HP ZBOOK X2
As a more niche product, availability of the ZBook X2 may not be as universal as the
other two products, but shop around and you should be able to find it.et’smakethisclear:theHPZBook
X2isn’twinninganyawardsfor
value.Noneofthese2-in-1sare
budgetproducts,buttheX2costs
morethantheothertwolaptopscombined.It
doesn’tquiteoccupythesamemainstream
convertiblepositionastheother2-in-1s
we’relookingathere.WhiletheZBookX2’s
appearancemightsuperficiallyplaceit
alongsideproductsliketheMicrosoft’s
SurfacePro,thisisa powerfultoolfor
professionalcreatives.
HPinitiallymarketedtheZBookX2asa
‘detachableworkstation’,andthatmonikerrings
true.TheX2isa bitolderthantheSpectrex360
andtheXPS 13 7390,anditcertainlylooksit:a
chunky,weightytabletwithlargebuttonsinlaid
onthebezel.It’sstrangelyreminiscentof
plastickytabletsfromthemid2000s,buthasa
farsuperiorbuildquality.
Thatqualityextendstotheinternalhardware.
TheX2hasa discreteGPU,theNvidiaQuadro
M620,designedfordemandingvideoediting,
3Drenderingandgraphicdesigntasksina
lightweightdevice.Runninga standaloneGPU
exacts a heavy toll on the battery, though,
cutting the battery life down to about four hours.
Our X2 also has a quad-core Intel processor, 16GB
of RAM and a 1TB SSD.
The six buttons either side of the display act as
hotkeys compatible with Adobe’s suite of creative
software. It’s great; instant, physical-feedback
keys that enable the user to lock the touchscreen,
and to pan, zoom and preview, plus a selection of
other functions. Using the ZBook X2, it’s clear
that this is a finely specialised tool.
Backing up that creative angle is a Wacom
stylus with almost zero latency and excellent
pressure sensitivity. It’s a joy to use, and comes
with its own little case. The 4K screen is bright
and colourful, with a wide viewing angle and an
anti-glare sheen over the top that makes the X2
usable even in brightly lit environments.
In terms of connectivity, this offers a far
superior selection than its competitors. In
addition to USB-C ports, there’s an HDMI port,
and a fingerprint scanner. The X2 only uses Wi-Fi
5, but that’s not really a dealbreaker.
On the whole, the ZBook X2 loses out to the
other two convertible laptops in many areas. But
it’s greater than the sum of its parts, and is an
extremely effective and versatile device for
content creators who need the best hardware
they can currently get their hands on.
L
HP
ZBOOK X2
A tablet PC with detachable keyboard
for creatives who like versatility
“In terms of connectivity,
the X2 offers a far
superior port selection”
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76 |^ |^ April 2020