HP Compaq 6735s review

HP’s Compaq 6735s is the cheapest business laptop here.

This is partly due to the cheaper AMD processor. Although it runs at 2GHz like most other processors here, its real-world performance is slower: its PCMark Vantage Overall score was 16 per cent slower than the slowest Intel-based laptop. This is partly because Windows Vista Business doesn’t have a built-in MPEG2 decoder, which our benchmarks require. However, if you’re more interested in writing emails and office documents and browsing the web than you are in watching films, you’ll find this laptop’s performance more than adequate.

Unfortunately, other corners have been cut. The 6735s has the smallest hard disk here, with a capacity of 160GB. Plus, there’s no webcam for videoconferencing and no Gigabit Ethernet. Bluetooth support, Draft-N WiFi and four USB ports go some way to making up for this.

The 6735s has a sensible design. There are no media control or short cut buttons, but there’s a button to turn WiFi and Bluetooth on and off to maximise battery life. The battery lasted three hours and 18 minutes in our test, which is average.

The screen has a matt finish to minimise reflections but this makes colours look muted. The backlighting is even, but there’s a slight blue tint; this suits office applications, but makes movies and photos look cold.

The keyboard has full-size keys and uses a standard layout. Its action isn’t as springy as that of Asus’s X59GL, but it has more feedback and is pleasant to type on. The touchpad is small but responsive and has rounded, raised buttons with plenty of travel.

The Compaq 6735s isn’t as fast as others here and lacks hard disk space, but with its collect-and-return warranty it isn’t a bad deal. Asus’s X59GL is cheaper, has the best warranty and is better suited for multimedia, but if you need Draft-N wireless, Bluetooth and a slightly longer battery life, the 6735s is a good choice.