HP Compaq nc6400

Weighing 4.6 pounds, the HP Compaq nc6400 is a thin-and-light notebook designed with business users in mind. Depending on the configuration, prices range from $1,311 to $3,138. Buyers can choose from Intel Core Duo processors at speeds from 1.66GHz to 2.16GHz. The nc6400 has a 14.1-inch WXGA (1,280x800) wide screen but can be configured with a higher resolution WXGA+ (1,440x900) wide screen. The nc6400 is equipped with 512MB of either 533MHz or 667MHz RAM, expandable to 4GB; a 40GB to 100GB hard drive, spinning at speeds from 5,400rpm to 7,200rpm; an integrated Intel GMA 950 or discrete ATI Mobility Radeon X1300 graphics card with 64MB to 128MB of dedicated VRAM; a DVD, CD-RW/DVD combo or dual-layer DVD burner; and an internal 802.11b/g or a/b/g wireless card. Bluetooth and WWAN from Verizon are optional. Three USB 2.0 ports, VGA out, S-Video out, microphone in, line out, gigabit Ethernet, a 56K modem, fast infrared, a dock connector, a travel battery connector, and a PC Card slot are all standard on the notebook. Security-conscious business users will appreciate the Smart Card reader and the TPM 1.2 module. The HP Compaq also comes with a three-year warranty.

At $1,579, our HP Compaq nc6400 test unit is a good deal; you get high-end processor and connectivity components, though lesser graphics, hard drive, and optical drive options. That price gets you a 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo T2400 processor; 512MB of quick 667MHz memory; an integrated Intel 950 graphics engine; a medium-size 60GB hard drive spinning at 5,400rpm; a swappable, DVD/CD-RW drive; and three flavors of wireless cards (802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth, and WWAN). For more information, see our full review of the HP Compaq nc6400.