HP EliteBook hits 24-hour battery life

Darius Chang | Sep 09, 2008

The HP EliteBook 6930p without the external Ultra-Capacity Battery.

Not long after Dell wowed us with the Latitude E6500 and its 19-hour battery life, HP is quick to follow by declaring that the EliteBook 6930p can run the course of an entire day (24 hours) on a single charge.

But a quick disclaimer. Both models require LED-backlit displays and SSD storage options, which can raise the price by over S$1,500 (US$1,003.81). In addition, the Latitude requires the S$232.19 (US$155.38) nine-cell battery combined with a S$444.05 (US$297.16) Extended Battery Slice. The HP is a little more pocket friendly in this aspect and needs only the addition of the external Ultra-Capacity Battery (which is available only in certain Asia-Pacific markets for US$189) to complement the bundled six-cell. Another factor to consider is that the claimed battery life is unlikely to take into account Wi-Fi consumption and other computing loads.

So with a 5-hour lead over the Latitude E6500, is getting an EliteBook a no brainer? Well, not really. If you are a frequent flyer who needs a laptop to survive the rigors of travel, then the semi-rugged EliteBook is perfect. However, for those requiring a larger screen and discrete Nvidia Quadro graphics, then the 15.4-inch Latitude is the one to go for. Furthermore, the Latitude can also be equipped with an FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) fingerprint reader for even more security.

The EliteBook 6930p starts at S$2,800 (US$1,873.79) and is available in stores throughout Asia.

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