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HP Compaq nx7400 - First Take

For businesses that put budgets before bells and whistles, the reasonably priced HP Compaq nx7400 offers a functional design, decent performance and battery life, and enough features for basic corporate users.

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The 5.6-pound HP Compaq nx7400 is a midsize notebook designed for budget-minded business. Prices range from $699 to $1,299, depending on configuration. Buyers can choose from Intel Celeron M, Core Solo, and Core Duo processors at speeds from 1.6GHz to 2GHz. The nx7400 can be configured with your choice of three different 15.4-inch wide-screen displays: a WXGA (1,280x800) antireflective, a WXGA (1,280x800) glossy, or a WXGA+ (1,680x1,050) glossy. The notebook is equipped with 512MB of 533MHz RAM, expandable to 4GB; a 40GB to 100GB hard drive spinning at 5,400rpm; an integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics card; a DVD, CD-RW/DVD combo, or dual-layer DVD burner; and an internal 802.11b/g or 802.11a/b/g wireless card. Bluetooth is optional. Three USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire port, VGA out, microphone in, line out, 10/100 Ethernet, a 56K modem, a dock connector, a travel battery connector, and a PC Card slot are all standard on the notebook.

HP sells our nx7400 test configuration for $1,299--a reasonable price, given its high-end components. Our unit included a 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo T2400 processor; 1GB of speedy 533MHz RAM; a decent-size 80GB 5,400rpm hard drive; a fixed, double-layer DVD burner; an integrated Intel 950 graphics subsystem; and 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi. For more information, see our full review of the HP Compaq nx7400.