Apparently, folding notebooks are all the rage now. HP is introducing two new hybrids whose screens rotate 360 degrees. Joining its 11-inch Pavilion X360 is the 13.3-inch HP Pavilion x360 and the 15.6-inch HP Envy x360, starting at $599 and $679, respectively. Here's what you'll get for the money.
The 13.3-inch Pavilion x360 is the larger brother to the 11-inch x360, but at 4.3 pounds, will be rather heavy as a tablet. Like that system, it will be available in red or silver. As with most HP notebooks, the x360 has an island-style keyboard, and has three USB ports, Ethernet, DisplayPort, and an SD Card reader.
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Interestingly, the starting price for Intel version of the x360 will be less expensive than the AMD configuration. The Intel-powered x360 (Core i3 and i5 processors are available) will start at $599, and be available July 20, while the AMD version (A6/A8/A10 APUs) will start at $629. Both will be configurable with up to 8GB of RAM, and hard drive sizes will range from 500GB to 1TB. HP expects that the Intel version will last up to 8.25 hours on a charge, and the AMD version will last about 2 hours less than that.
The larger Envy x360 has a 15.6-inch touchscreen. As it's part of the Envy line, it's a bit svelter than the Pavilion x360. Still, at 5.8 pounds, HP expects that this hybrid will be used as a notebook much more frequently than as a tablet. With that in mind, the system features HP's ControlZone trackpad. First introduced on the Spectre 13, this unique touchpad has 1-inch areas on either side that make it far easier for users to initiate Windows 8 gestures.
This notebook will start at $679 with a Core i3 processor and 4GB of RAM. Consumers can opt for Core i5 and Core i7 processors, up to 8GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage. HP says consumers should expect about 7 hours on a charge.
Will shoppers bend over backwards to get these convertibles? Their low price makes them attractive for students looking to save money, and HP is working with a proven design. These convertibles are best suited for those who want a larger notebook, but want to kick back and watch a movie after homework is done, and not have a keyboard in the way.
