Disclosure: All posts must include the following disclaimer: The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.
I recently got the new HP Spectre x2 Notebook to replace an older laptop with touch-screen capability. I have to say that this little box is pretty amazing. I call it “little” because it is really slim at 1/2 inch and weighs in at only 2.49 pounds. While it is thin and lightweight, it still boasts of a 12.3 inch screen that has great resolution at 3000 x 2000.
HP Spectre x2 Notebook
The operating system is Windows 10, which I like because it brings back the Windows 7 Start Menu that I and my girls are familiar with. The box includes the tablet, a detachable & magnetised keyboard, a kickstand, and the stylus pen. The keyboard is also backlit. It’s nice that I didn’t have to purchase these items separately.
Most of the apps are completely Windows Ink integrated. We can use Office and Illustrator to do school work, such as writing essays, producing spreadsheets, and drawing. This is especially good for me as a homeschooling parent. I am able to correct and grade the kids work using the pen right on the screen. We don’t need to print anything out, saving us time, ink, and paper.
This workhorse boots up in about 10 seconds. And, the Intel Core processor is super fast. There is also an 8GB system memory that supports multi-tasking, which we tend to do a lot when studying. Working on projects and researching via the internet at the same time is necessary. The built-in high-speed wireless LAN connects to our Wi-Fi network seamlessly.
The other thing we all like is the quality of the graphics. Watching videos, photo sharing and editing, and gaming are all pretty awesome on this machine.
The HP Spectre x2 is super easy to travel with because of the portability and the long battery life. We can go to the library and be assured that we will have up to 8 hours of operation on a fully charged battery. This is critical when we aren’t sure we will find a power source. When we get home, it takes just 30 to 60 minutes to fully recharge the battery.
Some of the other features that we like include:
- 2 USB Type-C ports
- Built-in media reader for simple photo transfer
- Built-in HD webcam with dual-array digital microphone
- A headphone/microphone combo jack
- Bang & Olufsen audio speaker system
Bottom Line
So far we are happy with the upgrade to the HP Spectre x2 Notebook laptop/tablet. It does pretty much everything we need for both accomplishing schoolwork and for entertainment purposes. The detachable keyboard is sturdy. And, the kickstand is strong. This is a great portable PC that meets the needs of our busy family.
