Something to consider in case Dell freezes over: HP unfolds 2-in-1 laptop with Intel Tiger Lake brains, bigger screen

HP Inc has given part of its laptop lineup a bit of a buffing, the result is the HP Spectre x360 14 2-in-1. The hybrid comes with a 15-inch screen – two inches bigger than its predecessor – and has a 3:2 aspect ratio. This, HP said, has roughly 20 per cent more vertical viewing space than the 16:9 display on the previous …

[TheProf]

Not really

"Keeping with Dell tradition, the device is highly configurable "

Nope, I can't get a number pad on the XPS that otherwise took my fancy. HP's Envy are the same. Just the spec I want but no numeric pad.

I can live without the optional travel case and compact charger but I want numbers to the right of my keyboard!

[Sandtitz]

Re: Not really

"I can live without the optional travel case and compact charger but I want numbers to the right of my keyboard!"

I bought a separate USB numpad 10+ years ago and I've carried it with me with all the laptops I've had since - all have been 14" (or less) and there really isn't enough estate for a numpad.

[AndyS]

Re: Not really

Where would you put a num-pad on a 15" (or even worse, 13") laptop?

[beep54]

Why

anyone would purchase anything from HP, let alone do 'business' with them, is beyond me.

[DonL]

Re: Why

Our company owns dozens of HP (probook) laptops and the build quality, support and warranty is very good. Failure rate over the last 15+ years has been consistently extremely low even in the harsh conditions in which they're being used. Even as a (relatively) small customer when you log an issue, they often call back within 30 minutes and repair or exchange the device rather quickly.

My experiences with Dell however have been disastrous.

Having said that, perhaps level of support depends on the country you're in.

[Tom 38]

Re: Why

Last HP laptop I owned, I took out the Intel wifi card and replaced it with an atheros wifi card - this was a while ago, before intel wrote open source drivers for their wifi. This was simple, both mini pci-e cards, and in a user serviceable hatch on the bottom of the case.

I turned on the laptop, and the HP BIOS wouldn't allow it to boot up with an "unauthorized" wireless adapter installed. I don't buy HP anymore.

I think support might depend on how much you spend. At $JOB we have ~1500 Dell laptops on a 2 year replacement cycle, and about 10 full racks of Dell servers, so at least once a week there was a Dell engineer on-site fixing some issue or other.

[Anonymous Coward]

Is this the same HP...

that was in the news recently for having a hidden system-level backdor in their enterprise software and that the representatives are strangely silent about?

Oh, it is? No thanks. I'll pass.

[Sandtitz]

Re: Is this the same HP... @A.Coward

"Oh, it is? No thanks. I'll pass."

It is not. You shall not pass.

Would you boycott Thinkpads if IBM was guilty of shoddy software?

I'm kinda baffled how on this IT news forum so many people have trouble understanding the difference between HP and HPE.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Is this the same HP... @A.Coward

The HP Device Manager issue ? HPDM is an HPI product.

[Captain Obvious]

Re: Is this the same HP... @A.Coward

Really? Guess who owns Thinkpads - not IBM - think Asia - think Red....

[sanmigueelbeer]

Re: Is this the same HP... @A.Coward

think Red

Redskins? The Washington Redskins own Lenovo????

Oh dear me!

[doublelayer]

Re: Is this the same HP... @A.Coward

"Really? Guess who owns Thinkpads - not IBM - think Asia - think Red...."

That's the point being made. IBM doesn't make Thinkpads anymore, Lenovo does, so if IBM does something wrong, it's wrong to punish Lenovo for it. Substitute "HPE" for "IBM" and "HP" for "Lenovo" and you've got the point they were trying to get across.

[Friendly Neighbourhood Coder Dan]

Re: Is this the same HP... @A.Coward

"I'm kinda baffled how on this IT news forum so many people have trouble understanding the difference between HP and HPE."

Exactly! And let's hope they don't invent languages with a similar name and syntax, but running on different environments...

Can you imagine if, for shits and giggles, they created one called Java and another one Javascript? It would leave people baffled for generations...

[Chris G]

" invent languages with a similar name and syntax, but running IN different environments."

You mean like Tom-ah-toe or Tom-ay-toe or color and colour?

[Rafael #872397]

a button that covers the webcam

Not trolling, but why is this a selling point (or even a thing?) Does the camera has a led indicating it is operating or can it be on without the user knowing? If so, why???

[doublelayer]

Re: a button that covers the webcam

If it can be disabled by physically covering it, then there's no way for it to get activated if I have closed it. That means someone can't spy on me through it, either by finding a sneaky way to disable a light, by there not being a light, or by my not noticing the light. Same reason some people really like physical killswitches for some components; we're paranoid people but at least with those we have complete confidence.

[AMBxx]

Re: a button that covers the webcam

But what about the hidden, undocumented webcam that you can't hide or disable?

[AMBxx]

Re: a button that covers the webcam

I was wondering why you'd want a webcam on your keyboard - who wants to look up somebody's nose on a conference call? Top of the screen is much better, but the obsession with minimal screen bezel has done for that.

[expat_nl]

Good hardware, questionable business practices

Got an HP x360 thats coming up for 4 years old now, and it still runs very nicely. Only issue was having to get heavy handed with HP's customer support early on to help them understand that according to EU law I had 2 years of warranty, not the 1 year they tried to fob me off with. In the end they agreed, but were unable to update my warranty data via their HP app, so they sent me an email that I needed to keep hold of as "proof". Hey, maybe they are better about this now......

[Anonymous Coward]

Hope it's better made than the 430 G4 I had from work

Really flimsy, I think the lid was made from recycled yogurt pots. I was nervous taking it anywhere lest the screen broke from the rear, and you could twist the top of the screen by about 10 mm with minimal [almost zero] effort. Add to that the sound never worked right either in Windows or the flavours of Linux I tried, colleague had exactly the same issues with his G5, a royal PITA when you work remotely.