Buying today, which of these two would you choose, or...

[Onus]

Time to do it. I've been reviewing laptop specs until my butt was about to merge with my chair. Battery life and durability are the most important factors (it may be taken where the power provided is solar). This laptop will be used for communication/email/surfing. I don't want a touch screen, which means I want Windows 7. I think I've narrowed it down to these two:
1. Acer TravelMate P6 TMP633-M-6639 Intel Core i3 4GB Memory 500GB HDD 13.3" Notebook Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834314055
2. HP ProBook 4540s (C9K70UT#ABA) Intel Core i3 3110M (2.40GHz) 4GB Memory 500GB HDD 15.6" Notebook Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit
http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834256821

I like the Acer for amazing battery life, and the TravelMate is their more durable line. The HP however also appears to be able to take a SSD internally (which would improve its battery life also), and my personal experience with HP Support was good. It also has better graphics, and an optical drive.
Which of these two would you choose, and why? Is there a choice I've overlooked? Thanks.

Oh yeah...the budget is $500; might wiggle to $600 though.

 

[Emerald]

the HP only come with a 4400mAh battery but you can get a 9 cell 6600mAh one which should give you based on HP website 13.75 hours.

also the HP does not seem to come with Bluetooth

the Acer is the lighter one of the two and has the smaller foot print

both systems should be upgraded to 8GB for better performance

both system can be upgraded to an SSD

people reported issue with mouse pad on the HP

HP come with a 10-key which can be helpful if you have to enter number

Acer needs a USB optical drive to install software or watch movies.

HP seems to have the better display

 

[Onus]

Hmmm, I didn't know the HP had a bigger battery available. That makes a big difference.

 

[jjb8675309]

Paying that much for a sub 1080p display just urks me a bit... I feel like you can get a bit better value at the $6-700 pricepoint. I know a budget is a budget but that is my 2 cents.

I've been eyeing this... not that I would buy it from Best Buy, but I feel that it is a pretty good deal... http/www.bestbuy.com/site/toshiba-satellite-15-6-laptop-6gb-memory-750gb-hard-drive-smart-silver/3336005.p?id=1219090456895&skuId=3336005#tab=specifications

 

[Onus]

Thinking about bigger batteries made me realize that physical size and weight was another potential issue, so I revised again, reviewed more sites and models, and then selected http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834313707 for its miniscule size, extreme durability, and battery life. Performance should be adequate for its intended uses. I will be sure to review it when it arrives.