HP Compaq 2510p

There are three notebooks this month using ultra-low-voltage (ULV) processors to minimise power consumption and maximise battery life. While the Rock and Philips are more consumer-style offerings, this HP is the only one to build a business-focused system around one of Intel's efficient CPUs.

Design-wise, it has HP's usual grey finish, but with a few nods to the firm's consumer models, such as touch-sensitive buttons and a volume slider. A fingerprint reader sits at the bottom-right of the base - with a TPM module for hardware security - and the petite body has been crammed with many sockets and ports. There's a docking station connector, a VGA port, while PC Card and memory card readers fill the sides, which perhaps explains the presence of only two USB ports.

As well as Vista Business, the 2510p adds to its office credentials with a second set of mouse buttons and a trackpoint. The keyboard is the most comfortable and responsive of the group, and overall build is solid enough to withstand a daily commute.

The ULV processor - a 1.2GHz Intel Mobile Core 2 Duo U7600 - means the HP can't compete with the big guns in terms of performance: a score of 0.51 makes it functional but certainly not one for multitasking, particularly given just 1GB of RAM. Surprisingly, though, the low power consumption doesn't result in an impressive battery life.

HP has chosen a 2,800mAh-capacity battery, which may be slim but just doesn't have staying power. Thus, 3hrs 38mins in light use puts the HP near the bottom of the group this month.

Battery aside, there's plenty to like about the HP 2510p. It's light and durable, and the security features will please business users. However, if you just want an ultraportable you could pay £80 less for the long-lasting Rock, or a whopping £468 less for the wonderful but slightly heavier Samsung. It certainly has its strengths, but in this company the HP just doesn't offer the best value for money.

Author: David Bayon