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Surface Laptop vs. the competition: Back to basics
Microsoft finally built a real laptop -- not a tablet with a keyboard, or a machine with a detachable display. Just a solid traditional laptop, though one with an incredibly slim build, smooth touch and the stripped down Windows 10 S along for the ride. But, as a more straightforward machine, the Surface Laptop goes directly against competing devices from the likes of HP, Dell and Apple. With the Surface and the current MacBook Air both starting at $999, we've lined up the specs of some leading 13-inch machines to see what they can offer you for a grand and more.
HP Spectre x360 review (2016): Smaller, with more compromises
Here at Engadget, we don't have the time to review every new laptop, but we wanted to make time for HP's redesigned Spectre x360 convertible. After all, when the original came out a year and a half ago, we quickly named it one of our favorite Windows machines. So now that it's finally gotten a full makeover, we need to see if the improvements are enough to help HP keep its spot on our short list. Like the original, this new model ($1,050-plus) has a 360-degree hinge, allowing you to use it in one of four modes, but whereas the original was designed with extensive input from Microsoft, it's unclear how much of a say Microsoft had this time around. This time, too, the x360 is thinner and lighter, with a smaller footprint. It also brings a new dual fan setup for improved cooling and an upgraded webcam that supports Windows Hello facial recognition. These improvements are all welcome, and yet somehow this new version doesn't feel as polished as its predecessor.
The Spectre 13.3 is the most intriguing thing HP has made in years
It's been a long time since I've wanted to test a laptop this badly. The HP Spectre 13.3 isn't just the world's thinnest notebook; it's the most exciting device Hewlett-Packard has made in years. I mean, just look at it. The 10.4-millimeter-thick, 2.45-pound PC is as slim as a AAA battery, with a sleek new logo and copper accents inspired by classic watches. Aside from being the skinniest notebook on the planet, the Spectre 13.3 differs from its closest competitors in a few other key ways: It brings a cushier keyboard, a more powerful processor and a larger selection of ports, including a USB-C adapter in the box. (Hear that, Apple?) The idea that HP produced not just a MacBook rival but one that has a distinctive design and potentially learns from Apple's mistakes makes it very interesting indeed. After using it for two weeks, I can confirm it's largely worthy of the hype. But it's clear that in the interest of building a thin, fast PC, HP made some compromises of its own.
HP's Spectre 13.3 laptop is as thin as a AAA battery
HP's newest laptop, the Spectre 13.3, isn't like anything else in the company's lineup. In contrast to the company's candy-colored Chromebooks and plain silver notebooks, the Spectre was inspired by jewelry and women's purses. In fact, HP chose to unveil it not at CES or any other tech show but at a luxury conference in Versailles. And, at 10.4mm thin, the Spectre is about as thick as a AAA battery, making it not just the skinniest PC in HP's portfolio but the slimmest notebook on the entire market. Think of it as HP's answer to Apple's 12-inch MacBook, except with a bigger screen, extra horsepower and a little more bling.
The HP Spectre x2 is like the Surface Pro, but cheaper and lower-specced
What timing: Just a day after Microsoft announced the Surface Pro 4, HP is unveiling a similar-looking 2-in-1 of its own. Though HP has made laptop/tablet hybrids before, the new 12-inch Spectre x2 is one of the few from the company to rock a built-in kickstand, à la Microsoft's tablet. Far from being just an imposter, though, the x2 sets itself apart in several key ways, with a more adjustable kickstand and a sturdy, potentially more comfortable keyboard. Oh, and that keyboard actually comes in the box (ahem, Microsoft).
HP Spectre x360 review: What happens when Microsoft helps build a laptop?
The Spectre x360 is HP's newest flagship notebook. It's also probably the closest you'll get to seeing Microsoft build its own laptop. You see, though the machine has Hewlett-Packard's name on it, HP designed it in close collaboration with engineers from the Windows team, optimizing everything from the fan noise to the screen's color gamut. The result is a well-built laptop with fast performance, long battery life and a nearly bloatware-free version of Windows. And at $900 to start, it undercuts almost all of its rivals. Is there anything not to like?
HP teamed up with Microsoft to build its latest flagship laptop
This isn't your typical laptop announcement post. The most interesting thing about the Spectre x360, HP's new flagship notebook, isn't its design, performance or even price. No, what's interesting about this laptop is that Microsoft helped build it. Over the course of a year and a half, the two companies met regularly to hash out everything from the BIOS, fan noise and wireless range, even obsessing over details like the screen's color gamut. The result is a well-built laptop that promises long battery life, fast performance and one clean OS install. If you've ever speculated about whether Microsoft might make its own clamshell notebook, this is probably the closest you're going to get. HP of course deserves much of the credit, but make no mistake: The x360 has Redmond's stamp of approval all over it.
HP announces 15-inch Spectre XT TouchSmart Ultrabook, Envy 4 Ultrabook with touch (update: video)
If you thought laptop / tablet mashups were trendy, we can think of at least one other theme you're going to see repeated ad nauseam over the coming months: PC makers putting touchscreens on things that didn't used to have them. That's right, in addition to all those funky-looking hybrids, you're going to see lots of familiar-looking laptops get upgraded with touch in time for the Windows 8 launch. Exhibit A: HP, which just announced two conventional notebooks with touch. This includes a finger-friendly version of the 14-inch Envy 4 Ultrabook, as well as the Spectre XT TouchSmart Ultrabook, a 15-inch version of the Spectre XT announced earlier this year. Both will be available during the holiday season. That's the short version, but if you follow past the break, we've got a lot to talk about in the way of specs. Join us, will you?
HP Envy 14 Spectre review
In a previous life, the HP Envy 14 was a laptop's laptop: a 5.69-pound slugger with an optical drive, discrete AMD graphics and a battery that couldn't last four hours in our battery rundown test. That notebook -- one of our favorites in the 2010-2011 year -- met its fate last fall when HP redesigned its high-end Envy line, but instead of going wherever it is gadgets go to die it was reincarnated as an Ultrabook. The new Envy 14, dubbed the Spectre, has shed almost two pounds, along with its discrete graphics and outmoded optical drive. It's also one of the first 14-inch Ultrabooks to hit the market, but even if it weren't so oddly sized we'd have no trouble remembering it: after all, how many laptops have a built-in NFC chip, or a glass palm rest?There's no doubt about it: the Spectre is a premium machine, and it's not just that HP needed something high-end to take the place of the last-gen Envy 14. This also happens to be the company's first consumer-grade Ultrabook, and it arrives at a time when there are many to choose from. Enter HP's marketing department: the outfit's touting this thing as a "premium Ultrabook" -- the kind of machine you'd choose if you wanted a 1600 x 900 IPS-quality display or an unorthodox design. For that kind of beauty, though, you're looking at $1,400 and up -- a princely cost of entry when you consider lots of similarly specced models go for $1,100 or less. But perhaps that splurge comes with more than just a head-turning design? There's only one way to find out: follow past the break for our in-depth review.
HP Envy 14 Spectre available now, starts at $1,399
Weeks after teasing the masses with bits of what it could become, the HP Envy 14 Spectre is quietly hitting the virtual shelves today. A whopping $1,399 (with an instant discount courtesy of Meg Whitman & Co.) will get you the entry level model. If that's indeed the route you're willing to take, you can be walking out with Intel's Core i5-2467M processor and HD Graphics 3000, as well as NFC capabilities, a 128GB SSD, 4GB of memory and a 14-inch BrightView Infinity LED (1366 x 768) 1600 x 900 Radiance display. Needless to say, if you feel like this isn't quite up to par with your standards, you can head over to the source and customize one to your heart's content. Meanwhile, you can check out our own preview of the Envy 14 Spectre to decide if it's the right fit for you. Update: Looks like HP's product page went live with a typo. As reported when the Spectre was first announced, it will come standard with a 1600 x 900 Radiance display, not a 1366 x 768 BrightView Infinity LED screen. HP has since updated its page accordingly.
HP Envy 14 Spectre official: 3.97 pounds, NFC, Radiance display and glass chassis, arriving February 8 for $1,400
As far as product launches go, this one wasn't very subtle. Just last week, HP's PR team widely disseminated a brief video teasing a wispy laptop called the Spectre. We couldn't parse too many details for all the shadows and quick-cuts, but we gathered this much: it seemed to be thin, and far too sleek to be just another business-centric Ultrabook. Nope, it would be arresting, bold and highly stylized. And this time, it would be meant for mainstream consumers.Well, folks: we were right (except for the thin part, anyway). HP just unveiled the Envy 14 Spectre, and is billing it as a "premium Ultrabook." Which makes sense, since the laptop starts at $1,400, making it even pricier than the 13-inch MacBook Air (to say nothing of all those $900 ultraportables hitting the market). Above all, the company is justifying that price with a daring glass design, which HP insists makes the laptop more durable, not less so. In addition to cost, though, the trade-off to all that armor is some extra heft: the Spectre weighs in at 3.97 pounds and measures 20mm thick, making it the chubbiest 13-inch Ultrabook we've seen yet.So what does $1,400 get you, aside from a memorable design? We're told the laptop comes standard with a 14-inch, 1600 x 900 Radiance Display (hurrah!), Core i5-2467M CPU, 4GB of RAM, a nine-hour battery, backlit keyboard, carrying case and -- get this -- an NFC chip built into the palm rest for transferring URLs from your phone's browser. Other bells and whistles include Intel Wireless Display, HP's CoolSense technology, Beats, HP Wireless Audio, full copies of Photoshop and Premiere Elements and a two-year subscription to Norton Internet Security. Got that, guys? Upgrade options include a 256GB SSD and an extra 4GB of RAM, but other than that, what you see is what you get (and to be fair, you get a lot).The Spectre will go on sale in the US on February 8, continuing on to Canada, the UK, Switzerland, Germany, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Chile and Mexico in March. For now, though, head past the break for a walk-through video and some early impressions from yours truly.
HP Spectre spotted on CES show floor
What's this here? It's the stuff of CES 2012 legend -- the HP Spectre. Now, granted, we had a pretty good idea that the sexy new ultrabook is headed our way soon, but hey, here it is, in the flesh, spotted by a blurrycammed tipster roaming around the Intel booth on the CES showroom floor. It's nice to know that the thing will be there waiting for us when those doors officially open on Tuesday.
HP Spectre teaser video: fantastically thin laptop, shrouded in mystery
Why, what's this? Funny you ask -- we're wondering the same thing. A source at HP just dropped us a mysterious teaser video of a so-called Spectre laptop, a heretofore unannounced lappie that looks to be the company's next Ultrabook. In our wildest dreams, this rig has a dual-LCD setup -- similar to Toshiba's Libretto W100 and Acer's Iconia-6120 -- but perhaps the creators here were just coincidentally interested in showing us lots of glass panes. We'll be digging for more details (we're told that an official produce portal should surface tomorrow), but for now, lose your mind in the video just past the break. Update: If we had to guess, we'd say it's the Envy Spectre -- a machine that passed through the FCC's database around a week ago. %Gallery-142760%
