The 2560p's input ergonomics are very good. The keyboard is recessed into the deck far enough that you achieve a comfortable wrist angle with your palms resting on the front part of said deck. The response is relatively crisp; and unlike many Chiclet-style designs, the keyboard has slightly concave keys to promote confident finger placement. The touchpad, with its two sets of buttons (above for use when typing, and below for two-handed cursoring), offers great response. Being able to double-tap in the upper-left corner to enable or disable it is a neat touch, too.

HP's preinstalled applets are surprisingly useful, though anyone familiar with Windows can skip several of them. HP's ProtectTools now has a cleaner interface and offers drive encryption, finger-swipe biometrics, and facial recognition with Bluetooth confirmation. You'll also find a nice power utility that will even control some external monitors--if they happen to be HP models. The operating system is Windows 7 Professional.

If you need an ultraportable laptop that you can be confident will stand up to a few years of heavy use, the HP EliteBook 2560p deserves a look. A three-year warranty and on-site service are available to provide additional peace of mind.