Images : HPT
he general consensus is that
Microsoft’s early attempts to
get Windows running on
both desktops and tablets was a
bit of a disaster, but several years
down the line the endeavour now
has a happy ending: a wealth of
versatile 2-in-1 laptop/tablet
Windows devices.
The Surface Pro might be the
gold standard, but plenty of other
PC makers are trying their luck as
well, including HP. Here we’re
looking at the latest HP Elite x2
2-in-1 – technically called the
HP Elite x2 1013 G3, the latest
incarnation of the computer
that’s on sale now.
As 2-in-1s go, this is a premium-
level one: that’s reflected in the
specs, and in the design, and, well,
in the fact that HP has made it. It’s a
laptop/tablet intended to tempt
the business traveller more than
students or home workers, but it’s
still got broad appeal.
That appeal may be limited a
little by how much you’re going to
have to spend to get one, with
prices starting north of £1,600 and
going up from there (check the
widgets on this page for up-to-date
deals). It’s going to cost you quite a
bit of money, but is it worth it?Design and build
HP has been making computers for
a long time now, and the newest
version of the HP Elite x2 ticks all
the boxes in terms of aesthetics: it’s
slim, it’s understated, and it mixes
grey and black and silver very well
indeed. At 13.2 mm (0.52 inches)
thick and with a weight of 1.18 kg
(2.6 lbs), it’s great from sliding into a
backpack or a briefcase, and taking
with you wherever you go.
The HP Elite x2 comes with a
detachable keyboard that doubles
as a cover for the screen, and we
found it a pleasure to type on (and
easy to connect and disconnect, by
the way) – much better than, say,
the official keyboard Apple bundleswith the iPad Pro. Around the back
of the tablet itself is a kickstand, for
using it in laptop mode and for
propping it up when you’re
watching movies.
As for the screen, it’s 13 inches
corner to corner, running at a very
respectable resolution of 3,000 x
2,000 pixels. The bezels are
reasonably chunky, but that’s fine- and that extra width and depth
helps when you’re using the HP
Elite x2 in tablet mode. Colours
are crisp and bright, details are
sharp, and the computer scores
highly whether you’re typing an
essay or watching movies (Netflix
looks really good on this device,
for example).
After using the HP Elite x2 we’ve
got no complaints at all about
the design and build quality, as
it’s right up there with what
Microsoft and Apple are doing.
We’re not 100 percent convinced
by the slightly recessed ports
around the edges, but there are at
HP Elite x2
From £1,600 | $2,000 http://www.hp.com
A high-quality 2-in-1 with plenty to offer, but can it justify the price?
78 |^ |^ December 2019