Good Honest review on the HP Envy X2

[csiguy1]

HP ENVY x2 Convertible Review - YouTube
I ordered 2 of them.

 

[RTS2]

Thanks for the review link. I had been looking for a good review like this on it. I really like the form factor and price of this one buhear not sure about the size and the processor speed is a little concerning to me as I want to be able to use photoshop and some other legacy win 7 programs -- I think I'll need to wait for some of the reviews on the Surface Pro and figure out what is most important to me... I do know that whatever I choose there will be some compromise and, it really comes down to what/how I am going to use it...

 

[omniusovermind]

The reviewer failed to mention HP's abysmal laptop reliability when it comes to their units malfunctioning. I mean track record, not anecdotes like "well most of my friends have no probs on their HP bro lawl"

(go ahead. ask me for a source. I'm dying to post one of those "let me google that for you" links)

 

[Ridemyscooter86]

you do know that reliability between all manufacturers are about the same right? I sell computers for a living, and while we do see more hps come back than any other brand, its also because we sell more of them than any other brand. If you look at failure rates between all computer companies, they are around 10% in I think 1 or 2 years (apple included in this). I'm not saying that I'm a die-hard hp ****** and I know that I'm replying to this late but it picked my interest. When ALL, not some, ALL, computers come out of the 3 same chinese factories (usually foxconn, quanta, or compal) and all the parts are made by the same companies (processors AMD or Intel, HDD seagate or wd, RAM samsung or hynix, LCD screens Japan display inc., LG, Samsung, or chi-mei), I mean literally there are like 2 or 3 companies that manufacture all the parts of the computer, its almost all the same crap wrapped up in a different body.

 

[xalasten]

I don't know if you managed to get yours but I just had mine arrive yesterday an if anyone ha any questions I would be happy to try and answer them.

 

[woodbane]

I don't know if you managed to get yours but I just had mine arrive yesterday an if anyone ha any questions I would be happy to try and answer them.

I'd like as much information as you can give as I'm seriously interested in this device.

Size and weight compared to iPad?
Easy to hold one handed?
Construction quality?
Confirm it has microSD expansion ON TABLET? (one review I read said it did not, but I thought it did)
What kind of legacy apps you running and how do they fare with responsiveness?
Do you think you'll really end up detaching the tablet all that much or mostly using it in clamshell mode? Because if the tablet is awkward to use on its own I'll be better off getting a laptop.
Does it have Office 13 installed? Or any version for that matter?
Any decent pre installed HP software?

Sorry for the long list of questions and Thanks for as much info as you can provide. I'm really drooling over this one out of all the new hybrid devices, my only concern is the high price vs performance compared to similarly priced laptop/ultraportable/ultra book.

P.S. where did you order it/get it? HP site says not shipping until end of Jan.

Thanks!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[RSB54]

HP has 2 tablet versions, this one (Envy X2) and the Elitepad. The are both business tablets with Win8 Pro. The Elitepad ships end of January, available to pre-order now. It does have MicroSD and is very slightly thinner & lighter than the new iPad! Here's the specs - HP ElitePad | Business Tablet With Windows 8 | HP? Official Site | HP

 

[Ridemyscooter86]

I just bought an envy x2 and I love it. The battery life on the tablet for me was about 7 hours, and with dock was about 12. The build quality is fantastic though, the tablet is solid and so is the keyboard dock. I would have liked to see more ports on the tablet, but the dock makes up for it (a non-issue for me cause I'll almot always have the dock with me). The keyboard as nice, its full-sized but the keys are a little shallow so not bad, but not the best typing experience. The screen is nice, good viewing angles. I really like the look of it, its the only dockable tablet that actually looks like a laptop, not a tablet that's being docked into a keyboard (I'm looking at you ativ, acer w510, and asus vivotab!!!).

Camera is good and performance is snappy. It lags a tiny amount with stuff like scrolling on the desktop, but otherwise its fine. I haven't really had a chance to test out normal x86 apps yet like office, and vlc, utorrent, putty...etc. I'm returning mine tomorrow and swapping it out cause mine has 3 dead pixels on the screen (so that the guy above doesn't think only hp's have dead pixels, this happens all the time on computers in general. I once sold a guy a Samsung galaxy tab 10.1" the original and he returned 3 of them because of dead/stuck pixels to this stuff happens to all brands unfortunately...). So far though, the more I use it the more I like it. The tablet it light, the keyboard is good, and I've never been a huge proponent to adobe flash, nor do I like the technology, but I have to say that its nice to have a tablet that loads web pages like my desktop does without having to do anything special, you tube comes up like youtube, vimeo, flash games on newgrounds, they all work like they should (cause this is a pc, but its nice on a thin and light tablet, flash is also perfectly smooth and not stutter which I am surprised with!!!).

 

[xalasten]

Sorry for the delay had some issues come up. The build quality is great. Very solid device. Both dock and tablet. The weight is comparable to the iPad. Easy to hold one handed but I have big hands. I use the dock often as it is 3 lbs total and the extra battery life is great. 12 hours of actual use with dock attached is awesome. I get 7-8 for the tablet by itself depending on use. As far as reg desktop apps it is decent. It runs browsers at normal speed with 5 tabs open , music running and light programing. It runs office 13 just fine but does not come loaded with office. I installed the preview version of office 13 and it runs great 1-3 sec startup for a given app. In metro environment it is very snappy but there is a delay for launching reg apps of 1-3 secs I would say it is reasonable for the great battery life. It does not get hot at all , no fans is great. The hinge is pretty stiff so it feels solid but is hard to open without holding the base down with one hand. This is good because when you use the touch screen it does not bounce around. The viewing angles are great. The speakers could be louder but are decent. A backlit keyboard would have been good but no luck there. There is a micro SD slot on the tablet I have 64 GB class 10 in mine so works fine. There is also a full size SD slot on the base. Only has about 40 GB available after windows install and 10 GB recovery partition. So the ability to add 2 SD cards is good. Overall I am very happy with mine. If you are doing light computing this will serve you well. This is not a system for 3d gaming I installed torchlight 2 and got about 30 fps on low settings. Photoshop elements 11 runs with some delay but nothing crazy. The trackpad needs a driver update tho as the right click is sometimes detected as a left click. Not a deal breaker as it will be fixed with update but I wanted to mention it. I got mine from bestbuy.com as they are not carrying them instore per the store reps. Sorry for the wall of txt replying from my 8x . If you need more info let me know. If there is an app you want me to test let me know.

 

[xalasten]

On the price it is pricy for the specs but in use it is worth it for me. Being able to take it around and not have it dead in 3 hrs like many reg laptops and not having to worry about heat etc is great. If you need demanding legacy apps tho this is not the machine for you. There will be times when you wait for loads. Not crazy long but could be annoying and for 900 ish it can be annoying. Like I said if you want me to test a specific app let me know. I might be able to put up a video of it running.

 

[xalasten]

I wanted to post some additional info about the X2.

- This hybrid will perform as well or better then the Surface RT tablet for both metro and desktop apps.
- The keyboard is good size and works well. It is not back lit so that is a bit of a downer for the cost but works well enough
- the track pad is a but iffy at times as the right click can be seen as a left click but this can be addressed with update.
- the system will run MS Store games fine for light gaming etc
- battery life of the tablet alone is decent but is excellent with the attached dock

there are some stability issues but they seem to be related to the new metro apps ( xbox music is the worst I have seen ) but this will be also addressed in app updates and will be the same on all systems. The system boots up in less then 30 seconds if that is if interest. Overall I am very happy with the system and if you have the cash and are looking for a system that can handle being a good tablet with decent laptop power this is a great device for you.

 

[electricbopeep]

I got really excited watching this review until he got to the ports section. No usb ports on the tablet is simply a non-starter for me. I have an Acer w500 and I frequently leave the keyboard behind. Having usb and hdmi ports on the tablet itself has been indispensable for me. Aside from that omission, the envy has almost everything I want in a hybrid. Seems like a solid product.
Sent from my Windows 8 device using Board Express

 

[nottechsmart]

I don't know if you managed to get yours but I just had mine arrive yesterday an if anyone ha any questions I would be happy to try and answer them.

Does the Envy have GPS capabilities? Some sites say yes and some no.

 

[woodbane]

I'm so tempted to get one but I read that during the Intel keynote they did Asus or Acer is coming out with a ultrabook detachable quite soon that will use the new 7W Intel chips, so should get pretty awesome battery life from a i3/5/7 processor. That and its rumored the Surface Pro might be packing one as well (although I personally doubt it). I'm holding off for now, although finding it hard to do so - I want some new tech to play with!
Sent from my SGH-i937 using Board Express

 

[xalasten]

Yes there is GPS in the system.

 

[nottechsmart]

Yes there is GPS in the system.

Also it has a digitizer but pen is not included right? Just don't want any surprises if I go with this one. Really want the keyboard w/ extra battery configuration.

 

[xalasten]

Yes it does have the digitizer but does not come with the pen like you said

 

[woodbane]

Guys, how about an update now that you've had the devices a little longer?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[gsquared]

I got really excited watching this review until he got to the ports section. No usb ports on the tablet is simply a non-starter for me. I have an Acer w500 and I frequently leave the keyboard behind. Having usb and hdmi ports on the tablet itself has been indispensable for me. Aside from that omission, the envy has almost everything I want in a hybrid. Seems like a solid product.
Sent from my Windows 8 device using Board Express

+1 on this.

I've writing on this board several times about the W500. None of the current tablet/hybrid offerings have impressed me given their pricetag.

 

[nottechsmart]

+1 on this.

I've writing on this board several times about the W500. None of the current tablet/hybrid offerings have impressed me given their pricetag.

That's been my issue. I can't seem to find one that has a good value to it. I like the VivoTab but $800 plus keyboard it doesn't seem worth it. Now I'm looking at some of the convertibles that are out. I'm more confused then when I started lol.