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HP’s new Spectre x360 13t convertible laptop is a premium thin and light computer with Intel Whiskey Lake processor options, a touchscreen display, a 360-degree hinge, an active pen, and a newfangled design with an angled back edge that lets you plug a USB charger in at an angle.
They’re also relatively pricey, with prices typically starting at $1150. Right now HP is selling an entry-level model for $50 off. But you can score an even better deal by picking up a previous-gen model with a Kaby Lake Refresh processor and a less angular design — HP is currently selling models for as little as $800.
FYI, this is the laptop I’ve been using as my primary work machine since January, and it’s a pretty good computer for the price if you value size, weight, a convertible form factory, and decent battery life over super-speedy performance (it’s not much faster than the 3-year-old Acer laptop it replaced).
Here are some of the day’s best deals.
Computers
- HP Spectre x360 13t convertible w/Core i5-8250U/8GB/256GB for $800 – HP
- Dell XPS 13 laptop w/Core i7-8550U/8GB/256GB for $1050 – Dell (coupon: 100OFF999)
- Acer Swift 3 14″ laptop w/Core i7-8550U/MX150/8GB/256GB for $680 – Newegg
- Refurb Google Pixelbook 12.3″ convertible w/Core i5-7Y57/8GB/128GB for $700 – Best Buy
- 72-hour Gaming PC sale – Newegg
Storage
- Samsung Pro Endurance 64GB microSDXC card for $16 – Newegg (coupon: EMCTYTY37)
- Team Group 32GB USB 3.1 flash drive for $5 – Newegg (or 3-pack for $12)
- Team Group 64GB USB 3.1 flash drive for $7 – Newegg
- Samsung 128GB BAR Plus metal USB 3.1 flash drive for $23 – Newegg (coupon: EMCTYTY38)
Audio
- Anker Soundcore Select portable Bluetooth speaker for $30 – Best Buy
- Apple HomePod smart speaker w/Siri for $299 – Apple (permanent price drop)
Other
- Refurb Amazon Fire HD 8 (2017) tablet w/32GB for $50 – Woot
- Anker PowerCore Elite 20,000 mAh portable battery for $34 – Amazon (coupon: ANKERPC7)
Why do 13 inch laptops cost over $1000, when 14 inch laptops cost less than $500. It must be a WinTel Conspiracy!
>FYI, this is the laptop I’ve been using as my primary work
>machine since January, and it’s a pretty good computer for the
>price if you value size, weight, a convertible form factory, and
>decent battery life over super-speedy performance (it’s not much
>faster than the 3-year-old Acer laptop it replaced).
Is it primary because of the stylus, the “thinness” or ….?
(And how often do you plug it in?)
I never use the stylus because my handwriting is awful… but the keyboard on my old laptop was dying so i needed a replacement.
Initially I purchased a Lenovo Thinkpad X1 because it was on sale for a great price at the time. In terms of performance, it was amazing. In terms of battery life, less so. And in terms of portability, it was pretty compact for a 15.6 inch laptop… but I ultimately decided that wasn’t good enough.
So I went with a thinner, lighter machine that took almost twice as long to render large audio projects (the most resource-intensive thing I do on a regular basis is rendering 45-60 minute podcast episodes), but which is much easier to actually take with me wherever I’m going.
At home, I use it as my primary computer, so it stays plugged into a wall jack, external monitor, mouse and keyboard. So asking how often I plug it in doesn’t tell you much — just about every day.
But on the go, I can regularly get 5-7 hours of battery life or more depending on usage.
It’s probably not the best thin and light laptop money can buy. I’m not sure if I would have spent $1000+ on it. But at $800 it’s a pretty great deal.
I also use the 360-degree hinge more than I thought I would. It comes in handy for reading documents in tablet mode, and on my desk I usually use the laptop in stand mode so that the screen is a little closer to me than it would be in laptop mode (since I’m using an external keyboard).