Business ultraportables encompass a wide range of systems, the smallest of which have 12-inch widescreens. A 12-inch screen has to be the cut-off point here or else you would be venturing into netbook territory. The HP EliteBook 2540p ($1,629 direct) is certainly tiny, but it's also one of the most powerful, feature-packed ultraportables in the business. This particular one is configured with a long battery life in mind (8 hours' worth) by pairing a low-voltage Intel Core i7 processor with an extended battery.
Design
EliteBooks are all fortified with magnesium metals that form a boxy-looking frame. Had HP not capped the top-half with fine aluminum metals, the 2540p would have had the kind of business-bland design we see in the Lenovo ThinkPad X201 ($1,199 direct, ). Good looks aside, the 2540p is sturdy, since all EliteBooks go through a series of low-stress torture tests that involve moisture, vibration, dust, and extreme heat and cold. All this extra padding comes in handy for the road, though it won't be easy on your back. At 3.9 pounds, the 2540p is discernibly heavier than the Editors' Choice Sony VAIO VPC-Z116GXS ($1,800 direct, ) at 3.0 pounds and just edged out the Lenovo X201 at 3.8 pounds.
A 12-inch widescreen is borderline-acceptable for business users. It's as small as the one found in the Lenovo X201, with the same 1,280-by-800 resolution. I would argue that a 13-inch widescreen, like the one found in the HP ProBook 5310m ($899 direct, ), the Sony Z116GXS, and the Lenovo Thinkpad X301 ($3,000 direct,) are better for productivity and multitasking. Furthermore, 13-inch screens go beyond the standard WXGA resolution. The Sony Z116GXS, for instance, sports a 1,600 by 900 screen.
As with its predecessors, the 2540p includes a full-size keyboard and dual pointing devices. It's a mushier keyboard than the one found on the X201, a boon for touch typists who have sensitive fingers. The pointing stick is unpleasant to use and isn't as smooth as the one on the Lenovo X201. It has a bigger touchpad than the Lenovo X201, widening the pinch between your thumb and index finger for easy one-handed navigation. Since the Sony Z116GXS uses a single pointing device (touchpad-only), Sony was able to maximize its size and optimize its responsiveness.
Features
Despite its size, the 2540p is jam-packed with features. It's one of the last remaining 12-inch systems that come with an internal DVD burner, though this feature is only available with a low-voltage processor. Standard voltage processors require bigger cooling methods, and thus, there isn't enough room for one. It has three USB ports, VGA-Out, an Ethernet port, ExpressCard, and SD slot. Unlike the Lenovo X201, the 2540p managed to squeeze in a DisplayPort and a Firewire port.
The 2540p's 1.8-inch hard drive is a minor concession, as rotational speeds top-out at 5400rpm at this size. You can go for the 2.5-inch hard drive option, but you lose the optical drive. Comparatively, the Lenovo X201 uses a 2.5-inch drive that spins at 7200rpm. The other alternative is to upgrade to a solid state drive (80GB and 160GB), similar to the 256GB option found in the Sony Z116GXS. Wireless options are as plenty as with the Lenovo X201, including ones for Intel 802.11n Wi-Fi cards, Bluetooth, and mobile broadband (Gobi 2000). And like all EliteBooks, a standard 3-year warranty comes with your purchase.
Performance
Even with a low-voltage processor, the 2540p handled hardcore applications like Adobe Photoshop CS4 and the video encoding with ease. The reason why it did so well is because it's one of the first systems to use a low-voltage version of the Intel Core i7 (a 2.13GHz Core i7-640LM); the 4GB of DDR3 memory doesn't hurt, either. A low-voltage processor trails in speed against the standard voltage ones found in the X201 (Core i5-540M) and the Z116GXS (Core i5-520M), so overall tests like PCMark Vantage (where it scored 5,924) and CineBench R10 (7,873) clearly favored its two rivals. The 2540p does have an upgrade path to standard volt processors, but you lose the optical drive and the battery benefits in the process.
The appeal of a low-voltage processor is that it's battery efficient, so even though my unit shipped with a 62WH battery (6-cell), it still managed a score of 8 hours 2 minutes on MobileMark 2007. The Sony Z116GXS, with a similar battery (57WH), scored just 5 hours 10 minutes. Battery life still hinges on the size of the battery, which is why the Lenovo X201 nearly hit the 10-hour mark (9:36) with its 94WH (9-cell) battery. The 2540p has a 9-cell battery option as well, which HP claims will drain in 10.5 hours.
A business ultraportable with a 12-inch screen is a rarity, because too many features end up on the chopping block. The HP EliteBook 2540p makes the fewest sacrifices in the 12-inch space by including an internal optical drive, optimal connectivity ports, and numerous processor options. The Lenovo ThinkPad X201 has as many processor options, but trails the 2540p in terms of features and looks. If you want to take the ultraportable experience even further, the Sony VAIO VPC-Z11ZGXS sits in a class all by itself.
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