Thinkpads Forum

Hi everybody!

I've bought this cheap HP NC4400 some weeks ago with several missing parts. Now it's finally restored and I took a picture of it next to my X41. I cannot stop admiring how nice and sleek X4* really are

Enjoy!

Hmm how come the fingerprint scanner is on the screen bezel when there isn't the tablet hinge? Like the x41

pvmacguy wrote:Hmm how come the fingerprint scanner is on the screen bezel when there isn't the tablet hinge? Like the x41

Only HP knows why!

It's not a comfortable place, every time you scan your finger it's inevitable that you leave some fingerprint marks on the LCD.

More pics:

Wow, both have 12.1" XGA but the HP is so much bigger, and according to HP's web site it weighs 3.9 lbs! With very few exceptions (e.g. the cute little nc2400 that I had a while back), HP laptops tend to be heavy and bulky, so I have almost never been tempted to buy them. Apple, Dell, Sony and Toshiba have introduced a lot more attractive laptops (with better quality than HP too).

pianowizard wrote:Wow, both have 12.1" XGA but the HP is so much bigger, and according to HP's web site it weighs 3.9 lbs! With very few exceptions (e.g. the cute little nc2400 that I had a while back), HP laptops tend to be heavy and bulky, so I have almost never been tempted to buy them. Apple, Dell, Sony and Toshiba have introduced a lot more attractive laptops (with better quality than HP too).

Well, I was also expecting kind of plastic quality in the HP before I bought it, but I have to say it feels quite sturdy and not cheap at all. It's not Thinkpad quality, but I can imagine it can take some beating if used on the road.

I also find this HP sturdier than the Dells D420/D430 we use in the office. I cannot compare to other brands in this size due to lack of experience. I'm happy I bought this HP, maybe I can resell it and buy an X6*

Tasurinchi wrote:I was also expecting kind of plastic quality in the HP before I bought it, but I have to say it feels quite sturdy and not cheap at all. It's not Thinkpad quality.

I believe the HP nc2400 that I had uses the same material as your nc4400. I agree it's very good material and my nc2400 felt very sturdy. Its apparent quality actually beats some Thinkpads', e.g. IBM's R3* through R5* series.

But on average, HP laptops have the worst reliability among the major laptop brands -- see http://www.pcmag.com/image_popup/0,1871 ... 801,00.asp and http://www.squaretrade.com/htm/pdf/Squa ... y_1109.pdf . That's what I was referring to in my previous post. I was considering buying an HP netbook at one point but after seeing those surveys, I changed my mind!

I refuse to trust those surveys, especially when they've been able to give Apple high reliability marks when user experience is otherwise.

However, this is the magic of statistics. That and the "human" variable, not the engineering side.

Speaking of which, Sony keyboards are of questionable quality, which also have been excluded from the statistics there too.

I love the X4x series tablets, i'd be all over that if it weren't for the lack of the touchpad. Maybe I could get used to it... I love the size. Perfect.

Equivalent models to the X4 series with touchpads are bigger and heavier. So I think you will have to choose either to carry more weight and use a touchpad or carry less weight and use a trackpoint

Or I suppose I could just carry a mini-mouse with me, or get used to to the trackpoint.

Getting used to the trackpoint after a well-set habit of using touchpads can be a challenge, but nevertheless possible.

The most common mistake trackpoint novices make is trying to actually move the finger on the trackpoint, like they do on a touchpad/trackball. This is not what should be done. The finger should stay put, and only the pressure should shift.

After one is past that milestone, the next step is adjusting the sensitivity to the level of maximum comfort, speed and precision. The actual trackpoint cap used (Thinkpads come with a choice of 3) can make a huge difference. I found with time that I much prefer the inverted cap (known as the soft rim), as it requires much less pressure from me to achieve the same results, hence I can use it for prolonged periods of time without fatigue.

Okay, thank you. Maybe to practice I will disable the touchpad.

Okay, nearly an hour of trackpoint-only internet browsing has my fingers cramping up. Could someone tell me the correct way to position your hand while using the trackpoint?

I use my index finger on the point, and the thumb to press the buttons. I try to keep the palm as relaxed as possible. If you have large hands, I can see how it can be problematic.

That was also how I was doing it, and I even tried a two-handed method after that. Maybe I just am not suited to use the trackpoint.

Just for the heck of it, here's my TC4400 next to an X61 (running Windows 7 and Windows 8 respectively):



The TC4400 was the tablet version of the NC4400, and was almost exactly the same, except for the screen:



It's interesting to compare the two machines. They're both 2ghz Core II Duos. HyperPi takes 1m 02.083s to calculate pi to two million digits on the X61, 1m 04.334s on the TC4400. They both have 1024x768 4:3 displays, a fingerprint reader, a pointing stick. I tend to use use the X61 more often because it's smaller and lighter (and it has an SSD in it). Tablets really need a 1600x1200 screen, 'cause most websites don't look too good with a horizontal resolution of only 768 pixels. As you can see from the picture.

I've never used a PC tablet before. The pen works very well as a pointing device, and it's great for music applications (lots of dials and buttons) and websites like Imgur, where you just graze on links. In contrast the emphasis on handwriting recognition as a means of controlling a PC - which seems to have been an obsession with some technologists for decades - feels totally misguided and doesn't work. And as a point-of-sale or data entry tablet the TC4400 is just too bulky to carry for any length of time. After having used it I can understand why modern iPod/Android-style tablets are popular; just like the old Palm Pilots, they don't try to do too much.

Nice looking machines you got there. Of course, my preference is for the Thinkpad.

How do you like Windows 8? I had it running on my X61T and I really, really liked it except for the fact that I couldn't get the tablet screen buttons operational nor would the screen auto-rotate it when I switched from laptop mode to tablet mode. If I can solve those 2 problems, then I will re-install Windows 8.