True Mobile Workstation with Power for Media and More
Written: Dec 11 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fast processor, great display, option for fast 7200 RPM SATA drive, firewire
Cons: Could be a tad lighter, headphone output is just as bad as all other laptops
The Bottom Line: A fine laptop when you need real workstation power on the go, or for the pro who wants to take her desktop with her.
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| mediageek's Full Review: Hewlett Packard Compaq nw8440 (RB556UT) PC Noteboo... |
Review Contents:
1. Introduction
2. Important Specs
3. Performance: Speed and Power
4. Performance: Display
5. Performance: Heat
6. Performance: Battery
7. Sound
8. Conclusion
1. Introduction
I (or rather, my employer) purchased the nw8440 to use as a desktop replacement machine to take over from an aging Dell Pentium 4 machine that was beginning to strain under the even most mundane office tasks.
By day I'm an educational media production manager at a large state university. I wanted a machine that would take care of basic office tasks like word processing and email, in addition to video and audio editing. But I also wanted the flexibility to work on-the-go, either at the coffee shop or across the country while attending conferences.
HP may not be the first brand name that springs to mind in laptops. However, in my work department we've had very good luck with their workstation machines, bringing very good performance for the price. So when the local HP rep brought around their new line of mobile workstations with fast Core 2 Duo procs, I decided to give one a try.
2. The Important Specs
The nw8440 is not an ultra-light, but at almost 6 lbs. it's not nearly as big and heavy as many desktop-replacement machines I've used. In fact, the dimensions of the machine distributes the weight pretty evenly so that it doesn't really feel heavy.
The 15.4" screen is fabulous and looks great, and the relative width of the machine leaves room for decent speakers aside the keyboard. The keyboard itself has nice action and is nicely spaced -- very comfortable for long hours of typing. The trackpad is responsive. It's supplemented by one of those eraser-like pointers that you see on ThinkPads. I don't particularly care for it, but if you like it, it's there.
I ordered mine with 2 GB of RAM, rather than the standard 1 GB, in order to give extra oomph for video editing. I also ordered a fast 100 GB 7200 RPM SATA hard drive to give me extra editing speed.
I also opted for the 2.16 GHz Core 2 Duo processor, the faster of the two that are offered.
It has a full panoply of the necessary ports, including a 4-pin firewire (IEEE 1394) port--an absolutely necessity for video work---3 USB 2.0 ports and gigabit ethernet. There's an analog VGA out for when you want to use a monitor or projector, and an S-Video output for quick connection to a television or video monitor when that's all there is.
In fact, the S-Video jack saved me after having the laptop for just a week when at the last second I needed a character generator for a live webcast. I just loaded up a PowerPoint presentation with the text and graphics and plugged the S-Video into our video mixer.
The only real criticism I have of the connectivity is that it would be nice to have DVI out, though it is nice not to have to carry around an adapter in order to connect it to a VGA-only device. A DVI output is available on the optional docking station.
The nw8440 has Bluetooth (which I haven't yet tested) and wi-fi. The wireless works great, better than any laptop I've ever owned, including my Powerbook.
Finally, I opted for the DVD-RW with dual-layer burning. I think a DVD burner is a must-have for any computer, whether you're burning video DVDs, or just backing up lots of data. There's also an integrated SD card reader for convenient transfer of digital pictures. But I wish there was a CF reader, to, since our pro-level cams all use CF.
3. Performance: Power and Speed
It's hard to imagine that any machine with a Core 2 Duo processor is a lemon, but I have been blown away by the performance of the nw8440. Rendering effects or outputting compressed videos (RealVideo, Windows Media and MPEG-4) is faster than our relatively new AMD-based workstations. The only thing that keeps the nw8440 from blowing them away more is that the workstations have faster striped RAID 0 hard drives.
On average, I'd say basic rendering out of Premiere Pro is anywhere from 0% to 25% better than our AMD Opteron-equipped HP xw9400 workstations. It's only when hard disk throughput is crucial that the nw8440 falls a bit behind. But, then, I can't throw the workstation into my backpack and edit video in the coffee shop.
4. Performance: Display
Working on the 15.4" LCD is also a pleasure when using applications like Adobe Premiere Pro and Photoshop, and Sony Vegas and Sound Forge. The screen real estate and sharp widescreen resolution give lots of room to spread out timelines, workspaces and tool palettes. Color accuracy is very good right out of the box, to my eye, though I haven't tested it with a Spyder.
The top lid will also go all the way flat, which I think is somethings a useful position if you want people to gather around the laptop, especially if everyone is standing up and the computer's on a table. It's a small thing I'd never otherwise think about, except when I noticed it would work.
5. Performance: Heat
One of the biggest problems with modern laptops, in my opinion, is heat output. And, certainly, the nw8440 is not as cool as my old Pentium III-700 laptop, but it doesn't even scorch my thighs as badly as my 3-year-old 14" Mac PowerBook.
The nw8440 does have a very efficient fan that varies speed according to processor usage. Frankly, I wish it were a little quieter, but it's certainly an auditory sign that your processor is humming. But at those moments when I think it's too loud, I just go back to my old Dell or one of our workstation towers and I realize that it's pretty darn quiet for a machine this fast and powerful.
6. Performance: Battery
I have to be honest, most of the time I use this machine while tethered to an electrical outlet and a wired internet connection. However, when I have ventured out of the office for a few hours, I've yet to run out of battery.
My longest untethered run was 2 hours of work, but mostly word processing, email and web surfing, not video editing. After 2 hours of office work the battery was still going strong with about 25% left -- better than any other laptop I've owned.
I will have to take some editing work to the coffee shop with me and see how the battery fairs chopping up video or compositing with After Effects -- then I'll update this review.
7. Performance: Sound
As I mentioned, I think the speakers are pretty good for laptop speakers. They don't provide anything close to full-range sound, but also don't try to fake it. So the frequencies they do produce sound relatively natural and don't fatigue my ears.
I brought it with me into a videoconferencing classroom I was putting together and listened to internet radio for a couple of hours without tiring of it or really noticing that it was just laptop sound.
Unfortunately the headphone output is no better than any other laptops, which is to say it's crappy. The integrated soundcards in most desktop PCs are very poor, and laptops are worse. They are simply not well isolated or shielded enough from all the oscillating electronic parts inside a computer. High frequency noise of all kinds leak through.
That said, the nw8440 is no worse than most other major PC brands. Apple's laptops are actually somewhat better, and always have been.
Nevertheless, for actual audio work -- recording, editing and listening -- I added an external USB audio interface that's powered from the USB bus.
8. Conclusion
If you had asked me a year ago if I'd be buying a Windows laptop as a desktop replacement machine I'd have chortled, then said, "no." My experience with most PC laptops up to now has not been the greatest, though I haven't had broad experience with some of the best-of-breed (like Thinkpads). Despite being a PC user for the last 17 years, I was convinced that Macs were the only way to go for a laptop.
The HP/Compaq nw8440 has certainly changed my mind. This medium-sized laptop truly packs the power of a workstation-class machine into a portable 6 pounds, combined with an excellent display, good ergonomics and all the connectivity a workstation user needs.
When most people think video editing, they think Mac, especially for laptops. But the dirty secret is that a very large percentage of working video professionals, like me, use Windows for at least some of their projects.
The nw8440 gives me the power I need for media production and lets me take it on the road, all while using the apps we depend on.
It really does effectively replace a desktop workstation without breaking your back. And the price, while not a bargain, is competitive with other machines in its class.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
mediageek
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Member: Paul Riismandel
Location: Chicago, IL
Reviews written: 25
Trusted by: 4 members
About Me:
I'm a true mediageek--into all sorts of electronics and gadgets for making media.
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