Hp specter x360 connector. Transformer at a low price: Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA

IN Lately the form factor of laptops that can turn into a tablet and vice versa is beginning to be in great demand. The HP Specter X360 just falls into this category of devices and is updated every year by the manufacturer so that you can get top specifications, a high-quality display and a number of new technologies. Notebook transformer HP Specter X360 13 inches built on the basis of powerful processor Intel i7 ULV-series and equipped with powerful battery at 56 Wh. Let's spend full review HP Specter X360 and let's see how successful the laptop turned out.

Specifications:

• Type: convertible laptop
• Housing: plastic, aluminum
• Screen: IPS-matrix, 13.3", 1920x1080, glossy, touch, capacitive
• CPU: Intel Core i7-7500U, 1.7-3.5 GHz
• Video card: Intel HD 520
• RAM: 8 GB DDR3-1600
• Storage: SSD 512 GB, M.2
• Interfaces: USB 3.0, 2x USB 3.1 (Type C), combined with Thunderbolt, audio 3.5 mm
• Wireless interfaces: Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2
• Multimedia: microphone, Bang&Olufsen speakers, HD webcam
• Operating system: Windows 10
• Battery: 56 Wh built-in
• Dimensions: 325x218x16 mm
• Weight: 1.45 kg

Equipment

The delivery set is as follows:

• Charger and power supply to it;
• Case made from neoprene.

A black power supply is placed on the HP Specter X360 2018 laptop with a silver case and Charger, which is not entirely clear. It would be more correct and aesthetically pleasing if they were painted in the same color. Complete cover is fast

HP Specter X360 Convertible Laptop Design

The design turned out to be very successful and, most importantly, it stands out among the mass of similar solutions of competitors. You can feel it as soon as you take the laptop out of the box. The case feels high quality and solid, and for its manufacture a pleasant tactile metal was used. But it is different from what was used in the MacBook. It is not as smooth and rather rough tactile.

When you look at the back of the HP Specter X360 convertible laptop, you get the impression that this is a sandwich, in which the two halves seem to be not connected to each other. Although, of course, this is not the case in reality. For fixation, hinges are used, which allows you to rotate the display 360 degrees.

Plenty of ports are poked throughout the case, which will allow you to connect everything you need for work and entertainment. It will be easier to list them.

On the right side, the following elements were installed:

• 3.5mm headset jack;
• Pair of USB ports;
• HDMI 2.0;
• MiniDP 1.2
• Windows key and rocker, which is used to control the volume.

On the left side we see the following:

• Socket for connecting the charger;
• Ventilation grille;
• USB port;
• Power key, in which the indicator light was integrated;
• Slot for SD card.

An additional air outlet grille and a pair of speakers were left below, which gives a full-fledged stereo effect. The HP Specter X360 review showed an excellent volume margin and decent sound quality, but more on that later.

The laptop received a 13.3-inch matrix with LED backlight and a high resolution of 2560x1440 pixels. With these parameters, we get 221 pixels per inch. Using the screen at this resolution is a pleasure - the picture looks juicy and well detailed, although there are opponents of this. The backlight is uneven - at the bottom it is 19% dimmer than at the top.

The margin of brightness is sufficient, although it could be higher for an ultrabook, because sometimes you are faced with the need to work on the street. In this case, you will have to look for a shade. Otherwise, the picture remains legible, but fades strongly when exposed to direct sunlight.

Viewing angles are maximum. The display itself is touch-sensitive and has a glossy surface, so working with it is not very convenient. You will have to look at the image through the image of your loved one, after all, a matte screen would be much more practical. Another disadvantage is the wide frames that surround the screen around the entire perimeter. This is not a critical moment, but still in 2018 you are waiting for the minimum framework or their absence at all.

Sound

On the body of the HP Specter X360 13 2018, there is a BANG & OLUFSEN inscription, which hints at the use of an advanced audio system created by real professionals. But in reality, the sound is nothing special. In general, the quality is good, but it is worth unscrewing the sound on maximum volume as the speakers almost begin to wheeze. The pre-installed software for sound settings does not change the situation much. It has only minimal possibilities for individualizing the sound.

HP Specter X360 Performance and Specifications

In 2018, the HP Specter X360 transformer laptop is available in two versions that differ in processor power. A model with an Intel Core i7-6500U processor came to my review. Two processor cores are capable of overclocking up to 3.1 MHz and what is surprising is the ventilation system. Even in such a compact case with a thickness of only 16 mm, the laptop does not overheat, and its coolers do not make noise like helicopter blades. Even with a full load of the CPU and GPU, we were only able to heat it up to 64 degrees during testing of the HP Specter X360.

True, as a further review showed, for this the manufacturer went for a little trick, which obviously cannot be called the advantage of the model - it resets the processor frequency to 1500 MHz and cuts the performance of the graphics core by 20%. This is clearly visible in the results of synthetic tests, where the laptop produces more modest results than other models with similar technical specifications. The review of the HP Specter X360 2018 showed that this becomes even more noticeable in games.

Laptop has 8 GB random access memory, which is still enough to solve any problems. But given the cost over $1500, you don't expect to get DDR3 at 1600 MHz. This is not what you would expect from a 2018 model. The difference in performance with DDR4 is not that great, but in the future it may be difficult to replace the RAM stick, as the DDR3 standard is gradually leaving the market.

The review of the HP Specter X360 laptop showed that it should not be considered as a gaming device, even if you are ready to play on the minimum graphics. This is not his forte, at 23 fps in Tanks and 18 in Dirt Rally it is simply impossible to play. This is an exceptionally simple work laptop for graphics and text, although it is very expensive for its characteristics.

Partially the cost of the device pays for the use solid state SSD 512 GB drive. Such a disk is expensive, but it provides good system performance, high speed reading and writing. I think the volume was chosen optimally so that all files are stored directly in the laptop’s memory, and not dragged with you external drive.

2018 HP Specter X360 battery life

Failed to install on laptop good system cooling, sacrificing performance, but enough space was allocated for the battery. It provides up to 9 hours of movie playback at almost maximum brightness. In games, you can count on 3 hours of offline use, but as indicated above, you can only play simple arcade games.

If you leave the HP Specter X360 transformer laptop for a long time without attention, then after 15 minutes it goes into hibernation mode. In this regard, upon your return, the battery charge level will not change.

Keyboard and touchpad

HP Specter X360 13 ae008ur laptop review I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the keyboard and the comfort of working with it. Honestly, I rarely experience such emotions in modern models. First of all, the layout of the keys pleases - nothing is cut off, there was even a place for the letter “Ё”, which almost no one uses anymore. Typing text on this keyboard is very convenient. The keys have a short travel, which you quickly get used to. The only thing I would like to see full-fledged arrows.

The keys are backlit, so the keyboard is pleasant to use even in the dark. The brightness level cannot be adjusted. The backlight can be turned off. In this case, only the last key pressed will be highlighted.

The HP Specter X360 has a huge touchpad - one of the largest in today's laptops. This makes its use as comfortable as possible, although at first you can accidentally touch it.

Conclusion

Notebook transformer HP Specter X360 can be bought in two versions - a more productive, but expensive version or cheaper. In the first case, you get a 7th generation Intel processor, 8 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD. The more affordable laptop uses the i5 paired with 4GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage.

The difference in price is clearly visible - 78,000 rubles versus 117,000. As for me, you should not overpay, since you will not feel a special increase in performance. Of course it is, but anyway, the laptop is not suitable for gaming, and the basic version does a good job with everything else.

Advantages:

• Spectacular design and metal as the main body material;
• There are all the necessary connectors for connecting external devices;
• Convenient keyboard;
• good time battery life;
• Transformer mode with the ability to rotate the screen at least 360 degrees;
• Silent operation of coolers.

Flaws:

• Terrible performance. The performance of the processor and video core is specially cut down so that the laptop does not overheat. As a result, you can forget about the games;
• Glossy screen;
• Overpriced.

As if Freddie Mercury walked into the HP office singing “I want it all,” the Specter x360 13.3-inch convertible laptop also hints that yes, you can not only “want it all,” but get it for some $1149 dollars (on the test model costing $1359). With this machine's sleek body and ultra-powerful 8th Gen Intel processor, you'll get not only visual beauty, but brutal performance as well.

Plus, the comfortable Specter keyboard, display with optional privacy mode and great sound make it equally good for both work and play. Its screen is a bit dim, and battery life is good, albeit a bit short of what the competition offers. That said, the Specter x360 is one of the best consumer 2-in-1s you can buy right now.

Design

Specter x360 looks like a single piece of aluminum. The only difference between this year's model and last year's version is that the new model's trailing edge, when closed, is a pair of hard-beveled edges, as opposed to the curved design on the old model. We had a boring silver model in our test, but throughout the test, there was a desire to try the black and copper model, which HP calls Dark Ash Silver and which costs $ 10 more.

One of the nicest improvements to the new Specter x360 is the hinge, which feels unusually tight. This is useful when you rotate the display from laptop mode to tablet, stand, or display position.

At 30.4 x 21.8 x 1.23 cm and weighing 1.3 kg, the 13.3-inch Specter x360 is about the size of a . It's also lighter than the 13.9-inch juj Lenovo Yoga 920 and heavier than the 12.3-inch Microsoft Surface Pro.

Specter x360 has both modern and "good old" ports. These include dual Thunderbolt 3 with right side, USB 3.1 next to the headphone jack on the left. Also a pleasant surprise from HP was the presence of a slot for cards microSD memory, given that the previous model did not have such a slot.

Since the Specter x360 has a folding design, the fingerprint sensor and the power and volume buttons are located on the side faces, next to the ports. Kudos to HP for not putting a fingerprint reader inside the touchpad like some manufacturers do.

In testing, the fingerprint scanner proved to be a good thing, helping to unlock the system at boot. But the volume buttons seemed a bit stiff to us, they require excessive force to press.

Display

The 13.3-inch 1080p Spectra x360 display provides excellent color reproduction. While watching the trailer for Black Panther, we noticed how bright the glowing console on the Okoi ship and the tones of her golden red armor look. The 1080p display resolution is sharp enough to show off the texture of Black Panther's armor and Eric Killmonger's luxurious coat.

Displaying 109 percent of the sRGB spectrum, the Specter x360's screen is close to the 102 percent average, not far off the Yoga 920's 105 percent, and nearly catching up to the XPS 13's 111 percent. The Surface Pro is brighter at 140 percent.

The Specter x360 scored just 261 nits on our colorimeter, falling below the average of 285 nits and the Yoga 920's 283 nits. The 367-nit XPS 13 and the 395-nit Surface Pro are much brighter, as are viewing angles.

The Specter x360's touchscreen accurately registers touches when dragging icons and scrolling through a web page. It also quickly recognizes Windows 10 navigation gestures for browsing all windows and opening the Action Center.

The Specter x360 SSD rips DVD media files in blazing 9 seconds at 567 Mbps.

For those who use the laptop in public places or with friends, family or colleagues who do not respect privacy, the optional Sure View privacy mode (costs an additional $ 60), which, unfortunately, is not available on 4K displays, will come in handy. Activated by pressing the F1 key, Sure View makes the screen as white as possible when viewed from an angle. In testing, we noticed that it makes text illegible when viewed at an angle of 45 degrees or more.

Keyboard, touchpad and stylus

The Specter x360 isn't one of those super-slim laptops that will limit your typing. On the 10fastfingers test, the Specter's comfortable keys achieved 78 wpm, very close to our 80 wpm average. Some of the lag could be due to the decent actuation force of 80g (we think at least 60g is the norm) and the keys have 1.3mm of travel, which is pretty low compared to the 1.5mm minimum that is considered comfortable. .

The 11.9 x 6 cm ultra-wide touchpad lets you navigate faster by accurately tracking input touches. It also perfectly recognizes system navigation gestures for viewing the desktop and all open applications.

The Specter x360 comes with a seemingly ordinary stylus, but this pen has a hidden feature: charging. A simple twist of the end of the stylus allows you to remove the cover and open the port USB Type-C which is used for charging. Charging is done using the same cable used to charge the Specter. It's much more convenient than an Apple Pencil or buying AAAA batteries, which can only be found on Amazon.

Audio

The Bang & Olufsen branded speakers in the Specter x360 give this little machine an impressive amount of sound. During testing, he managed to fill our office with Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer". We noted how clear the vocals sound and the drums beat capaciously.

The 13.3-inch 1080p Specter x360 display produces very rich colors.

Bang & Olufsen's audio tuning app is included, though its presets weren't particularly useful to us. The default is "Music". The Movies setting is pretty much the same, and Audio doesn't de-noise low-quality tracks enough to make it worth constantly switching between them.

Performance

Our Specter x360 was equipped with an 8-core Intel Core i7-8550U processor with a 512GB PCIe SSD and 16GB of RAM for testing, which provided good speed, solid performance, and even allowed us to play games. We experienced no stuttering after splitting the screen between a 1080p YouTube video and a dozen Chrome tabs including Giphy, Slack, TweetDeck and Google Docs.

On the main Geekbench 4 benchmark test, our Specter x360 scored a respectable 13569 points, which falls between the 13307 of the Yoga 920 (Core i7-8550U with 8GB RAM) and the 14159 of the XPS 13 (Core i7-8550U with 8GB of RAM). ). The segment average is 7358, which includes scores for a wide variety of laptops, including older Intel 7th Gen processors.

The 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD allows the Specter x360 to rip a set of DVD media files in 9 seconds at 565Mbps. That's faster than the 228Mbps average, as well as the 301Mbps of the Yoga 920 (256GB NVMe PCIe SSD) and the 509Mbps of the XPS 13 (256GB SSD). The Surface Pro, with its 339Mbps (1TB SSD), is also left behind.

The Specter x360 achieved 3 minutes and 22 seconds in the OpenOffice benchmark, matching 20,000 names to addresses, in less time than the 5:38 average. The Yoga 920 (3:18), XPS 13 (3:19), and Surface Pro (3:14) were faster, but not by much.

The Bang & Olufsen speakers built into the Specter x360 allow this small laptop to put out a surprising amount of sound.

Gamers with less demanding requirements can expect stutter-free gaming from the Specter x360. The device uses an integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 chip. Not only did this 2-in-1 convertible laptop allow you to play the popular platformer Cuphead without any problems, it also made it possible to drive Dirt 3 at 56 frames per second, which exceeded the minimum comfortable gaming threshold at 30 fps and an average level of 42 fps. More low frequency we saw 36fps refresh on the Yoga 920 (Intel UHD Graphics 620), while the XPS 13 (2017) (Intel UHD Graphics 620) showed a faster 57fps.

The Specter x360 also performed well on graphics test 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited with a solid score of 79529, which is above the average score of 58981. The higher scores of 109679 came from the Surface Pro (Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640), 86268 from the Yoga 920 and 81836 from the XPS 13.

Battery life

The Specter x360's battery life should last most of the day, but some competitors last even longer. On our battery test, which includes continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi, this laptop HP lasted 8 hours 27 minutes. This is in line with the ultraportable category average. The Yoga 920 (12:23) lasts much longer, but the Surface Pro (7:31) has less staying power.

Webcam

A selfie taken with a 2.0-megapixel Specter x360 camera is so grainy that it looks like a T-shirt was first covered in dust before taking the picture.

But no, this is not dust, but the usual graininess that is typical for most built-in webcams. In this case, it is also worth considering an external webcam if video communication is important to you.

Heat dissipation

With this laptop, you don't have to worry about overheating. After watching a 15 minute HD video, our infrared thermometer recorded 30 degrees on touch panel computer, 31 degrees on the keyboard and 33 degrees on the bottom, which did not exceed the 35-degree comfort temperature threshold.

This year's model dissipates heat better as the ventilation opening has been removed on the left side, away from where your hand might be. Now the ventilation is located on the rear panel.

Software

HP offers the Specter x360 with a relatively small set of preinstalled software. The JumpStart app will guide you through the setup; Support Assistant will help you download drivers and contact HP, while Recovery Manager will help you manage your backups and create recovery images. There is also an annual offer of 30 GB of free space in Dropbox, though only available to new subscribers.

Configuration

We tested the $1,359 Specter x360 configuration, which includes an 8th Gen Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, a Sure View privacy screen, and a stylus. If you do not need such performance, you can choose the model entry level worth $1,049; it comes with Core i5, 8GB RAM and 256GB storage.

We'd love to spend an extra $10 on a black/copper laptop, but we're not likely to order the optional HP 3840x2160-pixel display (an extra $150) as it's likely to increase power consumption.

Outcome

The Specter x360 has a lot to love. Using it, you will experience a feeling akin to driving in a luxury limousine, enjoying impressive speed, comfortable keyboard, rich sound and Safe View privacy mode. The only wish is that this 2-in-1 transformer works more without charging, and its screen becomes a little brighter.

The Lenovo Yoga 920, which starts at $1,299, lasts 4 hours longer and has a brighter display, but we didn't like its keyboard better than the HP's. Overall, the Specter x360 is one of the most attractive 2-in-1s on the market and definitely worth checking out.

Result: 4 out of 5

The guys from HP knocked on the editorial office and offered to test one of their popular products for free.

A few days later, a 13-inch HP Specter x360 convertible laptop based on the 7th Generations of Intel(Kaby Lake) in one of the top configurations (model 13-w001ur).

Without exception, all specialized technical publications abroad highly appreciate the HP Specter x360:

• Ranked #5 on CNET's Best Laptops of 2017.
• #1 in CNET's Best 2 in 1 Laptops.
• Fourth place in the ranking of the best laptops of 2017 according to TechRadar.
• #1 in TechRadar's Best 2 in 1 Laptops.
• Second place in the ranking of the best laptops of 2017 according to PC Mag.
• #1 in PC Mag's Best 2 in 1 Laptops.
• Ranked #1 in Best 2 in 1 Laptops by Laptop Mag.
• #1 in PC World's Best 2 in 1 Laptops.

At first glance, the HP Specter x360 is no different from an ordinary ultrabook from the highest price segment: an aluminum case 14 mm thick, weight 1.44 kg, a cool display, powerful filling and a cost of more than 100 thousand rubles.

The magic begins when you open the laptop. The HP Specter x360 literally rotates 360 degrees. It turns out a real tablet with the performance of a premium laptop.

Specifications HP Specter x360 (Model 13-w001ur)

Design

Absolutely all modern ultrabooks are similar to each other.

No bells and whistles and extra elements, because manufacturers are fighting for every gram and a tenth of a millimeter.

Everything is strict, uniform and thin enough to fit the necessary stuffing. You can only see the results of this size race in comparison.

Here are two HP Specter x360 models. Above is the latest generation, below is the previous one. Everything seems to be the same, but the difference in size is obvious.

In practice, a device with dimensions of 306 × 218 × 14 mm and a mass of 1.44 kg seems incredibly light and compact, especially if you transfer to it from a regular laptop.

Ports

The HP Specter x360 has just one USB 3.0 Type-A port on the left. If you want to connect more than one external device, you will have to get or buy an adapter.

In addition to USB, on the left side there is a headphone jack, a power button and a grille for venting air from the cooling system.

On the right, the HP Specter x360 has a volume rocker and two USB port 3.1 Type-C Thunderbolt 3. One connector (any of the two) is supposed to be used to charge and power the laptop from a wall outlet, and connect all kinds of peripherals to the second.

The disadvantage of the laptop is the lack of HDMI and an SD card slot, which may cause inconvenience to potential users who have not yet updated their fleet of peripherals.

USB 3.1 and Thunderbolt 3 are really great technologies that can replace absolutely all other ports in the future, but try to find an external drive or monitor for this connector. Of course, the transition to a single interface is the dream of any technoaesthetic, but in practice, the financial factor will reduce everything to buying a few more adapters.

Given that the HP Specter x360 comes with an Ethernet-only adapter, you will have to take care of finding and purchasing other adapters on your own and at your own expense.

The lack of an SD card slot will upset not only photographers and cameramen, but also all those who are used to using a memory card as an undemanding read and write memory expansion.

Performance

The combination of Intel Core i7 7500U, 16 GB of RAM and a very fast PCIe SSD allows the HP Specter x360 to solve absolutely any non-specific tasks and provide impeccable performance and stability.

You can open 20 or 30 tabs in Chrome, run the whole office suite applications, and there will still be a large supply of resources.

Processor rating

SSD rating

The NVMe drive delivers some fantastic read and write speeds. Until recently, SATA-SSD seemed incredibly fast, especially compared to HDD, but now it's the last century.

Graph rating

Clearly, the HP Specter x360 won't replace a professional computer for design or graphics and video work, but ultrabooks never seem to claim such a thing.

The lack of a discrete graphics card makes the HP Specter x360 an acceptable option for advanced gamers, but the Intel Core i7 7500U combined with Intel HD Graphics 620 will be enough for most popular games.

FPS in other games (low/medium settings, 1366×768)

Noise and heat

The HP Specter x360 is a fairly quiet and cool ultrabook for its performance. Thanks Intel Core i7 7500U with 15W TDP. When working in the browser, the noise of the cooling system is not captured at all. After a few minutes of watching high-definition video streaming, the area near the exhaust grille feels slightly warm. Most of the heat goes into back cover laptop. To feel the heat, you need to put the device on your knees.

It was possible to really warm up the laptop with heavy 3D games. In such an extreme mode for a non-gaming device, there is both the whistle of the turbine and the heat bordering on discomfort in the area where the cooling system is located. The HP Specter x360 successfully ran a 30-minute gaming session in Battlefield 1. No performance drops were observed during this time.

Screen

The HP Specter x360 13.3-inch Full HD IPS touch display provides a very bright, juicy and clear picture. The difference in quality will be especially noticeable to owners of typical budget laptops with TN matrices. At 166 ppi, it is almost impossible to see the pixels.

Attention is also drawn to the unusually thin side frames. The distance from the display to the edge of the cover is only 6 millimeters.

The glossy screen does not add comfort when working on sunny summer days, but there are simply no other options for a touch screen.

Keyboard and touchpad

Typing on the HP Specter x360 is pleasant and comfortable, not least thanks to the dedicated navigation keys on the right.

The keys are planted very high quality, they do not dangle or play, even if you make a swipe movement, lightly touching the keyboard surface. The glass touchpad HP Specter x360 has dimensions of 120 × 60 mm and is equipped with physical left and right click buttons. There were no complaints in the course of work to him.

The key travel is only 1.3 mm, but the pressing itself is very obvious and somewhat reminiscent of the behavior of mechanics. At the beginning of pressing there is a tiny resistance, and at the end a clear click is felt. You can evaluate the backlighting of the keyboard yourself from the photo.

Battery

The HP Specter x360 features a 57.8 Wh Li-Ion battery with fast charging technology (0 to 90% in 90 minutes). The manufacturer's claimed battery life from one full charge is 12.5 hours with constant surfing.

In reality, with active work in Chrome and a screen brightness of 70% of the maximum (recommended default power settings), the HP Specter x360 lasted 10 hours and 4 minutes. The time obtained by the Laptop Mag laboratory under similar conditions turned out to be almost identical (10 hours 6 minutes). Judging by other tests available on the Internet, one full charge of a laptop lasts an average of 10-11 hours.

Sound

To creation speaker system The HP Specter x360 was made by Bang & Olufsen, a well-known company in music lover circles, which is clearly hinted at by the corresponding inscription on the case.

In total, the laptop has four speakers: a pair under the grill on top, another pair under the bottom cover. Thus, a more voluminous sound is achieved, which, however, is still devoid of expressive bottoms due to the small diameter of the radiators.

In sum, the acoustics of the HP Specter x360 sound much better than any laptop with no-name speakers. Separately, it is necessary to note the absence of wheezing when listening at close to maximum volume.

Tablet mode

You need to get used to a convertible laptop, especially if this is your first device of this format. At first, it is difficult for the brain to realize that right now, while you are lying on the couch or sitting in an armchair, the screen can be turned out and work with much more comfort. But after a couple of days everything is back to normal. For example, embarrassment disappears when keys are accidentally pressed when they are with reverse side screen. The keyboard in tablet mode always turns off, but not being afraid to “accidentally press something and break everything” does not work right away.

An obvious advantage of a convertible laptop over a tablet is that there is no need for a stand. It is enough to unscrew the HP Specter x360 with a “house” and put it anywhere.

Unlike its predecessors, Windows 10 is much better optimized for touch screens. If you fundamentally reject transformers and Windows tablets just because of the unpleasant experience of working with them on the "eight", then just try the "ten" once. With a high degree of probability, your opinion will change for the better.

Conclusion

HP Specter x360 deservedly takes first place in the rankings of ultrabooks and transformers. Returning after it to your laptop, bulky, heavy, plastic, creaky, with a screen from which your eyes are now flowing, is very unpleasant.

It is hard to believe that such power can fit in such a compact and sophisticated form. It's even harder to believe that Windows laptops have finally caught up and surpassed their "apple" counterparts in terms of battery life.

If you still think ultrabooks aren't worth the money, you've either never worked with them, or you've dealt with some unfortunate model.

Lifehacker thanks HP for providing the device for testing.

HP introduced the third-generation Specter x360 13 convertible laptop. With a 13.3-inch IPS touch display, the Specter x360 has been designed with user input in mind.

The novelty has become thinner (13.6 mm), lighter - its weight is 1.26 kg, and received a quad-core processor Intel Kaby The eighth generation Lake Refresh (Core i5 or i7), thanks to which, according to the company, it has become 30% faster. The laptop has up to 16GB of DDR3 RAM and up to 1TB of PCIe SSD capacity. Connectivity options include a pair of Thunderbolt 3 ports, a USB 3.1 connector, and an audio jack.

The screen resolution can be set to Full HD (1920 × 1080) or 4K (3840 × 2160). It is protected from scratches by durable Corning Gorilla Glass NBT.

The 2017 HP Specter x360 13 laptop also received a fingerprint sensor, thinner screen bezels, a microSD card reader (not available on the 2016 model), and longer battery life.

In a 4K screen configuration and Core processor The i7 laptop can last up to 10 hours of mixed use or 8 hours and 45 minutes of video playback on a single charge. And the model with Core i5 processor and Full HD screen resolution can work autonomously in mixed use mode up to 16 hours 45 minutes. Fast charging technology allows you to charge the battery from zero to 90% capacity in 90 minutes.

For added security and privacy protection, the laptop is equipped with both a fingerprint scanner and an infrared webcam used for face recognition login with Windows Hello. The model with a Full HD screen resolution received the Sure View anti-peeping function. By pressing a button, you narrow the viewing angle of the screen, and standing behind you will not be able to read the text on the laptop screen.

The specs of the 2017 HP Specter x360 13 include four speakers and two discrete amplifiers. The laptop also has a new hybrid thermal sensor and an infrared sensor to monitor the computer's surface temperature and other characteristics to balance fan noise and cooling.

In Russia, the third-generation Specter x360 13 convertible laptop will go on sale in November 2017 at a price of 94,990 rubles. For the Russian market, all HP Specter notebooks come with an extended 3-year warranty.

HP has announced an updated Specter laptop 13x360. The new model has become thicker and heavier, but at the same time it received an improved cooling system and battery slightly increased capacity - 61 Wh versus 60 Wh before. However, this was enough to increase the autonomy of the laptop up to 22.5 hours. The creators emphasize this point, calling the new Specter 13 x360 "quad-core transformer with the longest autonomy in the world".

The updated HP Specter 13 x360 is equipped with Intel processors Whiskey Lake up to Core i7-8565 (1.8-4.6GHz), has up to 16GB of RAM and a 512GB M.2 NVMe SSD. The screen diagonal is 13.3 inches, the resolution of the base IPS matrices- Full HD, for a surcharge they will offer a 4K resolution display.

In the new model, the Intel 9560 module is responsible for wireless interfaces (previously Intel 8265 was used), optionally it will be possible to order a version with an LTE modem and two built-in SIM cards(eSIM).

The set of interface connectors has not changed (there are two Thunderbolt 3 and one USB Type A), but, for example, the fingerprint scanner moved from the sidewall to work panel under the bottom arrow key, and turning the webcam on and off is now controlled by a mechanical switch. The side frames of the laptop screen have already become 5.7%, the lower one has also "shrunken" a little - from 34.17 to 31.8 mm.

The novelty will go on sale in December in the US and Europe, the cost of the updated HP Specter 13 x360 starts at $1150.