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GBM InkShow: HP Elitebook 2740p

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The HP Elitebook 2740p looks almost exactly the same as its predecessors, but its multi-touch display and faster processors will make a lot of people smile. I got a chance to take a look at the 2740p and shot a quick video of the new tablet.

The Elitebook 2740p will ship with a choice of Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors, which means you’ll be able to crunch a lot of data with this 12″ tablet. HP is boasting “up to” 11 hours of battery life with an extended battery, but your mileage will vary, especially if you opt for the 2.66GHz Core i7 processor and crank up the display. Warner Crocker already detailed the 2740p’s specifications here if you’re interested in more details.

GBM InkShows are sponsored by MobileDemand, makers of Rugged Tablet PCs.

The 2740p comes standard Wacom digitizer that can recognize two fingers at a time or a pen. Inking felt exactly the same on the 2740p as it does on the 2730p.There still aren’t a ton of productivity applications that need multi-touch, but being able to tap at the display without a pen sure is nice. If you like the 2730p, you’ll love the 2740p.

The webcam and keyboard light have a slightly more modern look. The light now pops out when pressed rather instead of relying on a separate latch.  HP’s added Displayport and eSATA ports to the 12″ tablet dock. All batteries, docks and accessories will work with the 2730p and 2710p.

26 Comments

26 Comments

  1. GoodThings2Life

    03/01/2010 at 7:38 pm

    Yeah, this is definitely on my immediate buy list. :) I love my 2730p, but every day at least once or twice I wish I could touch icons to launch them or navigate around… now I can.

    • Xavier Lanier

      03/01/2010 at 8:06 pm

      I’m sure you’ll like it. Let us know the specifics of what you think of it.

  2. Absolutely NoOne

    03/01/2010 at 8:48 pm

    Wow… just what I was looking for before I got the TX2… better than a Fujitsu 4310 and cheaper. But it’s still SO DANG EXPENSIVE! But that’s the business line for you.

    Drool

  3. sbtablet

    03/01/2010 at 9:27 pm

    Dang, Xavier! You made me get drool all over my poor Dell XT!

  4. Darren

    03/02/2010 at 12:19 am

    So, how does the 2740p compare with the x201T? Time for another GBM shootout? :)

  5. Harry

    03/02/2010 at 6:09 am

    Hey Xavier! Thanx for throwing that TC 1100 comment in there! Got anything to share with us on the slate front?

    Just a big: “no I can’t tell you anything about the great new HP slate and the fantastic CPU & GPU combo, unbelievable battery life and backwards compatibility with the TC 1100 docking station and superslim design / low price etc.” would be great…!:) Wont interfere with that NDA now would it?

    Keep up the great work!

  6. Stok Guru

    03/02/2010 at 9:15 am

    I wud second Darren’s comment. I am planning to replace my TC4400 and was trying to make up my mind between X201T and TM2 or now 2740p. It wud be nice if u guys can have a hands on comparison b/n these 3 tablets.

  7. mike

    03/02/2010 at 4:27 pm

    the real question is have they fixed the calibration problems with 2740p I love my 2730p but as an artist I the calibration can sometimes be downright annoying

  8. Eve

    03/02/2010 at 8:56 pm

    calibration problems? I hope not. As an artist myself I was getting psyched at the notion of a tablet pc with active digitizer that doesn’t crash in Photoshop. my Fujitsu t2010’s processor is too slow and I’m really looking forward to a lightweight tablet with a faster one as my next upgrade. It’ll be awhile till it’s in the budget though. :/

    • mike

      03/02/2010 at 11:48 pm

      yes, calibration problems. Every tablet gets bad around the edges but forsome reason the 27XX series cursor tends to drift as if being sucked to the corner. its not so bad though if you learn to follow the cursor but still.. . . .

    • Xavier Lanier

      03/03/2010 at 11:57 pm

      Keep in mind this is a pre-production unit/engineering sample. I did notice some tracking issues, but a reboot did help. Hopefully we’ll get our hands on a production level unit soon.

  9. Steven

    03/03/2010 at 9:00 am

    I still think the keyboard should be lighted from the back. Why not a backlit keyboard with a light sensor?

    • Xavier Lanier

      03/04/2010 at 12:03 am

      Good point- I think every keyboard should be backlit :-) I believe backlit keyboards are a rarity because HP, Lenovo, etc. are concerned with durability features on these machines. Big IT departments probably prefer spill-resistance and ruggedness over pretty lights. Business-grade notebook keyboards have to be durable enough so that they look relatively new when they’re passed on to new employees. Now that I think of it, just about notebook with a backlit keyboard is aimed at consumers or gamers.

  10. remo26

    03/04/2010 at 12:34 am

    I am planning to buy this machine. I was convinced when the 2730p came out, but not ready to purchase. The one question that I can’t seem to find anything about is the outdoor screen option. Is it a layer overlay? Does it work? Does it make the screen appear milky? Does it affect touch/pen sensitivity? I know the 2730p shootout compared screens with other models, but that was the standard screen option. Any comments would be helpful.

    Xavier, how was the glare on the test model you handled? Did you try it in direct sunlight?

    • Xavier Lanier

      03/04/2010 at 1:31 am

      The 2730p I use has an outdoor display and it looks just fine in most lighting conditions. There are two things that make the display capable of being used outdoors: High brightness and the matte finish. It doesn’t look milky, but there are some compromises with it. Cranking up the brightness when outdoor of course taxes your battery life. It’s also not some would consider a “real” outdoor display like you’ll find on products like the Toshiba Portege R600. The R600 and a few other very expensive PCs use transflective displays that can be read outdoors on the sunniest of days. The finish and digitizers are identical on the standard/outdoor displays.

      I was using the 2740p at about 6pm so it was already dark out. No problem using it around a bunch of lights though.

  11. Mike Reilly

    03/04/2010 at 6:54 pm

    Xavier,
    Why would anyone put an Intel i7 into a computer, and then only use the lame intel graphics? I don’t understand. I had the HP 2730p, but it was too heavy for field construction inspections(my carrying hand went numb), and a bit too big for meetings, and it wouldn’t last very long, so I sold it.
    The 2740p is tempting me, because I could put cad on it, but how do I drive a 30″ monitor (which I can’t afford yet), or even two 24″ monitors, with this computer.

    • Xavier Lanier

      03/16/2010 at 5:21 pm

      Daniel, there’s a DVI connection in the docking station if you need it. The low capacity drives are due to the fact that the 2740p still has a 1.8″ drive (like the 2730p), which are more expensive per GB and come in lower capacities.

      • Mike Reilly

        03/16/2010 at 11:08 pm

        Xavier,
        Doesn’t it need a good graphics card to run Autocad, while pushing two 24″ monitors, or does display port on the dock somehow overcome that need?

        If it can’t run Autocad (& similar programs), while pushing two 24″ monitors, isn’t the Intel i7 cpu improperly matched to this computer?

        • Xavier Lanier

          03/16/2010 at 11:57 pm

          According to the HP spec sheet, the max supported resolution via the VGA connector is 2048 x 1536- so no you’re not going to get to drive 2 24″ displays running Autocad.

          • Mike Reilly

            03/17/2010 at 11:16 pm

            The lack of a high end graphics card seems to be the achilles heel of this computer. Is there some way to get the video output to go through such a high end card, either attached in the dock, or through another computer, or some other way?

            It’s hard to believe that technological advances haven’t brought a solution to this yet. Maybe only Apple has the creative vision to fix it.

          • AmbiDextrose

            03/18/2010 at 1:03 am

            You may want to consider a ViDock:
            https://www.villagetronic.com/vidock2/index.html

            Notebookreview.com actually has a thread on how you can roll your own ViDock if you’re electronically-inclined.

          • Mike Reilly

            03/18/2010 at 10:43 pm

            Ambidextrose: This is great. You’ve found the solution. Thank-you very much.

            Now my next question is one of paradigm work method. Would this method be best, or would it be best to to have the good video card in the home/office computer in the standard way, and simply use the portable tablet computer to connect via a remote desktop program. The portable tablet could have a lesser cpu and moderate graphics, as long as the wacom digitizer was good. Would the Internet connection be fast enough to make it essentially seemless.

  12. Mike aka C-141xlr

    03/06/2010 at 4:59 pm

    In the video you made an assumption that the inking would be the same. However, it has multitouch layer now so did you do any inking tests and how did it do with palm resting on the screen?

    • Xavier Lanier

      03/16/2010 at 5:22 pm

      So I did Ink a little on this thing and it did feel the same as the 2730p. That being said, it was a pre-production unit and it’ll come down to personal taste.

  13. Chad Essley

    03/09/2010 at 7:22 pm

    Would love to know what graphics card this thing has. Supposedly directx 10 capable from the website..

    Which would make it capable of SXGA, like the LE1700, right?

  14. Daniel

    03/16/2010 at 4:56 pm

    I love it but worried, I’m just waiting for this 2730p evolution, but not all is ok: Still DB-9 analogous vga connector, why not digital DVI connection? Still low capacity disk, sure you must to load your 2730p or 2740p and with your portable HD drive. The keyboard is the prelude for this ultra-desing and stupids Apple keyboards, I don’t like it, and don’t undertand why increasing the key number of arist, it’s a worse user sperience than normal and productive work keyboards. The mouse touchpad is ugly compared with the last HP touchpads on lowcost!! notebooks with integrated click-button efect on taouchpad.
    Not external changes its a remake … :(

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