The HP Compaq 2710p is a highly configurable convertible notebook with some ultracool features. It doesn’t have a very fast processor or an integrated optical drive, but its battery life is fabulous and its screen is responsive

The 2710p is somewhat ruggedized, with a full magnesium alloy enclosure that gives the 3.7-pound unit a stylish industrial look. HP says that the glass top is chemically strengthened, as well, and that the drives are shock-protected to stabilize hard-drive components during a fall. The 12.1-inch, 1280-by-800, LED-backlit screen is very bright and viewable indoors or outdoors. White and other light colors on the screen look crisp and glare-free even in bright sunshine. Indoors, the screen doesn’t have the same annoying sheen under office lights that some indoor/outdoor tablets do.

A 2-megapixel Webcam sits above the screen, next to a tiny light that pops out right above the screen for typing in the dark. In the center of the keyboard sits the aforementioned ThinkPad-style pointing stick, with two mouse buttons right below the spacebar. We know a lot of people still use pointing sticks, but touch pads have become the default for laptops, and we’ve seen them omitted in only a very small subsection of ultraportable systems for space reasons.

The basic computing specification is pretty good, too, starting with a 1.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. And it’s a low voltage chip, hence, the good battery life.

On the downside this didn’t return particularly good scores in our tests, although it is good enough to run most business applications. We would also have liked to see more than just 1GB of memory configured as standard, especially given the note in the box telling us that HP recommends at least 2GB for Windows Vista, the Business edition of which is supplied with this model.

Those looking to video conference will be pleased with the offering. The 2710p includes a built-in camera and microphone, and those keen to work in the dark will enjoy the rather gimmicky, but none the less working Nightlight which at the press of a button ejects a light that then steals some of the light from the display and shines it down on the keyboard. What is wrong with illuminated keys we aren’t sure, but HP does offer them here.

The Core 2 Duo 1.2GHz ULV processor has no problem running multiple applications. I didn’t experience much lag during boot-up or while surfing the Web either. The 2710p I reviewed came with 2GB of memory, which had no problems handling Vista. It also had a 80GB (4200 rpm) hard drive, which leaves you plenty of space to store those media files or documents. The ULV processor helps save on battery life as well, so compromising a little performance isn’t bad.