HP Compaq 8710p review

Another area where desktop and laptop computers differ significantly is hard disk capacity. The 8710p offers 120GB, 160GB and 250GB Serial ATA hard drives, all spinning at 5,400rpm: our review sample had a mid-range 160GB drive.

The optical drive fits into a multibay slot on the right-hand side. Various options are available, including Blu-ray, which probably has more traction with home users than businesspeople.

Ports and expansion slots are rarely as plentiful on laptops as they are on desktops. That said, the 8710p has no fewer than six USB 2.0 ports, which is a huge number by laptop standards and another clue that HP is positioning this system as a true desktop replacement.

Unfortunately, the USB ports aren't arranged in the most ergonomic fashion. Two are on the left-hand side, where they are stacked one above the other. The remaining four are on the right side, in two adjacent pairs of stacked ports. The main problem is using the ports simultaneously. We tried a range of peripherals, including several USB keydrives, and found it difficult to stack two connectors. Using all the ports at once may, therefore, be something of a challenge.

The 8710p has a SmartCard reader and PC Card slot towards the front of the left-hand side. There's also a flash card reader on the front, which can read SD, MMC, Memory Stick and xD media.

The left side also houses an HDMI port and a VGA-out connector, along with a FireWire port.

On the right side you'll find the modem and Ethernet ports, as well as microphone and headphone/line out mini-jacks. The back is entirely occupied by the removable battery, which HP suggests is good for up to four hours of mains-free computing.

Performance
As far as ergonomics are concerned, the 8710's screen and keyboard are fine -- indeed, the 17-inch screen size may be larger than some users currently get from their desktop computer.

Battery life may seem like a secondary consideration with a system that's not intended to travel a great deal. However, even an office-bound laptop may need to spend time away from mains power -- when you're giving a presentation or attending a meeting where a power socket isn't readily available, for example.

HP claims battery life of up to four hours from the standard 8-cell Li-ion battery. We tested this with the BatteryEater battery benchmarking software, which asks the laptop to perform tasks continuously until the battery dies. We got 1 hour 52 minutes of life. Even with a more representative workload and conservative power management settings, this suggests that you're unlikely to manage a full working day away from mains power.

Conclusion
The HP Compaq 8710p is clearly not a laptop designed for the mobile professional. Whether a large desktop replacement laptop really works for you will depend on your computing requirements. For many, a cheaper, smaller and more portable laptop with an external monitor and keyboard may prove a more ergonomic and flexible solution.

Additional editing by Shannon Doubleday