BERLIN — HP’s revamped Envy x2 takes a page from Microsoft’s design notebook. This updated model comes equipped with either a 13.3-inch or 15.6-inch display and — like the Surface Pro 3 — sports a built-in adjustable kickstand. The HP Envy
x2’s detachable backlit Bluetooth keyboard apes the Surface Pro keyboard’s design — right down to the little loop for a stylus. The keyboard comes in a 1970s-style brown leatherette effect, which may be just the retro-tech style you’re looking for in your home or office.
HP’s Envy
x2 also offers front-facing stereo speakers, powered by Beats.
Both models will be powered by Intel Core M processors, a 14-nanometer CPU that Intel promises allows for fanless designs. We’ll need to wait a few months before we can see how that laptop performance stacks up against the Haswell-equipped Surface Pro 3. In the meantime, details like hard drive sizes or screen resolutions are scant. There’s also the matter of that kickstand — Microsoft’s Surface Pro doesn’t make for the sturdiest experience when it’s sitting on your lap, and there’s no indication that HP has done any better here.
The kickstand can be moved to almost any angle allowing you to angle the screen where you want, which puts it on a par with, let’s see… every laptop ever made. The problem is, the leatherette-style keyboard has no weight to it, and the magnets holding it to the screen release so easily, when you try and angle the screen the whole thing falls apart.
As for picking the whole thing up and moving it — forget about it. Not only does the keyboard detach from the screen at the drop of a hat, but the stylus, which connects magnetically to the side of the screen/tablet, adds a third loosely connected element to the mix. If you’re not very, very careful, trying to move this laptop means sending half of it flying.
The 13.3-inch Envy x2 should be available in the US on October 29, starting at $1,050, while the 15.6-inch model is expected to arrive on November 5 starting at $950. It will be available in the UK from mid-November, starting at £649.
HP is also adding a new model to its budget Pavilion line , with the HP Pavilion x2. It’ll be powered by an Intel Atom processor and offers a 10.1-inch IPS touchscreen and front-facing speakers. Expandability comes care of a microSD card slot, and the device also offers a USB and mini-HDMI port — all in a tablet that weighs just 1.2 pounds. The detachable keyboard cover weighs another 1.9-pounds. The Pavilion x2 should be available in the US on October 29, starting at $330 and in the UK from October for £279. (Availability of both the Envy X2 and Pavilion X2 models in Australia, and other parts of the world are not available at this time.)
Be sure to check out the rest of of our IFA 2014 coverage right here on CNET.
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