2010, so maybe I'll keep it anyways!
The chemically treated tempered glass screen is a REALLY nice touch on the HP 2710p though.

[rothgar @ Jul 17th 2008 11:31AM]

I used a 2710p for a week earlier this month and I must say it is the best tablet I have ever used but I had a few problems with it.

1. Processor was too slow
2. no external buttons when using the device as a tablet
3. no touch pad

This devices fixes the biggest problem I had before and to me that is a very welcome fix.

@huh - The device is very light (especially without the docking CD rom drive) and in the week i used it I only had to charge it about 1/2 a dozen times. Which for a full week that is defiantly a winner to me.

[Ninjakamster (PS360 FTW!) @ Jul 17th 2008 11:48AM]

Interesting because the 2710P used ULV processors (1.06 to 1.33ghz) whereas this uses a L9400, I have never heard of it.

The Montevina ULV processors SU9300 and SU9400 aren't coming out until September, so I guess HP is using a different processor I haven't heard of?

And the clock is much higher as well, can't be ULV.....

[Doug @ Jul 17th 2008 3:11PM]

I think the card in the picture should have said "SL9400". That's the 17w, 1.86 GHz Centrino 2 that will be released in the second wave. So this machine isn't coming out for a few months.

http://news.cnet.com/intel-centrino-2-chips-coming-in-two-waves/?hhTest=1

I for one am happy that this model won't have the lowest-power processor, I hope they traded some of the Centrino 2 lower-power-consumption for some speed.

[Mudkiller @ Jul 17th 2008 12:37PM]

The touch pad and processor bump are nice additions.
I have the 2710p and the things that bother me the most (that don't seem to have been addressed) are the pen slot (pen pops out too easily) and the lack of any face buttons.

[someguy7234 @ Jul 17th 2008 8:15PM]

Does anyone see a stylus in the pictures? Its not that weird looking thing in the corner of the screen is it?

Props on the "outdoor screen" (Does anyone know if thats actually effective? Toughbooks are the only tablets I've seen that are viewable outside)

@Kurian
It's okay you feel like a dumbass for spending craploads on a computer that will be just as obsolete as any other computer in 3 years, you don't have to overcompensate by insulting other computers. I used to do the same thing with my ford truck, till I realized no one gave a crap.

[Brian @ Jul 17th 2008 1:08PM]

Wow, does no-one remember the tx series, it's got way better specs then this thing, it's got buttons around the edge of the screen, an active digitizer and roughly 2.5hrs of battery life.
I'm using one right now to chat it up here.
I've loaded ubuntu on mine with everything working great, way more smooth than running the bloated winblowz (I liked xp so don't flame me saying microsoft is awesome blah blah blah).
This new one seems to have a better screen possibly, but I hardly work outside, so the tx2000 series works for me.

@thedesolate1, seriously what is wrong with Athlon X2 series, 3GB DDR ram and 250GB sata hd? It's out now, it's cheaper than i'm sure this will be and yeah, it's cheap, look on eBay and you can find them for $850-900 now.

[jorvay @ Jul 17th 2008 2:06PM]

I too am using a TX-series right now...and have also been running linux on it (have used both Fedora and Ubuntu). I have to say that this hasn't really been the easiest linux installation of my life (had better luck with fedora initially, but now both are about as simple/hard).

[peter @ Aug 8th 2008 5:15PM]

i got my Compaq at www.consumerdepot.com