Recently my office purchased for me a HP Compaq nw9440 mobile workstation. I was charged with the task of researching what notebook computers would be acceptable by me, so the decision of what to acquire fell squarely on my shoulders. I’m an attorney, working mainly with office and internet research applications, but I’m also a computer enthusiast and gamer in my private time. Therefore, I needed something that looked all business, but had a core that could satisfy my off-time personal uses.
The specs of the nw9440 purchased are as follows:
- Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 (2.0 GHz, 4 MB L2 cache, 667 MHz FSB)
- Screen: 17" WSXGA Matte Widescreen (1680 x 1050) wide viewing angle
- Graphics: NVIDIA Quadro FX 1500M, 256 MB
- RAM: 1 GB (667 MHz) DDR2 SDRAM (1 x 1 GB, expandable to 4 GB)
- Hard Drive: 80 GB (7200 rpm) SATA
- Optical Drive: LightScribe DVD+/-RW SuperMulti with Double Layer
- Audio: ADI High Definition CODEC, Integrated 16-bit Sound Blaster Pro compatible audio,
- Integrated stereo speakers, Integrated directional microphone, External volume up and down,and mute buttons, Stereo headphone/line out, Stereo microphone in
- OS: Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2
- Battery: 8-cell lithium ion
- Weight: 7.5 lbs.
- Integrated Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
- Dimensions: 1.3” (H) x 15.5” (W) x 10.8” (L)
- Ports: 4 USB 2.0, IEEE 1394(a), RJ-45, RJ-11, VGA, S-video, docking connector, battery connector, AC power Power Connector, Type I/II PC Card slot, Integrated Smart Card Reader, 7-in-1 Media Reader, Biometric Fingerprint Scanner
Reasons for Buying
When starting my research on a laptop that fit my bill of particulars, I first looked for the internal components. After a little research on current notebook components (my last laptop was purchased back in the Spring of 2002), I decided that I did not want to get something that would be left in the dust in a few months. My former Sony Vaio FX Series had been purchased with all top-of-the-line-at-the-time components, and worked fine for over four years. In fact, it’s still working fine as a college computer for my sister-in-law now. Therefore, I started looking for the best components available within a reasonable price range of less than $2,500.
My search first led me to Alienware computers, which I later found out were rebranded Clevo shells. I looked hard at the AW m7700 mobile workstation (also, Hypersonic Aviator EX7) before deciding that I wanted a notebook processor and not a desktop processor. Staying with a new Core 2 Duo in mind, I also looked at an AW m5750, a Dell XPS, and a Hypersonic Aviator CX7. I hadn’t considered HP at all. I have had bad dealings with the consumer line Pavilions, but was pressured into trying out a business class notebook by my office’s computer hardware & service provider, a local tech shop. The sales guy had a 17” nx series notebook in his office that he offered to let me play with so I could see for myself the difference in design, stability and structure. I took him up on his offer, and was amazed at the difference in the business class notebooks. A little more research and configuring, and I ended up selecting the nw9440 because I could get a high end Core 2 Duo, a very capable nVidia Quadro FX 1500M (7900 GS core), a dual-layer DVD-RW super multi drive and 1 GB of system memory all in a sleek, 17” widescreen businesslike appearance package. The icing on the cake was that this notebook features a full numeric keypad, which is very helpful for entering loads of numeric information during the tax return season.
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