The HP EliteBook x360 is a business-class convertible notebook with a 13.3 inch toucshcreen display that supports finger and pen touch input, a hinge that lets you switch from laptop to tablet modes by pushing the screen all the way back, and a MIL-STD tested case.
HP unveiled the Elitebook x360 this week, and plans to begin selling the laptop later this month for $1249 and up. But I got a chance to check one out ahead of launch.
It’s a pretty nice little convertible that has a few features that definitely help set it apart as a business-class machine.
Fore example, there’s an integrated Smart Card reader, a fingerprint sensors, and an IR camera for Windows Hello secure logins using facial recognition or your fingertip. But there’s also HP’s security software and the company’s privacy screen technology that lets you limit the display’s viewing angles with the press of a button.
While you usually want wide viewing angles on a tablet-style device, if you’re doing work in public you may not want other people to be able to see what you’re working on by looking over your shoulder. The privacy mode prevents that by making text and graphics difficult to make out when looking at the screen from the sides.
The entry-level model has a 1920 x 1080 pixel display, an Intel Core i5 Kaby Lake processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of solid state storage, but HP will also offer models with up to a Core i7 CPU with vPro, up to 16GB of RAM, up to 512GB of storage, and a 4K display option.
The computer has an HDMI port, a USB Type-C port, two full-sized USB 3.0 ports, a microSD card reader, and a 3.5mm headset jack.
HP says the battery should be good for up to 16.5 hours of run time, an it supports fast charging, which means you should get a 50 percent charge in about 30 minutes. But the battery is not user replaceable. While that’s hardly surprising for a 2.8 pound notebook that measures about 0.6 inches thick, it could limit the useful life span of this notebook which is meant for use in enterprise markets.