HP today announced the ProBook 5310m, a 13.3-inch Windows 7 notebook for small business users. Weighing in at just 3.8 pounds and measuring .9 inches thick, this sleek black system with annodized brushed aluminum accents and an island keyboard is perfect for frequent travelers craving performance and a respite from conservative business notebook designs.

The 5310m starts at $699 with a dual-core Intel Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) processor (the new SU2300, to be exact) but a more powerful standard voltage processor (the Core 2 Duo SP9300) is also available. Depending on whether you go for ULV, which is designed to conserve battery life, or Core 2 Duo, you can expect between 6.5 and 7 hours of battery life. If you get an SSD, though, that ULV processor is expected to last an impressive 8 hours on a charge.

Terrifically, 320GB 7,200 rpm drives are standard (you can also opt for a 128GB SSD).В  And the touchpad supports multi-touch gestures, the first we’ve seen in a business-oriented noteook. LED-backlit displays are also standard. The chassis itself has 4 USB ports, which is generous. Road warriors can also configure it with integrated EV-DO or HSPA mobile broadband.

But it’s not all about the hardware.

HP updated its InstantOn OS QuickLook, now in its third version, which allows you to not only read e-mails on the go (Microsoft Outlook required), but also write new messages, which your notebook will send as soon as you have an Internet connection. HP also introduced QuickWeb for browsing the Web without fully booting up the computer. We’re still scratching our heads why the two bits of software, QuickLook and QuickWeb, weren’t built into one application, but we’re glad to see improvements.

The ProBook 5310m series will start at $699 and will ship within the next few weeks.