The HP 550 is based on the generally older HP 6720s and is a predecessor to the HP 6730s (Intel) and HP 6735s (AMD). The re-use of the previous case and the availability of only one variant with a Celeron M 550, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and a GMA X3100 are HP's first cost-cutting measures. Customers only have the choice of getting the system with or without Windows Vista Basic. On the HP homepage, another model (NN308EA) is mentioned with clearly superior hardware, including an Intel Core 2 Duo T5670 processor, 2GB of RAM, and Vista Business, however, it is not currently available at any well-known retailer.

We are now using the FreeDos economy edition, which has a retail value of around 340,- Euro, to install and test the system with Windows XP Professional. We also had a quick look at Linux in the form of Ubuntu 8.1, a popular and easy Linux version that offers, even more, cost savings while still providing a wide selection of programs and functions. We installed another GB of RAM and measured battery life with the optional 8-cell battery for those who want to upgrade.

The case, as previously said, is from the HP Compaq 6720s series, which also finds a home in the HP 550. The lid and keyboard area are covered in a shining titanium-colored plastic finish, which adds to the system's overall appeal while keeping it professional. The display area is a gritty grey plastic with a slick black border that fits in nicely with the unit's "understated" look.

The underside of the case is also consistent with the gritty plastic design and, like the rest of the case, is easy to clean and low maintenance. The system's claimed weight of 2.5 kg was a little surprising. The system we tested weighed 2.29 kg without the battery and 2.62 kg with the 6-cell battery, which is significantly higher. There are no smaller or fewer cell batteries available, which might contribute to weight reduction.

The casing quality is nearly the same as that of we recently tested HP Compaq 6735s. The instance demonstrates where HP has made progress and, conversely, where the HP 550 continues to falter. Our review of HP 550's display had an unappealing resistance to pressure, and the underneath loudspeakers were similarly lacking. Everything makes a strong impact and is occasionally cringe-worthy owing to flaws. The placement of the function buttons above the keyboard, as well as the touchpad's various dimensions and protrusion portions, are also unconvincing. Because only some areas of the keyboard appear to rest on the construction underneath it and nothing else, it may be twisted and pressed across its whole width.

Furthermore, we were quick to critique the display clasp, which is designed to keep the chassis and screen together during shipping. The ghost of the HP 6735s' workmanship can be found here, which will undoubtedly have a negative impact in the long run. We were also surprised to see that when the laptop was closed and carried around, the optical drive's tray would sag slightly, giving the impression of being loose. We were also surprised by the maximum opening angle of 135°, which is inconvenient for working with a laptop on your lap. We liked how stable the device was even when it wasn't connected to the battery, which made battery replacement and protection easier in a network of HP 550 machines.

The user interfaces are similar to those seen on netbooks, but they are still quite basic. The system won't exactly fly away, thanks to the limited interfaces, the Expresscard/54, and the old modem interface. Three USB ports, an analog VGA output, 10/100 Ethernet, a card reader (SD/MMC), and an Audio in/out are also included. For wireless networking, the Broadcom W-LAN module is utilized, which uses the b/g standards. Bluetooth is not an option and must be given by an external solution if absolutely essential. Faster connections, such as Firewire, eSata, or standard business connections, are not included and must be made up for with USB or ExpressCard alternatives.

On its homepage, HP offers customers a choice of warranty-extension options and accessories, the prices of which are not justified in light of the system's pricing. The placement of the USB ports on the left side was viewed as a disadvantage. While there are three USB ports in theory, when you plug in a device with a large enough width, such as UMTS or DVB-T equipment, one of the ports is blocked by the other. In this situation, USB extension cables would be required to comfortably use three USB devices.

Furthermore, the ExpressCard port can only be used with USB devices that are connected to it via an extension cable. Due to the short gaps between the interfaces, such constraints force the system to perform poorly once again. The problem has been largely remedied in subsequent generations by adding two additional USB ports to the right-hand side.

Input Devices

The keyboard makes a strong first impression with its bad layout and key size, as well as a sound that is somewhat off-putting. This is unlikely to be a problem for persons who type for short periods of time or for occasional users. These flaws, on the other hand, are of interest to more demanding users, and if not the system's demise, the keyboard is a significant drawback.

The touchpad, on the other hand, is precise and offers a straightforward interface. While there is no haptic feedback, the right-hand scroll bar is worth mentioning because it functions nicely. While the rubber surfaces of the touchpad keys are appealing at first glance, they disappoint upon closer inspection due to poor manufacturing quality, as demonstrated by the poor fit and sluggish reaction of the left button.

As previously stated, the HP 550 is only available in one configuration, and the Bright-View WXGA Display with a 16:10 aspect ratio is no exception. The LG/Philips panel has a resolution of 1280x800 pixels, which is normal for 15.4" displays. Many of the newer models lack the overall good contrast of earlier glare displays. This is especially true for this panel, which has a contrast ratio of 184:1. This may be noticed, as usual, in the pastel color palette's low saturation of colors.

The brightness and illumination provide a much clearer image of the system. The display provides good values, with an average of 196 cd/m2 and a brightness distribution of 80,5 percent, and as a result, the system should not be overlooked in favor of its substantially more expensive competitors. Although the system isn't intended for outdoor use, the high brightness values on the interior can at least compensate for the reflections created by the display's glossy surface in dim lighting. The more visible the reflections become as the image darkens and the ambient light rises.

The image stability declines when the display is tilted vertically, horizontal viewing angles are consistently reasonably steady, allowing extra users sat next to the main user to enjoy a comparatively undistorted image.

As previously stated, our test HP 550 FU408EAsystem arrived without a Windows operating system and instead came with FreeDos. The installation of Windows XP Pro was not without issues, which could only be resolved after removing and reformatting the hard drive externally. Such wrangling does, in fact, allow for cost savings and should so be addressed. However, you can go to the HP support site, which has drivers that are included on the Windows installation DVD and allow you to skip the lengthy update procedure after installation.

A variety of Linux distributions are available for bargain hunters who do not have a Windows OS installation CD. For testing, we selected the popular Ubtunu 8.1, which we found to be extremely impressive.

Problems with the installation...? Reporting errors! (Whether problems arise during the initial installation of Linux from Windows XP and are caused by a Windows XP-specific issue (such as driver issues) is impossible to say in retrospect. In any event, potential difficulties should be considered.) Using the Linux operating system, the rather outdated hardware, which is widely maintained, can gain traction. All devices are recognized without issue, and their appropriate drivers are found. After a successful installation, the user can expect a neat desktop that, despite its 'otherness,' is easy to get used to.

While some products, such as Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Office, are not available for Linux, most Windows apps have a Linux equivalent. The image-editing suite "Gimp" and the powerful Open Office are included in the preceding demonstrations. It has the same work speed as Windows XP, but there are no limits to cope with. Disc-burning software, browsers, e-mail, small games, scanning software, video players, and other utilities are all bundled and easily accessible. There is no difference between Windows and Linux when it comes to noise levels. Surfing through WLAN resulted in a 20-minute increase in battery life, implying that Linux hardware runs more efficiently. This also appears to back up the reported minimum power consumption of 15.1 Watts.

The HP 550 has a Celeron M 550 processor (2.0 GHz / 533 MHz FSB/1 MB L2 Cache), 1GB RAM, a Hitachi 160GB hard drive, and Intel GMA X3100 integrated graphics. A maximum of 2GB RAM is allowed as a base for the slimmed-down Intel GL960 chipset. When a second 2GB module was inserted, the machine crashed, confirming this theory.

What is the strength of our set-up? The system provided some grim results. The machine scored 2363 points in PC Mark 05 and 243 points in 3D Mark 06, so it's no surprise that it's a laptop. We measured 2417 points in PC Mark'05 and 266 points in 3D Mark'06 with an extra 1GB of RAM, which suggests that an extra GB makes only minor effects and is well within the margin of error. However, with extra RAM, some Photoshop functions are noticeably smoother.

While the current benchmark scores provide a clear comparison to other contemporary notebooks, many apps, such as Office, the internet, and basic photo editing, feel remarkably fluid. When you try to run many applications at once, such as an anti-virus program and an internet browser with multiple windows open, you'll notice the lack of a second core that would ease the CPU's stress. The X3100 is unable of handling 3D-intensive applications like as 3D games, 3D animation, or CAD work. While classic games with low graphics needs, such as Stronghold, The Settlers, or Age of Empires, can still be played on this system, it is not recommended for professional purposes.

With a transfer rate of 47.1 Mb/s, the 2.5" Hitachi 5400 rpm hard drive produces acceptable results. The hard disk is relatively substantial, at 160GB, and should be able to handle a wide range of home-office applications. The LG optical drive, which has a Lightscribe feature in addition to the regular read/write functions, has a fairly average read/write speed, similar to the Samsung drive in the HP 6735s, but it runs silently and should please most people.

Overall, the HP 550 performs better than many of its similarly priced Atom-based netbooks. However, it is significantly slower than dual-core notebooks with superior features.

The HP 550 reached 177 minutes in the Battery Eater Readers test (maximum potential running duration) with its normal configuration, which is a decent run time. Minimum power consumption of 17.6W is used to accomplish this. This is even more impressive when you realize that Celeron M 550 CPUs lack energy-saving features like Enhanced SpeedStep, which dynamically adjusts clock speed.

Although the alternative 8-cell battery life, with a capacity of 63 Wh, extends battery life to 240 minutes, the savings are totally offset by the higher cost of 90,- Euro. Those who believe this is the best option may investigate the HP 6730s or 6735s, both of which include an 8-cell battery.

With its 6-cell battery, the notebook lasted 75 minutes in the Battery Eater Classic test, which places a significant demand on the system (47 Wh). Even if such a strong load is unlikely to occur in practice, it demonstrates how quickly the battery life diminishes. When comparing the performance of the 8-cell battery to the performance of the 4-cell battery, the battery life rises by 27 minutes to 107 minutes.

With WLAN turned off, we were able to watch a video for 109 minutes, which should be more than enough time for most films. Surfing the web over WLAN took 131 minutes, with a minimum of 82 minutes and a maximum of 175 minutes. As a result, the system's mobility is limited, and many notebook-specific applications may be excluded.

Without a question, the HP 550 is a budget notebook. It is helpful for a variety of jobs, and its configuration is likely to be used to meet the needs of its users, despite its antiquated hardware.

Because of the low price, you must accept some disadvantages. The configuration possibilities are restricted to one model, Bluetooth is not supported, several interfaces are situated in an inconvenient location, and the case/processing quality will not satisfy all potential customers. However, problems with the OS installation will not be difficult for every user, who will be able to solve them without assistance. Upgrade and expansion options are available, however, given the system's pricing, it would be more cost-effective to purchase a more costly competitor's notebook. Take the HP 550 for what it is if you want to get the most value for your money out of it.

Despite the display's shiny surface and its class's short battery life, the good Linux compatibility (Ubuntu 8.1) and the extremely inexpensive price, which is less than many netbooks, really swayed us.

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