$3,700 HP EliteBook 8560w Offers Blazing Performance, But Short Battery Life

It has a quad-core i7 processor, a full 1080p HD display,  ISV-certified AMD graphics and can support five displays simultaneously. Targeting the creative professional market, the HP EliteBook 8560w workstation is a great combination of design, security, and performance worthy of its 3.5 star rating. (Check out the full review here.) But is it worth the $3,788 price tag?

Decked out in a austere gunmetal-colored aluminum-magnesium hybrid chassis, the EliteBook 8560w is both durable and stylish. During our testing, the notebook gave impressive performance, showing off its ability to handle the most taxing tasks including working on detailed spreadsheet macros or advanced video editing.  The pot gets sweeter when HP throws in a dedicated color calibrator, enhanced SRS audio, and HP ProtectTools easy to use security software including a fingerprint reader.

Despite everything the notebook has going for it, there were a few things that kept the EliteBook 8650w from reaching the upper echelon such as a short, 25-hour battery life and no SSD, despite its massive price. While the HP EliteBook 8560w will appeal to graphic design and cinemotography crowd, the nearly $4,000 worth of sticker shock is sure to give anyone pause.

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