HP refreshing the 2710p in September
I promised I wouldn’t say anything but since AVING has the scoop it’s fair game now. HP is refreshing the 2710p, my choice for best convertible Tablet PC on the market today, later this year. The new 2730p will have the same thin and light form but add a trackpad to the great trackstick of the 2710p. HP is also adding an option for an integrated optical drive, something the 2710p doesn’t have now. I’m not sure how I feel about that, I’d rather have it in the dock as it is now and save about half a pound of weight. HP is upping the processor to the Centrino 2 so it should be even snappier than the older model. I can’t wait to see this baby.
I hope the calibration is better on this than on the 2710P. The poor calibration at the edge of the 2710P screen is driving me bananas.
Allan, I don’t see that on mine. Have you sent it to HP?
I know that this tablet PC is designed for mobility but why is the processor speed only 1.8 GHz?
I would have wanted 2 GHz by now… Oh well, the HP Pavilion tx2500 is probably better for me then.
x200t for the win
j please let us know any other specs you may know, and ones that didn’t make it.
Oddly enough, the picture looks like a regular laptop without the screen swivel (look at the two light rectangles on the far side of the tablet. I hope that’s the right unit.
Correct, I missed that one the first time. The website stuck a picture in there of a regular laptop in the middle of the Tablet ones. I for one am glad they didn’t add it in.
i agree w/ Sergio, why does the pic w/ the optical drive seem to have hinges?
James: Regarding the calibration on the 2710p, I have not contacted HP because it sems to be a design isue. I believe you have the touch scren version. Maybe this problem does not affect that version. People at the web site below report exactly the same problem as I have. Some of them have had replacement screns and computers but the problem remains.
http://tinyurl.com/6cbpq2
Someone asked why 1.8 GHz (actually it’s 1.86) instead of 2.0. Below is the Penryn/Montevina line scheduled to be released. You’ll see that the 1.86 GHz (SL9400) is at the top of the LV class (17W). So, while other Centrino 2 machines have a higher clock speed, they will wipe out your battery faster. Also, it seems like HP went with the right choice because the ULV chips have a 800 MHz front-side bus as opposed to the new 1,066 MHz FSB on the LV and power models.
I would like to see a few improvements on the 2730p that weren’t on the 2710p with some things remaining the same. Here’s my short list.
1. Both touch and pen input…multitouch would be nice too
2. External DVD option for keeping weight down (and something useful to do with the empty space in the body other than a “weight saver” panel…suggestions??)
3. Integrated graphics chip
4. SSD (64-128 GB)
5. DDR3 RAM option to take advantage of the faster FSB
6. UWB dock like the Toshiba R400 has (it already seems like the new Lenovo x200 will have it…at least as an option)
7. Under 3.5 lbs and around 1.5″ thick
8. Tablet control buttons (James has the lack of buttons on the 2710p been a drawback from your experience? Please share what has been most impeded by the missing controls in contrast to other tablets.)
9. Total price of $2K configured with 64 GB SSD, 3 GB DDR3 RAM, WIFI, WIMAX, and 802b,g,n wireless (this is not unrealistic as far as what things should be costing…but I expect that the high SSD prices will be milked until mid-09.)
Does anybody know if Intel’s vPro technology provides other benefits than remote security/management features? Does vPro have any negative effects on performance or battery life?
Penryn core 2 Duo (Performance)
Model
Frequency, GHz
TDP, W
FSB, MHz
L2, MB.
T9600
2,80
35
1066
‘
T9400
2,53
35
1066
‘
T9500
2,53
25
1066
‘
T8600
2,40
25
1066
e
T8400
2,26
25
1066
e
Penryn core 2 Duo (Small form factor)
Model
Frequency, GHz
TDP, W
FSB, MHz
L2, MB.
SP9400
2,40
25
1066
‘
SP9300
2,26
25
1066
‘
SL9400
1,86
17
1066
‘
SL9300
1,60
17
1066
‘
SU9400
1,40
10
800
e
SU9300
1,20
10
800
e
U3300
1,20
5,5
800
e
As a 2710p owner, this gets a definitive “meh” from me. I definitely would like to have a touchpad, and can’t really understand why there wasn’t one built into the 2710p. Overall, though, it’s certainly an evolutionary, not revolutionary revision to the machine, and not something I’m going to even consider upgrading to from my 2710p. I’m still extremely pleased with my 2710p and consider it to be the best mobile computer I’ve ever owned. Even with the digitizer calibration issue mentioned previously.
I’ve had that problem since day one. When I move the pen toward any edge of the screen, the calibration is way off and pointer movement is erratic. It’s very difficult to describe; maybe I’ll record a video of it sometime and post it. I originally thought it was the magnetic latch mechanism throwing off the magnetic field around the digitizer, but after months of use, I’m not so sure. It’ll be interesting to see if anyone mentions this after using the 2730p.
In addition to the calibration problem, another 2710P issue HP ought to sort out for the new model is the weird business of secondary portrait and secondary landscape. On the 2710p you can only get these modes if you’re running on the mains. If you run on the battery, they’re not available! If you’re in one of those secondary modes while you’re running on mains power and disconnect the adapter, the screen will flip to a primary mode!
Something I would like to see is auto-moving taskbars. With a wide-screen computer like the 2710P I prefer to have the taskbar down the side in landscape mode, because I’d rather lose a little bit of screen width then height. But when I switch to portrait I’d prefer to have the taskbar along the bottom. I’d like to have the option of the computer doing this automatically.
I just picked up a used 2710P from a seller on GottaBeMobile.com I’m looking forward to experiencing this Tablet. Actually, it will be the first Tablet with active digitizer I’ve ever owned. I’m excited!
Tax Man
I hope it’ll still have the slim battery addon and a slim dock like the 2710p, because those two features were definitely what caught my attention the most.
Has anyone confirmed this with HP or confident that it is going to be released? I’m looking into get a 2710p and I am now considering holding off for this next release. Their dates have slipped on many other products – any thoughts?
-don
Don, you should definitely wait, and not that long. I can’t say more than that at this time.
I’m a little curious about if they managed to shave off a bit more weight, if they’re now offering an internal optical drive…
Just a reference. I found two links to information on the 2730p on HP’s site:
https://h10057.www1.hp.com/ecomcat/hpcatalog/specs/provisioner/05/DUMHPE2730PPRE.htm
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00765791/c00765791.pdf