HP Compaq NX6125 Review

A Durable, Affordable Portable

Who says cost-conscious home-office and small-business workers can't afford up-to-date technology? HP's Compaq NX6125 notebook starts at a frugal $999 ($1,249 as tested), but combines security, durability, and connectivity with PCI Express architecture and readiness for 64-bit software. It doesn't pretend to be a full-on desktop replacement, but it's well suited to work on the road.

The 64-bit migration path is courtesy of AMD's Turion 64, the Athlon 64's low-wattage mobile sibling. HP offers a choice of Turion 64 processors, starting with the ML-28 (1.6GHz, 512K of Level 2 cache) and topping off with the ML-37 (2.0GHz, 1MB L2 cache) in our test system.

For now, however, HP sticks with 32-bit software, preloading Windows XP Professional SP2, Sonic's RecordNow, InterVideo's WinDVD, and the 60-day trial version of Symantec's Norton AntiVirus 2005. Your other operating-system choices are Win XP Home Edition and FreeDOS.

Portable and Durable

At 6.1 pounds, the NX6125 is a bit on the heavy side for the "thin and light" category to which HP says it belongs, but it's a welcome alternative to the 8-pound-plus laptops often found in this price bracket. The 10.5 by 12.9 by 1.2-inch, steel-gray case won't turn heads or win beauty contests, but HP makes up for the plain-Jane design with features designed to keep it looking new: Scratch-resistant laminates and a spill-resistant keyboard minimize the risk of damaging critical components, while what the company calls a Panel Protection System fights scuff marks and scratches on the display.

The latter is a bright and clear 15-inch LCD; base models offer XGA (1,024 by 768) resolution, while fancier configurations feature a 1,400 by 1,050-pixel display with wider viewing angles. ATI's Radeon Xpress 200M chipset and Mobility Radeon X300 controller provide the integrated graphics, which unfortunately eats up as much as 128MB of the system's 512MB of DDR333 memory. In addition to ordering more RAM, you might want to upgrade the base model's modest 40GB hard disk; our test system had a 60GB hard drive plus DVD±RW drive.

The Compaq's desktop-sized, full-pitch keyboard scored big points with us, providing ample space for comfortable typing. In addition to a full set of cursor-control, editing, and function keys, you'll find handy hotkeys that let you configure instant access to volume controls and a presentation mode to launch multimedia files or PowerPoint shows.

The roomy Synaptics touchpad provides two slightly contoured mouse buttons to help make your quick clicks a little more accurate, as well as guidelines on the right side to help touchpad novices with the scroll function. An optional smart-card reader provides easy access to songs from an MP3 player or pictures from a digital camera.

High Security

HP's utility software provides automatic network detection -- you just have to enter the correct IP address -- for both the NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet and 802.11b/g wireless adapters (802.11a/b/g and Bluetooth are optional). HP ProtectTools software works with an integrated biometric fingerprint reader to help prevent unauthorized access to your notebook and network. If you share the laptop with coworkers, the NX6125 can store fingerprint information for up to five users. A Drivelock utility lets you set a password to protect secure data on the hard drive if the laptop should be lost or stolen.

We were impressed with the system's battery life; the six-cell lithium-ion pack came within a few minutes of meeting HP's advertised life of three hours and 45 minutes. If that's not long enough for you, an optional travel battery promises up to seven and a half hours' unplugged use. The notebook's 65-watt AC adapter is suitably slim and light.

Even with the Turion 64 CPU, the Compaq NX6125 offers more in terms of portability than performance, but professionals who don't want to spend a fortune won't find much to argue about with the system. Above-average security and networking features and battery life join sturdy construction to make it a solid, workhorse companion for traveling from office to home to hotel to conference room.

Adapted from SmallBusinessComputing.com.

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