A wide range of new generation of hybrid machines that can serve as tablets and then transform into laptops or vice-versa are seen in the marketplace with the introduction of Windows 8 by Microsoft. One among such Windows 8 based hybrid laptops is HP Envy x2. The 11.6-inch screen can become a standalone slate with the help of a lid that pops off. In this article we will have a closer look on to this hybrid device.
Let us have a closer look at the HP Envy X2 Hybrid:
Design
A simple metallic aesthetic made from brushed aluminum make the Envy x2 quite attractive. The silver colored back of the tablet makes a perfect match with the silver logo of HP. The upper right and left corners of the back panel consists both the power button and the volume rocker. Disconnecting and connecting the tablet is quite easy. The screen is 2 inches larger than the iPad, but it weighs just 1.5 pounds. When the keyboard dock is attached to the screen, the total weight becomes 3.1 pounds.
Display and Audio
The 11.6-inch screen has the modest resolution of 1366 x 768, but it offers rich colors and sharp images. The colors appear quite vibrantly. The touchscreen is totally responsive and fluid. During our tests, we quickly swiped in from the right for the Charms menu, swiped in and back from left to show the task menu, swiped down for an app bar, pinched to zoom and swiped between apps. The Envy x2 comes with the Beats audio.
Touchpad and Keyboard
We got little bit of uncomfortable and inaccurate typing experience on the keyboard dock. It was so unresponsive, stiff and cramped. However, if you are peck and hunt typist, you might not have to go through these problems. Once the dock is disconnected, the device used the virtual keyboard of Windows 8. This device also features a 3.5 x 2.5-inch clickpad. It allows the users to perform different multi-touch gestures, such as three-finger press to launch the browser, four-finger flick to minimize windows, and pinch to zoom.
Heat
Throughout our tests, we found the device pleasantly cool. The middle part of the keyboard was just 80 degrees Fahrenheit after streaming video for 15 minutes.
Ports
The bottom surface of the tablet is filled with handful of ports, including a proprietary docking port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD card slot. There is one full-sized HDMI connector and two USB 2.0 ports on the keyboard dock.
Cameras
The rear webcam of 8-MP can capture sharp colorful images, and the font camera of 720p takes relatively bright images, both in dark indoor and natural light situations.
Battery Life
The battery of the Envy x2 lasts for 6 hours and 52 minutes. When the keyboard is attached, it offers the battery life for 11 hours and 52 minutes.
Performance
The $849 HP Envy x2 comes with 64GB of Flash memory, 2GB of RAM and 1.8-GHz Intel Atom Z2760 CPU. The tablet performs like a netbook and it can efficiently play full HD videos or browse the web. It takes 16 seconds to boot the system. This is a perfect device though it doesn’t offer notebook-level performance.
Article Contribution:
Scott Garcia, a technical blogger, loves to share his knowledge regarding latest technologies with his readers. Find out what you need to know about macbook pro cases right from him.
I love the way the notebook and tablet world is expanding. A hybrid is the ultimate solution to these two and HP Envy is the best of it.