Hi all, just a quick post about my hands on meet with HP yesterday.
To start with, it is a big lump, but you knew that anyway. It doesn't feel, to me at least, as bulky as a 1520. If anything, it reminded me of my lovely old 1320 in hand. Now, I'm not sure what the score is with OS version, but this was running RS1 .5, whether it's meant to be there or someone got the flash bug, but it ran a dream on it. I spent about 10 mins with it, and had the chance to run it alongside my 950xl. The most noticeable difference was in the continuum dept. It seemed to cope with it a bit better, which as I have said before, was only a development tool on the 950 series. I never got to play with the sign in toys, as I am aware of what it has, and the fact it will do it a little bit quicker.
I tried to look at it from both sides of the fence. Business and consumer. They can be obtained and set up to lock out 'social media apps / facebook' etc, should the company require such. Some enterprise apps will be locked down very securely and the whole device is designed to seemlessly integrate in both the Win OS, Enterprise Networks and HP's enterprise facilities that are being advertised in a big way in the UK! The rep went on to demonstrate the HP enterprise integration, and from what I picked up, whislt trying to remain concious, with this device you could be in Carter Pewterschmidts executive bathroom, whilst running your empire.
As a business tool, it is the dogs danglies. It's difficult to fault, and security is top notch, and HP's own software packages could make this device very popular. Depending on how many units you want, there are some considerable savings to be had, but you do have to buy many, many devices!!! I was asked not to divulge exact figures, but you could, potentially save up to 25%+
The bad news. It isn't, as some expect, a consumer device in any way, shape or form. It may look like a nice piece of kit, with great specs, but, I can't put my finger on why it doesn't 'feel' right. As I said, I had the chance to run it next to my 950xl, on RS1 .5. Mmmm, performance was comparable. There was little, to zero, difference side by side. I'm sure 10586 TH would have seen a marked difference in performance, but the Redstone build is hard to 'visually' spot any performance differences. It may be just me but the screen on the XL also looked nicer. The camera on the X3 is good, but, the 950xl just excels in that department. They were noticably sharper, more defined. I didn't like it. Sorry gang, but as a consumer tool, I'd place it somewhere near, very near, the 950XL.
The biggest drawback is the retail price. Over here, UK, you'll be looking at around ?700 plus extras. I just couldn't justify it when the, admittedly dull, 950xl is so cheap now. I guess if you are an antutu bragger, or just one of the magpie section of users, then I guess there is some incentive to spend big. As I said to the rep, it's nice that these will be available to consumers (indirectly), but if WP makes people snigger, then the Samsung and iPhone brigade are going to have a field day, when you tell them you've got an HP. The look will be even more blank. And then the comments about printers/computers will come, and we'll be back to the ridicule of other OS users, at least until these things hit or prove popular in the enterprise market.
IMHO, if you use the X3 in the enterprise environment, you will have a VERY powerful and user friendly tool for your job. As a consumer unit, you may be a little disappointed. It's huge, the camera's aren't great and in the real world, it's not massively better than a 950xl, which is hugely cheaper. That's just my thought.
If you are going to splash a lot of money on one of these, what happens if/when the fabled Surface device arrives? For me, a 950xl and wait to see what happens approach could be cheaper in the long run, and could save disappointment, which I feel will be when the novelty wears off and it just becomes another W10M device. I read all the hype, I wanted one. I couldn't wait to go and play. I was quite excited and the anticipation was killing me!! In the end, despite the specs, it was what I didn't want it to be. But then again, it was never intended for the consumer space anyway.
My advice would be to think carefully, consider the honeymoon period and hang on to see what the surface team come up with. If they don't, the X3 will probably cheaper by then.
Sorry to those getting excited, it didn't push my buttons as a personal device. For my office, it would work, but then again, so do all the other devices I have. You pay your money.....
To start with, it is a big lump, but you knew that anyway. It doesn't feel, to me at least, as bulky as a 1520. If anything, it reminded me of my lovely old 1320 in hand. Now, I'm not sure what the score is with OS version, but this was running RS1 .5, whether it's meant to be there or someone got the flash bug, but it ran a dream on it. I spent about 10 mins with it, and had the chance to run it alongside my 950xl. The most noticeable difference was in the continuum dept. It seemed to cope with it a bit better, which as I have said before, was only a development tool on the 950 series. I never got to play with the sign in toys, as I am aware of what it has, and the fact it will do it a little bit quicker.
I tried to look at it from both sides of the fence. Business and consumer. They can be obtained and set up to lock out 'social media apps / facebook' etc, should the company require such. Some enterprise apps will be locked down very securely and the whole device is designed to seemlessly integrate in both the Win OS, Enterprise Networks and HP's enterprise facilities that are being advertised in a big way in the UK! The rep went on to demonstrate the HP enterprise integration, and from what I picked up, whislt trying to remain concious, with this device you could be in Carter Pewterschmidts executive bathroom, whilst running your empire.
As a business tool, it is the dogs danglies. It's difficult to fault, and security is top notch, and HP's own software packages could make this device very popular. Depending on how many units you want, there are some considerable savings to be had, but you do have to buy many, many devices!!! I was asked not to divulge exact figures, but you could, potentially save up to 25%+
The bad news. It isn't, as some expect, a consumer device in any way, shape or form. It may look like a nice piece of kit, with great specs, but, I can't put my finger on why it doesn't 'feel' right. As I said, I had the chance to run it next to my 950xl, on RS1 .5. Mmmm, performance was comparable. There was little, to zero, difference side by side. I'm sure 10586 TH would have seen a marked difference in performance, but the Redstone build is hard to 'visually' spot any performance differences. It may be just me but the screen on the XL also looked nicer. The camera on the X3 is good, but, the 950xl just excels in that department. They were noticably sharper, more defined. I didn't like it. Sorry gang, but as a consumer tool, I'd place it somewhere near, very near, the 950XL.
The biggest drawback is the retail price. Over here, UK, you'll be looking at around ?700 plus extras. I just couldn't justify it when the, admittedly dull, 950xl is so cheap now. I guess if you are an antutu bragger, or just one of the magpie section of users, then I guess there is some incentive to spend big. As I said to the rep, it's nice that these will be available to consumers (indirectly), but if WP makes people snigger, then the Samsung and iPhone brigade are going to have a field day, when you tell them you've got an HP. The look will be even more blank. And then the comments about printers/computers will come, and we'll be back to the ridicule of other OS users, at least until these things hit or prove popular in the enterprise market.
IMHO, if you use the X3 in the enterprise environment, you will have a VERY powerful and user friendly tool for your job. As a consumer unit, you may be a little disappointed. It's huge, the camera's aren't great and in the real world, it's not massively better than a 950xl, which is hugely cheaper. That's just my thought.
If you are going to splash a lot of money on one of these, what happens if/when the fabled Surface device arrives? For me, a 950xl and wait to see what happens approach could be cheaper in the long run, and could save disappointment, which I feel will be when the novelty wears off and it just becomes another W10M device. I read all the hype, I wanted one. I couldn't wait to go and play. I was quite excited and the anticipation was killing me!! In the end, despite the specs, it was what I didn't want it to be. But then again, it was never intended for the consumer space anyway.
My advice would be to think carefully, consider the honeymoon period and hang on to see what the surface team come up with. If they don't, the X3 will probably cheaper by then.
Sorry to those getting excited, it didn't push my buttons as a personal device. For my office, it would work, but then again, so do all the other devices I have. You pay your money.....
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