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4.0 stars
"Compact, highly portable and a good value"
Pros: Good battery life, lightweight and easy to work with
Cons: Heat problems, tiny speaker and somewhat expensive price tag
Summary: I've been using HP professional series notebooks for awhile now (from the 6515b to the nc6210) and have been a notebook user for a number of years. The problem with many notebooks is that even if they are 15" or even 14", the weight of the notebook drags on you after awhile. So I decided to go with a 12" or even 13.3" to see if this class of notebook would offer a better sense of portability for my day to day work.
After reviewing a number of articles and coverage on different "ultra-portables" from different manufacturers, the 2510p stood out due to the fact that it was another in the HP professional series (which I'd gotten used to over time), and had a weight category that was very impressive (only 2.8lbs starting, without battery). What really brought me towards the decision of the purchase was the battery life: with a 6-cell battery I could realize over 5 hours lifespan without going back to the AC adapter.
Having used the 2510p for a few weeks now, I can safely say that I am satisfied with the purchase although there are a few problems I can see. For example, the notebook gets incredibly hot on the right hand side (close to the fan. This usually happens when I run video or 3D applications so thankfully most of the time the notebook runs quietly, and the heat level is acceptable. The fan itself blows towards the bottom of the case (not sure if HP did this because they didn't want to deal with a blower+heatpipe design or because a face-down face might run more quietly than a blower).
Another problem is that the notebook is somewhat expensive. I was able to find a good value buy from an auction site but this isn't a notebook that you can buy in any normal retail outlet, so you'll have to shop online. Lastly, there is a single tiny speaker (yes, only (1) one). The sound output is okay (plays videos and games with respectable performance), but its not exactly top of the line. For a small notebook like this, you really can't ask for much more though.
With a 1280x800 resolution and support for up to 2GB of memory and even a built-in DVD-RW (a really rare find in these smaller notebooks!), I think the 2510p was an excellent purchase for my business, and it'll be liberating to get rid of my bulky 15".
