HP EliteBook 8730w gets the hands-on treatment

HP's touting the DreamColor display in its new Centrino 2 / NVIDIA Quadro FX 3700-powered EliteBook 8730w as being one of the best displays on the market, and if the crew at Maximum PC is to be believed, the $400 option lives up to the hype. Other notable bits included the Durakey keyboard coating, which should protect against wear and tear for three years, and the semi-rugged chassis that can withstand short falls. Sadly, all these features bump the starting price from a reasonable $1,700 to over five large, but you get what you pay for, it seems -- check out tons more pics at the read link.

[Cameron @ Aug 13th 2008 10:45PM]

If you were to build a desktop you'd have a $800 PC... Why are they charging so much for a battery and a screen?

[GatgetMan @ Aug 13th 2008 11:07PM]

"these features bump the starting price from a reasonable $1,700 to over five large"

Isn't that what adding 2GB of ram to a MacBook Pro raises it to?

[THJ @ Aug 13th 2008 11:15PM]

Now it's 200$ for the 4 gig upgrade. Still 100$ more than it should be, but not as ridiculous as it had been.

[Cameron @ Aug 13th 2008 11:28PM]

Well yes but there has to be a scientific explanation.

[The Dude @ Aug 13th 2008 10:49PM]

Of all the movies to demonstrate the DreamColor display, Maximum PC choses an animated one. And an awful movie, at that. Thanks guys.

[Stetson @ Aug 13th 2008 10:51PM]

Wow, a laptop with something other than just a trackpad! It's amazing! And it looks like it may just have gotten away with not having a glossy screen as well!

[kuade @ Aug 13th 2008 10:56PM]

you suck at life

[kuade @ Aug 13th 2008 10:56PM]

where have you been the past 20 years?

[GatgetMan @ Aug 13th 2008 11:06PM]

Can I have your autograph?

[Dharun @ Aug 13th 2008 11:15PM]

WOW it can handle playing a Simpsons video!!!

[kojo87 @ Aug 13th 2008 11:30PM]

so three years from now this computer will be pretty close to obsolete but at least the keyboard will be good as new!

[Nintenboy @ Aug 13th 2008 11:44PM]

Congrats! Lets take a picture :D

[BobTurbo @ Aug 13th 2008 11:56PM]

I wouldn't buy anything from HP - their service is terrible, they are overpriced, and their printers have traditionally come with 'printer software' that makes viruses look tame.

[jimbo.jones.2009 @ Aug 14th 2008 12:01AM]

I just bought a 300 dollar desktop to compliment my ok laptop. with a 22 inch screen, 500gb external, tv tuner, external burner, firewire handycam, external one male plug to my little hi-fi, wireless keyboard; it's all about having 2 computers. one dedicated work, and one for dedicated fun!

Death to the steep, up with the EEE!

[Totalfixation @ Aug 14th 2008 12:23AM]

why am i drooling over this? i really like the design, very basic but also sheik and sleek.

[gps @ Aug 14th 2008 12:59AM]

I have the predecessor to this laptop, the 8710W, and it is one hell of a machine! Everyone who has every used it immediately agrees that it is pretty much the best laptop ever made. It's expensive as hell, but damn does it rock.

Can't wait to pick up one of these babies. Bad ass!

[Oscar J @ Aug 14th 2008 3:00AM]

I'm sitting here with an 8710w, and I'm not all head over heels about it. It's a good computer when you don't have to carry it and once your eyes have adjusted to its 1920x1200 resolution on a 17" screen. The trackpoint sucks though, a lot of people using it will probably think that all trackpoints are this bad. It's not at all like when I get the then brand-new Thinkpad T20, that was a machine to fall in love with. The best machine I ever had.

[Lancelot @ Aug 14th 2008 1:03AM]

Hard to appreciate any notebook that could sell for over $5,000 when you consider the current state of the economy. Until I'm certain that a recession isn't just around the corner a major purchase like this is currently beyond consideration.
I wonder how many others feel the same way..

[Sean D. @ Aug 14th 2008 1:07AM]

Because of my great experience with HP nw8440 (which I still love), I'd buy another HP laptop in a heartbeat... But still no DVI port? What's with the DB15, HP? That's oldschool. Besides, my Cintiq prefers a DVI port.

well, at least it has HDMI...

[Totalfixation @ Aug 14th 2008 2:06AM]

VGA is practically standard, and if it supports Hdmi, it doesn't make sense to have DVI, when you can get an HDMI to DVI adapter.

[Maff @ Aug 14th 2008 2:16AM]

Why is there 3 Barts and 2 Homers on the image?
is it the PC playing up? ;)

[bongo123 @ Aug 14th 2008 5:07AM]

oooo my company is due to replace my aging dell M90 soon, when does this thing hit the UK?

[werhok @ Aug 14th 2008 12:58PM]

in hell