On this occasion I will explain about the specifications of the HP 550 Notebook. Hopefully useful to all readers.
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| Memory | |
|---|---|
| Memory | 512 MB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM 1 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM 2 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM Up to: 4 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM |
| Memory upgrade | Upgradeable to 4 GB maximum |
| Storage | |
|---|---|
| Hard drive | 120 GB 5400 rpm SATA 160 GB 5400 rpm SATA 250 GB 5400 rpm SATA |
| Optical Drives | DVD; DVD/CD-RW combo; Lightscribe DVD+/-RW SuperMulti with Double Layer |
| Graphics and Input/Output devices | |
|---|---|
| Display size | 15.4-inch diagonal WXGA Brightview |
| Graphics | Mobile Intel® GMA X3100, up to 384 MB shared system memory |
| Audio, Slots, and Ports | |
|---|---|
| Ports | External: 3 USB 2.0 1 headphone/line-out 1 microphone in 1 AC power 1 external VGA monitor 1 RJ-11 1 RJ-45 |
| Slots | 1 Express Card/54 |
| Audio | High Definition Audio, integrated mono speaker, stereo headphone/line out, stereo microphone in |
| Communication features | |
|---|---|
| Network interface | Intel Fast Ethernet Integrated Controller (10/100 NIC) |
| Modem | 56K v.92 modem |
| Wireless | Intel Wireless 802.11a/b/g/draft-n; Intel Wireless 802.11a/b/g; Intel PRO/Wireless 802.11a/b/g; Intel PRO/Wireless 802.11b/g; Broadcom 802.11a/b/g/draft n; Broadcom 802.11b/g; HP Integrated Module with Bluetooth Wireless Technology |
| Product specifications | |
|---|---|
| Weight | Starting at 5.5 lb (2.49 kg) |
| Dimensions (w x d x h) | 14.10 x 10.50 x 1.27 in (358.0 x 266.8 x 32.3 mm) |
| Energy Efficiency | |
|---|---|
| Battery | 6-cell (47 WHr) Lithium-Ion |
| Power supply | 65W HP AC Adapter, HP Fast Charge |
| Battery Life | Up to 4 hours and 30 minutes |
| Manageability | |
|---|---|
| Security management | Device Access Manager for HP ProtectTools, Kensington lock |
| Service and Support | |
|---|---|
| Warranty Feature | HP Services includes a one-year standard parts and labor warranty, pick-up or carry-in, and toll-free 7 x 24 hardware technical phone support. On-site service and warranty upgrades are also available. |
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Product Reviews
The HP 550 is based on the somewhat older HP 6720s and represents the previous version of the HP 6730s (Intel) / HP 6735s (AMD) . HP's first savings can be seen in the re-use of the older case and the availability of only one version, which has a Celeron M 550, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive and a GMA X3100. The only option available to customers is whether the system comes with or without Windows Vista Basic. On the HP homepage another model is listed with hardware that is clearly better with an Intel Core 2 Duo T5670 processor, 2GB of RAM and Vista Business (NN308EA), however this is not currently known to be available at any well-known retailer.
Currently we have the FreeDos economy version, which has a retail value of roughly 340,- Euro, on which we installed and tested the system with Windows XP Professional. We also took a brief look at Linux in the form of Ubuntu 8.1, a fairly popular and simple distribution of Linux, which represents a further saving potential, all the while offering a large range of applications and fucntions. For those who are upgrade-oriented, we added a further GB of RAM and took measurements of battery life with the optional 8-cell battery.
Case
As previously mentioned, the case comes from the HP Compaq 6720s series, which finds its second home in the HP 550. The lid and the keyboard area is decorated with a shiny titanium-coloured plastic finish, which somewhat mixes up the overall appearance of the system, yet makes it no less business-like. The display area is coloured with a gritty grey plastic up to a shiny black border, and fits smoothly into the "understated" fell of the unit.
Also, the underside is consistent with the gritty plastic design and, along with the rest of the case, can be considered easy to clean and low maintenance. Somewhat puzzling was the claimed weight of the system of 2.5 kg. The system we reviewed weighed 2.29 kg without its battery and with the 6-cell battery it weighed 2.62 kg, which is clearly more. Batteries which are smaller of with fewer cells, which would contribute to a reduction in weight, are not available.
The quality of the case is barely different from that of our recently reviewed HP Compaq 6735s. The case shows the areas where HP has made further improvements and, conversely, where the HP 550 continues to struggle.
The display of our review HP 550 had a rather displeasing resistance to pressure, and the underside loudspeakers also fell behind. Everything leaves clear impressions and is at times cringe-worthy due to other shortcomings. Also the layout of the function buttons above the keyboard is unconvincing, as well as the touchpad with different dimensions and protruding areas. The keyboard can be bent and pressurized throughout its entire width, because only some points of it seem to rest on the construction underneath it and nothing else.
In addition, we were quick to criticize the latch for the display which is supposed to hold the chassis and the screen together in transport. Here you can find the ghost of the workmanship of the HP 6735s, which will surely have a negative impact in the long run. We also found it surprising that when the laptop is closed and carried about, the optical drive's tray would give slightly, giving the impression that it is loose. We also found the maximum opening angle of 135° surprising, which is impractical for working with the laptop on your lap.
However, we appreciated the stability of the device, even without the battery attached, which facilitates the removal and protection of batteries in a network of HP 550 units.
Connectivity
The interfaces are on a level akin to netbooks and all the while very basic. From the rather small interfaces to the Expresscard/54 and the outdated modem interface, the system won't exactly fly away. You also get 3 USB ports, an analogue VGA output, 10/100 Ethernet, a card reader (SD/MMC) and an Audio in/out.
The Broadcom W-LAN module is used for wireless networking, which used the b/g standards. Bluetooth is not an option and if completely necessary must be provided by an external solution. Faster connections like Firewire, eSata or typical business connections are not included and must instead be compensated for by USB or ExpressCard alternatives.
HP offers consumers a variety of warranty-extension options and accessories on its Homepage, whose prices are, taking account of the price of the system, not justified.
- Front: Audio, Card reader
- Left-hand side: Modem, ventilation slits, VGA, mains connection 10/100 Ethernet, ExpressCard/54 with three USB 2.0 ports underneath
- Rear: 6-cell battery
- Right-hand side: optical drive, Kensington Lock
The positioning of the USB ports on the left-hand side was seen in a negative light. While in theory there are three USB connections, as soon as you plug in a device with excessive width, such as UMTS or DVB-T equipment, you'll find that one connection is blocked by the other. In this case, you would need USB extension cables in order to make comfortably use three USB devices.
Also, it's only possible to use the ExpressCard port with USB devices underneath with an extension. Again, due to the small gaps between the interfaces, such limitations cause the system to fare considerably poorly. Successive models have at least partially resolved the problem by placing two additional USB ports on the right-hand side.
Input Devices
The keyboard leaves clear impressions with its poor layout and key-size and last but not least there is a relatively off-putting sound to the keys. For people who rarely type for long periods of time or for occasional users this is unlikely to be a problem. However, these shortcomings are of interest to more demanding users and if not the system's downfall, then the keyboard presents a major disadvantage.
The touchpad, however, is accurate and has a simple interface. Also the scroll bar on the right-hand side, whilst with no haptic feedback, is worth a mention as it works well. Whilst the touchpad keys are on first look attractive because of the rubber surfaces, on second consideration they disappoint because of the poor production quality, which is made clear by its poor fit and the sluggish response of the left button.
- Keyboard
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