HP Compaq 2710p Tablet PC Review (Video)

HP Compaq 2710p Tablet PC Review (Video)

HP has done it again, but this time they turned it up a notch with the newly released 2710p Tablet PC. This 12.1" tablet has a solid design that is sleek and very appealing. It's not all eye-candy either, with its 1.2GHz Core 2 Duo processor and solid chassis. I mean there is no flex in this tablet at all and the brushed aluminum trim around the keyboard definitely catches the eye.

The HP Compaq 2710p Tablet PC. (view large image)

The HP Compaq 2710p Tablet PC specs as reviewed (tested price $2,099)

Design and Build

The 2710p has a solid design. The chassis is sturdy and shows no signs of flex. Appearance wise, I have no complaints either and the brushed aluminum accents really catch the eye. The design is very minimalistic, but yet very functional.

The 2710p converting into tablet mode. (view large image)

Considering the 2710p only weighs 3.7 pounds, it's great for taking notes and using for presentations. It converts into tablet mode in seconds and the screen automatically changes orientation for your convenience. The hinge does show a little wobble when in notebook mode, but nothing that compromises the design.

Display

The display on the 2710p is average and by that I mean it has your typical tablet graininess. The 12.1" Illumi-Lite, WXGA UWVA, anti-glare display has an active digitizer, which works great. I have had no problems with viewing angles in tablet or notebook mode either. The brightness can be adjusted to your liking and when set on the highest level the colors are bold and vivid. If you don't need the increased brightness then you can dim the screen and save power.

The 2710p with Illumi-Lite on. (view large image)	The 2710p keyboard with light on. (view large image)

The Illumi-Lite feature adds a nice touch to the display as well, especially for use while traveling in your car or on an airplane at night time. It lights up the keyboard nicely and doesn't reflect off of the screen. The anti-glare screen also helps when you are working outside or in any well lit areas.

Processor and System Performance

The Core 2 Duo 1.2GHz ULV processor has no problem running multiple applications. I didn't experience much lag during boot-up or while surfing the Web either. The 2710p I reviewed came with 2GB of memory, which had no problems handling Vista. It also had a 80GB (4200 rpm) hard drive, which leaves you plenty of space to store those media files or documents. The ULV processor helps save on battery life as well, so compromising a little performance isn't bad.

Comparison Results for PCMark05

PCMark05 measures the systems performance as a whole:

Super Pi

In the below results of Super Pi, where the processor is timed in calculating Pi to 2 million digits:

Comparison Results for 3Dmark05

3DMark05 tests the overall graphic capabilities of a notebook, and overall the 2710p did about average considering it has a ULV processor.

Keyboard/Touchpad/Pen

The keyboard on the 2710p has a solid design. It has little flex and the keys are flat, which I personally like because the keys create less noise when typing. The silver keys are easy to read, especially with the bold black lettering. None of the keys are shortened except for the space bar and the function keys on top are pretty small.

The 2710p keyboard and as you can see no touchpad. (view large image)

There is no touchpad on the HP 2710p, but it does have a pointing stick, which after getting used to works just as well. I know many users say this is the reason why they won't buy the 2710p, but after using it I beg to differ. The design of the 2710p is sleek and there really is no need for a touchpad. The surface around the keyboard is small, I mean this is an ultraportable tablet.

The pen is accurate and works great with the digitizer. It is made of solid plastic and it doesn't feel cheap. It has an eraser on top, which works like a real eraser. The pen pops out of its silo sometimes, which is annoying because if you are not careful it may fall out and then you are out a pen. It doesn't take much for the pen to pop out either just a bump.

Tablet PC Features

The 2710p doesn't have any dedicated tablet buttons that can be programmed, but it does have a helpful button on the left side. That button is the HP information center. It brings up your wireless options, security options, software setup and much more. It is an instant way to part of the computer's control panel.

The 2710p in tablet mode. (view large image)

Converting into tablet mode only takes a few seconds and the screen automatically changes orientation. The active digitizer is great for taking notes and browsing through applications. You can program pen flicks for those programs you use most, which is a nice feature thanks to Vista. What you see is what you get with the 2710p. There isn't any extra goodies packed in it. The web cam is a nice extra though for live Web chats, but my review unit didn't have any programming for it.

Ports

The 2710p has a nice array of ports for an ultraportable. Including two USB ports, one VGA-15 pin, one microphone and one headphone, a Modem port, power jack, a optional Express card slot, an SD card slot and an expansion slot on the bottom for a docking station.

Front view of the HP Compaq 2710p. (view large image)

Right side view of the ports. (view large image)

Left side view of the ports. (view large image)

Back view of the HP Compaq 2710p. (view large image)

Underneath view of the HP Compaq 2710p. (view large image)

Battery

The battery life on the 2710p is great. It only has a 6-cell battery, but depending on what mode you set the battery to will determine how much life you get out of it. It lasted a good four hours in balanced mode, which is your standard default setting. In performance mode it only lasted about three hours, but if you put it in power saver, you can get close to five hours, even though it is hard to see the screen. It fully recharges itself in about an hour as well, so you don't have much down time. The docking solution is also a good option if you are using the 2710p at home or at the office.

Heat and Noise

For being such a small tablet the 2710p made some noise when it was working. When the fan kicked on it sounded like a hairdryer. This was only under heavy usage though like when I ran the benchmark tests. Besides that not much noise, just the occasional fan running. It didn't get too hot either except for the bottom. The top and sides of the 2710p stayed cool, but the bottom of the tablet warmed up quick when the CPU was working hard. I would advice using the docking solution, so less power is taken from the computer.

Speakers

Everyone is wondering where the speakers are. Well, there is only one speaker and it is located on the bottom of the tablet. At first I was surprised because HP usually has nicer speakers for their notebooks and tablets like the Altec Lansing speakers found on the tx1000, but not this time.

The speaker does put out decent sound and most tablets don't have the sound quality as your typical notebook anyways, but the location isn't the best. Since the speaker is on the bottom the sound is muffled, unless you have it in tablet mode and are carrying it around. The 2710p probably isn't great for jamming out to your iTunes with, but it sounds fine for more mellow music and watching videos.

Video

Check out the hands-on video of HP Compaq 2710p below:

Software

The 2710p didn't come with much bloatware. It did have Norton, but that is nothing major. Microsoft Office wasn't included or any other trial programs, so pretty much just a clean computer. My 2710p was a review unit though, so some of the consumer models may have a little bloatware.

Wireless

HP did a good job with the wireless on the 2710p. There is an antenna for WWAN, but unfortunately my model wasn't equipped to use it. It does have Intel Wireless 802.11a/b/g, 10/100/1000 Ethernet and Bluetooth. I was impressed on how well the wireless worked though. I picked up signals from my neighbors wireless at home with no problems. The connectivity was fast and responsive. In fact the internal wireless worked better than my external Verizon Card at times. I don't think I was disconnected once.

Conclusion

Even though the 2710p isn't packed with features it is a lightweight solid tablet. If you are looking for a nice ultraportable with a solid design, sleek appearance, good battery life and great wireless options this may be for you. It is the perfect weight and size for users on-the-go. Overall I was impressed with the sturdy chassis and how there was minimal flex in the entire design. The active digitizer is responsive and comes in handy if you need to give a quick presentation. All you have to do is turn the screen and use the pen as your pointer. I would have liked another USB port and a different setup for the pen silo, but the optional dock can add more features if need be.

Pros

• Solid design and sturdy chassis
• Sleek appearance with brushed aluminum accents
• Great wireless options
• Small and lightweight
• Good battery life

Cons

• Pen falls out of silo sometimes
• Hinge has a little wobble when in notebook mode
• No optical drive, but this saves on weight

Pricing and Availability

The HP Compaq 2710p can be purchased directly through HP on their website and other retail outlets.