HP SPECTRE X2 : REVIEW

HP SPECTRE X2 : REVIEW

              It's been a trend in the past few months : Every tech company is making a mi-two product like the Microsoft Surface Pro 4.A laptop/tablet mashup is getting better every generation and iteration it is out.There are different examples: the iPad Pro from Apple, Google's Pixel C, as well as offerings from Lenovo and Dell. But HP's latest is an especially literal interpretation. The Spectre x2, as it's called, is a 12-inch Windows tablet with a keyboard cover.Also like the Surface Pro, it sports a kickstand around back and can be used with a pressure-sensitive pen. But, it's cheaper and the keyboard actually comes in the box. On the box , this looks like a groundbreaking product in comparison with the Surface pro 4, but in real-world will it really outcast it ?

Design & Features :

           
               A slate tablet with a detachable keyboard case, the Spectre x2 shares a similar design with the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 and its predecessors. The Spectre x2 has a matte-silver finish on its back, with a chrome HP logo. A stainless-steel, U-shaped kickstand pops out of the back panel when you slide the release on the left side of the tablet. The kickstand offers a wide range of angles, so you can use it from a seated or standing position, propped on a table, or on your lap. Like the Surface tablets, the kickstand may dig into your leg if you're using it on your lap.

           

                             

            The aluminum-clad Spectre X2 measures 0.31 by 11.93 by 8.23 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.88 pounds alone and 2.72 pounds with its keyboard cover attached. That's a bit heftier than the Microsoft Surface Pro 4, which is 0.33 inches thick and weighs 1.73 pounds sans keyboard. It's a measurable difference, but you're unlikely to notice unless you compare them side by side. The keyboard case adds 0.21 inches to the tablet's thickness (for a total of 0.52 inches), but the depth and width remain the same.

Display

              At the center of everything is the 12-inch IPS display. The resolution is capped at 1,920 x 1,080, which is lower than some competing products, including both the Surface Pro 4 and iPad Pro. Still, on a screen this small, the difference would be subtle at best, so in the interest of keeping the cost down, this was a fine compromise. Even if the screen angle weren't adjustable, which thankfully it is, I would have had an easy time making out the screen. As a warning, the glossy panel doesn't completely repel glare, but color and contrast at least stays mostly consistent as you tilt the screen forward and back.
              Lastly, the x2 is compatible with pressure-sensitive  pens just what Microsoft use's  same technology for the Surface Pro  , HP sells an active pen on its site for $30, though any Wacom pen using the same technology will do.

Performance & Battery Life :

             The Spectre x2 comes with your choice of Core M3, M5 or M7 processor. It's the same idea as Core i3, i5 and i7, except that Intel Core M sacrifices speed for the sake of achieving especially thin and light designs, like the one we have here. The unit  tested was with a dual-core 1.2GHz Core M7-6Y75 processor, Intel HD 515 graphics and 8GB of memory. Even with the best specs offered, benchmark scores still trail new machines with Core i5 chips, including the Surface Pro 4.

             The LiteOn solid-state drive delivered max write speeds of 554 MB/s in ATTO's disk test, which is in line with many other SSDs we've tested recently. Even so, though, it takes the Spectre x2 about 15 seconds to boot into the desktop, whereas it might take a faster machine around 10. 

        

               HP rates the Spectre x2 for 10 hours of battery life. (Note : Under HP's perfect conditions , which is hypothetically not possible ). Perhaps it's possible to achieve 10 hours of use if you lower the brightness to a fairly dim setting and use the machine intermittently. For us we never came close to reaching that milestone. With an HD video looping and the brightness fixed at 65 percent, the x2 managed six hours and 43 minutes.

RealSense Camera : 

               The Spectre x2 features an integrated webcam in front and interestingly, a RealSense camera on the back. Where the Surface Pro 4's front-mounted, RealSense-like camera is intended for facial recognition with Windows Hello, HP expects its camera to be used for RealSense applications. Right now it’s a work in progress: The one app available was a beta for itSeez3D, which allows you to make 3D models of a person. I tried scanning a co-worker in two different lighting situations, and the results weren’t pretty.

Keyboard

             The Spectre x2 might be slower than the competition, and the battery life might not be as long, and the screen might not be as sharp, but damn if it doesn't have one of the best keyboards I've seen on a device like this. The metal keyboard feels sturdy, for starters, which goes a long way toward making it comfortable to use in the lap. It's backlit -- another plus. And, perhaps most importantly, the keys are generously sized with an impressive 1.5mm of travel, making them uncommonly cushy for a product in this class.
           
             Also, I like how HP gives you a choice of resting the keyboard flat against your desk (or lap), or instead folding up the top to attach to magnets inside the tablet's lower bezel. This gives the keyboard a lift in the back that for some will translate to a more ergonomically sound experience.
Too bad the touchpad isn't nearly as refined. When it works it works well, with smooth enough scrolling and precise cursor tracking. But it doesn't always work. Wasn't always able to get the pointer to go, and I frequently found myself accidentally rearranging pinned browser tabs.Bottom line a great keyboard but a bad mouse (touchpad).

Wrap-up

             In this increasingly big world of laptop/tablet hybrids, the Spectre x2 isn't a bad choice, especially at this price. But that doesn't mean it's the best. The x2 is not the fastest, the longest-lasting or the most comfortable to use in the lap. It's screen is not the sharpest. But it's keyboard is arguably the easiest to type on of any click-in dock I've seen, and the audio is surprisingly decent. If money is no object, you will probably be happier with the Surface Pro 4. But, if you were hoping to avoid spending $930 just for the entry-level SP4 and keyboard, the x2 is a fine runner-up.

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