The 14.1” HP Compaq 6515b notebook is one of eight or so “Balanced Mobility” business machines currently being offered by HP. The 6515b is distinguished from some of its thin-and-light brethren, such as the 14.1” nc6400, by its relatively low price and AMD processor options. An AMD Sempron-based 6515b is available for as little as $650 right now, while a nicely configured AMD Turion-outfitted machine can be had for under $1000. Despite its positioning as something of a budget business notebook, the 6515b makes no sacrifices when it comes to the security and communications features one expects to find in a solid business model. Moreover, the 6515b includes some of the latest mobile technologies being offered by the newly merged AMD and ATI, namely, the AMD M690T chipset and the Radeon x1270 GPU, a coupling designed to provide good mobile performance and low power consumption.
The configuration of this review machine is slightly different than what is currently available on the HP website, but a similar 6515b, with a one-year warranty and no Bluetooth, costs $929. Step up one level, and $1199 gets you a slightly better CPU, the faster TL-56, Bluetooth and a three-year warranty. In both cases, 2GB RAM and a WWAN card will add to the price.
The 6515b is very similar, in terms of look and feel, to the laptops I occasionally use at work, which are HP Compaq nc6120s. These are solid, if unexciting, business notebooks, providing reliability, good build quality and adequate performance. When I started up the 6515b under review here, I had the feeling that I would end up viewing it in much the same manner. But after a good couple of weeks with the 6515b, I would certainly take it over the older Pentium M-based nc6120.
HP Compaq 6515b Specs as reviewed:
CPU: AMD Turion 64 X2 Mobile TL-52 (1.60 GHz/2x512 KB L2 Cache)
OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Business
Hard Drive: 120 GB SATA @ 5400RPM
Screen: 14.1" WXGA Widescreen (1280 x 800)
Graphics: ATI Radeon Xpress 1270 with up to 512 MB shared
RAM: 2.0GB DDR2 SDRAM @667 MHz (2 x 1GB)
Optical Drive: DVD SuperMulti drive (DVD+/-RW) w/Double Layer Support
Battery: 6-cell lithium ion
Wireless: Broadcom 802.11a/ b/g WiFi Adapter + Bluetooth
Optional WWAN: Integrated HP ev2200 1xEV-DO Wireless Module
Security: Fingerprint reader, TPM hardware-based encryption
Weight: 5.7 lbs
Dimensions: 1.33” (H) x 13.03 “ (W) x 9.57" (D)
Ports/Slots: docking connector; 1 IEEE 1394 (FireWire); 4 Universal Serial Bus (USB 2.0); VGA monitor out; S-video out; RJ-45 Ethernet LAN; RJ-11 modem; Type I/II PC Card Slot; 6-in-1 media reader; headphone/speaker jack; microphone
Purchasing Considerations
The 6515b should appeal to businesses, and individuals as well, looking for quality, security and usability, including good communications, provided they don't mind sacrificing top-of-the-line performance to stay below a certain price. For the vast majority of notebook users, security, connectivity, sturdiness, a decent screen and a pleasant keyboard are the main issues. And the 6515b seems to have targeted these pragmatists well.
Initial Impressions
The first thing that struck me, as noted, was how closely the 6515b resembles the familiar nc6120. The 6515b is all dark gray and black, has a clean business look, and feels very solid. Like the dv6000t, an HP consumer model I reviewed, the 6515b features touch-sensitive light-buttons, rather than protruding switches, to allow the user to perform certain basic functions, such as muting the speakers or enabling and disabling wireless. This is a nice feature, and the 6515b, thankfully, does not beep loudly, like the dv6000t, when these light-buttons are touched. All in all, what I was most impressed by was the solid feel; this notebook seems about as sturdy as any I've used. My second favorite thing, light buttons notwithstanding, was the clean, subdued look.
Design and Build
There's not a lot more to say about the look and build of the 6515b, though I might add that during two weeks of use, I was repeatedly impressed by the overall strength of the notebook. Everything, from the palm rests to the hinges, seem to have been designed to last, whether the notebook is sitting on a desk or flying around the country, and there is virtually no flex in anything. The one downside to all this strength and solidness is portability: the 6515b is slightly thicker and heavier than some other 14.1” business notebooks, such as the aforementioned nc6400.
The 6515b is very similar, in terms of look and feel, to the laptops I occasionally use at work, which are HP Compaq nc6120s. These are solid, if unexciting, business notebooks, providing reliability, good build quality and adequate performance. When I started up the 6515b under review here, I had the feeling that I would end up viewing it in much the same manner. But after a good couple of weeks with the 6515b, I would certainly take it over the older Pentium M-based nc6120.
HP Compaq 6515b Specs as reviewed:
CPU: AMD Turion 64 X2 Mobile TL-52 (1.60 GHz/2x512 KB L2 Cache)
OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Business
Hard Drive: 120 GB SATA @ 5400RPM
Screen: 14.1" WXGA Widescreen (1280 x 800)
Graphics: ATI Radeon Xpress 1270 with up to 512 MB shared
RAM: 2.0GB DDR2 SDRAM @667 MHz (2 x 1GB)
Optical Drive: DVD SuperMulti drive (DVD+/-RW) w/Double Layer Support
Battery: 6-cell lithium ion
Wireless: Broadcom 802.11a/ b/g WiFi Adapter + Bluetooth
Optional WWAN: Integrated HP ev2200 1xEV-DO Wireless Module
Security: Fingerprint reader, TPM hardware-based encryption
Weight: 5.7 lbs
Dimensions: 1.33” (H) x 13.03 “ (W) x 9.57" (D)
Ports/Slots: docking connector; 1 IEEE 1394 (FireWire); 4 Universal Serial Bus (USB 2.0); VGA monitor out; S-video out; RJ-45 Ethernet LAN; RJ-11 modem; Type I/II PC Card Slot; 6-in-1 media reader; headphone/speaker jack; microphone
Purchasing Considerations
The 6515b should appeal to businesses, and individuals as well, looking for quality, security and usability, including good communications, provided they don't mind sacrificing top-of-the-line performance to stay below a certain price. For the vast majority of notebook users, security, connectivity, sturdiness, a decent screen and a pleasant keyboard are the main issues. And the 6515b seems to have targeted these pragmatists well.
Initial Impressions
The first thing that struck me, as noted, was how closely the 6515b resembles the familiar nc6120. The 6515b is all dark gray and black, has a clean business look, and feels very solid. Like the dv6000t, an HP consumer model I reviewed, the 6515b features touch-sensitive light-buttons, rather than protruding switches, to allow the user to perform certain basic functions, such as muting the speakers or enabling and disabling wireless. This is a nice feature, and the 6515b, thankfully, does not beep loudly, like the dv6000t, when these light-buttons are touched. All in all, what I was most impressed by was the solid feel; this notebook seems about as sturdy as any I've used. My second favorite thing, light buttons notwithstanding, was the clean, subdued look.
Design and Build
There's not a lot more to say about the look and build of the 6515b, though I might add that during two weeks of use, I was repeatedly impressed by the overall strength of the notebook. Everything, from the palm rests to the hinges, seem to have been designed to last, whether the notebook is sitting on a desk or flying around the country, and there is virtually no flex in anything. The one downside to all this strength and solidness is portability: the 6515b is slightly thicker and heavier than some other 14.1” business notebooks, such as the aforementioned nc6400.
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