Opinions Needed: HP EliteBook 8440p or 8540p for Work

WagsFTWWagsFTW Grand Rapids, MI Icrontian
edited September 2012 in Hardware
Getting a laptop for work, and here are 2 of my choices from IT:

HP Elitebook 8440p

or

HP Elitebook 8540p

I'm leaning towards the first option since it is a little smaller and lighter for travel, and I have a large monitor for at work anyway. Thoughts to reaffirm?

Comments

  • TushonTushon I'm scared, Coach Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    If it is just for work, I would focus on: can it get the job done? Can it weigh less (for travel)?, exactly as you stated. If your job doesn't require the extra that is provided with the version up, go with the 8440p
  • RootWyrmRootWyrm Icrontian
    Having had my hands on both of them:
    I don't know that I could recommend EITHER of them in good faith, especially for records management. They BOTH have a horrible 1600x900 LCD display. (Though the 8540p is slightly less horrible.) Both of them are just awful for dense text display, unfortunately. The BEST display for dense text is either the HP Envy's 1920x1080 panels or the DreamColor (no, really) - but yeah, DreamColor's a $1000 add on to a model that starts at $2.4K.

    I'm gonna go out on a limb here, and presume you can request any HP model within budget. I'm also going to presume you don't actually need a professional CAD card in there (both those models have Quadros.) To that end, I would see if they are willing to get you an HP EliteBook 8470p. It's cheap. The 1600x900 14" display is less terribad. It's 4.56lbs. It can be configured with a Radeon HD7570M, which is shedloads cheaper than Quadro. And the rest of the specs match or beat both the 8440p and 8540p.
  • TushonTushon I'm scared, Coach Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    I didn't go out on a limb, because she specified "these are my two choices", but I could have interpreted that incorrectly. Maybe its not the screen she wants, but the one she deserves

    /slinksawayintothenight
  • RootWyrmRootWyrm Icrontian
    Tushon said:

    I didn't go out on a limb, because she specified "these are my two choices", but I could have interpreted that incorrectly. Maybe its not the screen she wants, but the one she deserves

    /slinksawayintothenight

    *glare*

    Also:
    WagsFTW said:

    here are 2 of my choices from IT:

    >there are more than two options.
    Honestly, HP's probably going to be the best bet no matter what the other choices are - competitor LCDs are WAY worse by and large. (Unless you can get a Fujitsu. Mmm, Fujitsu convertible...) Since Wags is in records management, I'm presuming - hopefully not in error - that dense text display occurs more than it doesn't.
    So I'm guessing she's more or less looking for the same type of displays that I am, but in a form she can stand to carry around as opposed to my relentless demands for more power and memory with no regards for weight.
  • WagsFTWWagsFTW Grand Rapids, MI Icrontian
    I was given 3 options. The third was an HP Elitebook 2540p, which looks like a child's toy at a 12" display and only 3.4 lbs. I didn't even bother adding that into the options to ask my "techy" friends. @Tushon was correct in only looking at those options to help reaffirm my gut instinct on what I want to get out of those 2 options. Working for a gigantic corporation, I am not given many options, especially when it comes to hardware and software. We are provided what they decide to give us. I still think it looks like a decent laptop. Sure beats the 5 year old ones I've had to use previously on loan for travel. Yuck.
  • RootWyrmRootWyrm Icrontian
    edited September 2012
    Yeah, the 2540p will make you super extra miserable. It is a toy. The CONVERTIBLE 12" one they used to make with the stylus? THAT one is freaking awesome and I KNOW you would love it. (But that one is also NOT the 2540p.)

    Usually the big shops have some wiggle room provided a model's within a range; kinda surprised they don't have the 8470p since it's more or less the CHEAPER version of the 8540p and will basically eat an 8450p corp load with one driver change. (ESPECIALLY given the 8450p with Quadro is a freaking monster AND much more expensive.) I would still give it an ask; worst they can do is say "nope, no way." Maybe you can get lucky and get them to add a fourth option for folks who don't need Quadro.

    But yeah. They're both solid laptops, arguably vastly overpowered for your requirements, very reliable and sturdy. But the 8540p's going to definitely have the better display of the two. And it's going to be a very noticeable difference too.

    (And pretend I don't keep transposing the 4 and 5 in 8540p. :P)
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