Following in the footsteps of the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga, HP has launched the Pavilion x360, a hybrid touch notebook whose screen flips around nearly 360 degrees. This design will let users switch from laptop to tablet mode in a flash. HP's new 11-inch system is meant for light productivity, such as taking notes in class or watching a movie, and it will be available on February 26 starting at just $399.
Like Lenovo's IdeaPad Yoga systems, the Pavilion x360's lid swivels all the way back, so the ultraportable can be used as a traditional notebook, in tent mode, or as a tablet. In the latter mode, the x360's keyboard shuts off, so you don't accidentally type anything. However, the x360 lacks the new mode-aware software on the upcoming Yoga 2 11, which automatically suggests apps depending on what mode it's in.
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The Pavilion x360 will have a soft-touch finish, and will be available in either red or silver. Inside is an Intel Bay Trail Pentium N3520 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB, 5,400-rpm hard drive. The 11.6-inch display has a resolution of 1366 x 768, and supports 10-finger touch.
The x360 also has two speakers powered by Beats Audio. Ports include three USB (1 USB 3.0 and 2 USB 2.0) and HDMI. At 3.08 pounds an 0.86 inches thick, the x360 should prove very portable.
HP will bundle some of its own software with this convertible, including HP Connected Music and Connected Drive for accessing your files in one place. However, we hope the battery lasts longer than the 4-plus hours predicted by HP.
