HP has made some subtle changes to the keyboard design in their latest EliteBooks. The keys are no longer traditional chamfered or chiclet-shaped, but rather a unique combination of both. They’re tiered in a terraced fashion, which we found comfortable and relatively quiet to type on. The DuraKey finish helps prevent wear and tear over time.
While the keyboard isn’t backlit, there’s a small light next to the webcam that provides sufficient illumination when working in low-light environments, like on a plane at night. However, it may be a bit distracting for your seatmate trying to sleep nearby.
Like Lenovo, HP offers both a pointing stick and touchpad, but with a concave design that’s meant to secure your finger. We found it a bit slippery, though. The touchpad is a tad small, requiring some extra effort to scroll down pages, but it’s smooth and responsive, unlike some other glossy touchpads we’ve encountered.
HP Elitebook 8440P: Display and Audio
Our HP EliteBook 8440p’s matte display was crisp and clear, with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels that was perfect for our needs. The colors were vibrant and sharp, making it a pleasure to work on. If you need even more detail, you can upgrade to a 1600 x 900-resolution display. The 14-inch screen can fold back a full 180 degrees, and the viewing angles are great, with only a slight distortion when tilted beyond 40 degrees.
The audio quality on this laptop is impressive, making it perfect for professionals who need to listen to audio as part of their work. We tested it with some music, and Alicia Keys’ vocals came through clearly, along with the midrange piano notes. Even the cymbal crashes were distortion-free! The laptop’s speakers are also surprisingly loud, easily filling a large office space.
HP Elitebook 8440P: Performance
The HP EliteBook 8440p is a powerhouse, packed with a 2.4-GHz Intel Core i5-520M processor, 2GB of RAM, and a fast 250GB hard drive. It performed impressively on our tests, scoring 5,552 on PCMark Vantage, which is significantly higher than the average laptop in its class. While it didn’t quite match the Lenovo ThinkPad T410, it still held its own.
The laptop booted up Windows 7 Professional in just 44 seconds, which is notably faster than average. It also transferred files quickly, with a speed of 29.6 MBps. When it came to transcoding video files, the 8440p took just 53 seconds to convert a 114MB MPEG-4 to AVI, beating the average time for thin-and-light laptops.
While this laptop isn’t designed for heavy gaming or graphics work, its integrated Intel GMA HD GPU still delivered decent performance. In World of Warcraft, it managed 50 frames per second at lower settings, but dropped to 10 fps at higher settings. Overall, the 8440p is a solid performer for everyday tasks and corporate use.
Battery Life and Wi-Fi connectivity
When we tested the HP EliteBook 8440p’s battery life, it lasted for 4 hours and 41 minutes on a single charge, which is a bit shorter than the average for thin-and-light laptops. However, it’s still a respectable performance, especially compared to the Lenovo ThinkPad T410, which lasted for 3 hours and 53 minutes with its standard battery and 6 hours and 2 minutes with its extended life battery. If you need even more battery life, HP offers an optional eight-cell extended life battery that can more than double your runtime, although it does add an extra pound of weight.
The laptop’s Wi-Fi connectivity was also impressive, with fast speeds of 31.9 Mbps at close range and 24.6 Mbps at a distance of 50 feet. This means you can stay connected and productive even when you’re not right next to your router. Additionally, the 8440p can be configured with Bluetooth 2.1 and Gobi wireless broadband, making it a great choice for business users who need reliable connectivity on the go.
The HP EliteBook 8440p’s battery charging speed is impressive, filling up to 80% in just 1 hour and 5 minutes, and reaching a full charge in 1 hour and 51 minutes. During charging, it drew an average of 40.3 watts of power. What’s even more impressive is its battery efficiency, with a rating of 15.9, which is significantly better than the average of 22.5. This means it can deliver more battery life while using less power.
When it comes to customizing your laptop, HP offers a range of options, but the Smart Buy configurations offer the best value. The top-of-the-line Smart Buy model, priced at 196,000 NGN in Nigeria, matches our review unit’s specs and adds some extra features, including Bluetooth 2.1, Gobi mobile broadband, and Nvidia NVS 3100 graphics with 512MB of video memory.
Pros
- Strong Core i5 performance
- Stylish design
- Meets military durability standards
- Loud speakers
Cons
- Not the fastest graphics
- Underside runs hot
Ports and Webcam
If you’re a Nigerian business user, you’ll appreciate the convenient ports on the HP EliteBook 8440p. On the right side, you’ll find a DVD drive, Ethernet port, modem, and a special USB port that can charge your devices even when the laptop is turned off. On the left side, there are three more USB ports, a FireWire port, headphone and mic jacks, and an ExpressCard slot. You’ll also find an SD Card reader on the front edge and VGA and DisplayPort connections on the back for connecting to a larger screen.
The laptop’s 2-megapixel webcam is great for video chats with colleagues or clients. We tested it with Google Video and were impressed with the smooth and clear visuals, although the image was slightly washed out. Our colleagues could see and hear us clearly, making it a great tool for remote meetings and collaboration.
