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Pros
- Integrated optical drive.
- Long battery life.
- Full-size keyboard.
- Bright screen.
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Cons
- Pointing stick is a little stiff.
- Low-powered components.
HP Compaq nc2400 Specs
| Graphics Memory | 128 |
| Graphics Processor | Intel GMA 950 |
| Operating System | MS Windows XP Professional |
| Optical Drive | DVD-ROM/CD-RW |
| Processor | Intel Core Solo U1400 |
| Processor Speed | 1.2 |
| RAM (as Tested) | 512 |
| Screen Size | 12.1 |
| Weight | 3.6 |
| Wireless Networking | 802.11a/g |
A first for HP, the Compaq nc2400 ($1,599 direct) ultraportable is a long-missing link in HP's lineup. This tiny laptop weighs just 3.6 pounds yet features an extended battery and a built-in optical drive. For frequent travelers, these are huge selling points, especially on such a light notebook. But its lackluster performance and some subpar components leave it a step behind our ultraportable Editors' Choice winner, the
The 12.1-inch screen is slightly brighter than the ThinkPad X60s's, and this is especially noticeable when you put them side by side. The nc2400 comes only with a pointing stick and is a little less responsive than the Lenovo TrackPoint. If you have to have a touchpad, check out the
Also present on the nc2400 are attractive and useful touch-sensitive media keys. Along with a wireless on/off switch, the notebook's volume adjustment keys, and two customizable application keys can be enabled or disabled with a mere feathery tap of the finger. The palm rests are laminated for scratch prevention, and they provide a smooth surface for navigating around the full-size keyboard.
The nc4200 may not be the best-looking ultraportable (both the Gateway E-100M and the ThinkPad X60s are sleeker and thinner), but it has one thing that many laptops this small (including the X60s and the E-100M) lack: an integrated optical drive. Though this drive is only a DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo, eliminating the need for an extra carry-on accessory is a huge positive. Understandably, connections on the tiny laptop are adequate but underwhelming; the system comes with one FireWire and two USB ports. The included 40GB hard drive is a little small compared with the 80GB offered on the X60s and the E-100M.
Conveniently, a fingerprint reader is also integrated for quickly logging into your system or Web-based accounts. For additional peace of mind, the system has a Trusted Platform Module (TPM)—a hardware component that encrypts passwords and security keys—which is better than the protection Microsoft Windows alone offers.
As with the Gateway E-100M, lackluster performance seems to be the only real problem with the Compaq nc2400. Running on a low-voltage processor, the 1.2-GHz Intel Core Solo U1400, and 512MB of RAM, the notebook took almost 5 minutes to finish my Adobe Photoshop test. That's quite sluggish compared with the 3 minutes 39 seconds that the Lenovo X60s took with a 1.66-GHz Intel Core Duo L2400. The nc4200's 4,200-rpm hard drive also contributes to its pokey performance. But if you're just looking to do some e-mail, word processing, and Web browsing when on the road, its components are capable.
The brightest spot in the nc4200's performance is its stellar battery life. HP offers three battery configurations: a three-cell, six-cell, and nine-cell battery. The six-cell unit that came with my configuration lasted 5 hours 38 minutes on my tests. That kind of longevity is especially welcome for frequent travelers.
When it's time to hit the road, the HP Compaq nc2400 won't disappoint. The ultraportable system's long battery life and built-in optical drive are very pleasing. But if having an internal DVD drive isn't important to you, the sleeker Gateway E-100M and the faster Lenovo ThinkPad X60s are still my picks.
See how the HP Compaq nc2400 measures up to similar systems in our
Benchmark Test Results
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