Well since it won't be able to cool four cores, maybe two is the right number? 😅
I get the whole "more cores better" thing but in practice you have to consider the purpose, too. This system is meant for low power and doing *one* thing at once plus virus checking in the background. That's why it's in a leather folio case, because it's a digital replacement for that. And it's also why they're trying to claim 19 hours, although it'd be nice to know their definition of "mixed".
I just bought a dual-core i5 upgrade for a home server, because I wanted a faster system but still within the TDP limit. Sure, I could have whacked a Xeon in there with four real cores in there (possibly even for cheaper) but it's for 24/7 database replication and light nginx while not firing up the fan up too high. A higher-core CPU would've probably been worse for that particular use-case.
Aluminium is not that cosmetically durable. Having had leather phone cases for the past few years my experience is that they wear very well and provide effective protection. It is a vast improvement on the glass backs earlier Spectres had.
It's a bit over the top with the leather, but there's just something about the leather exterior that looks really sharp and professional. If I had a legitimate need for a new computer right now, this thing would be someplace close to the top of my list. It just looks like it would blend into my desk landscape at work next to the few paper notebooks and my nameplate rather than stick out like a more conventional PC.
Well, yes, actually. Full-grain leather is _very_ durable, and generally only looks better with handling, use and time as the leather wears gracefully and gains a (protective) patina from handling. Aluminium scratches and dents easily, and plastic is ... garbage, unless you're looking for cheap, disposable "protection". And rubberized/soft-touch metal tends to wear out too easily.
It's heavy for a convertible. Their Spectre x360 2-in-1 is 2.8lbs, with a 15W U chip.
I'm afraid at this high price, it might turn out to be a short-lived product. And we've yet to see if Amberlake is a decent advancement in the battery life department. I'm not expecting any gains on the platform side.
You have to go for the 1W panel to have advantages. 1W saving is pretty decent. It'll be anywhere from 1.5-2.5 hours of gain. But the rest? I'm not so sure.
I'm worried that if the hinging mechanism relies on Leather for it's "structural integrity", that's doomed to break (based on looking at various of my leather watch bands that I use daily). Is it metal-reinforced? Or literally all just leather?
Leather, when is well processed will last a long time. The thickness is a factor on how well the leather will fare over time, a watch band is usually 2 thin pieces sewn together.
I've own a leather belt for over 15 years and still my favorite, this looks to have that same thickness.
Concur. Full grain leather is plenty strong if it’s reasonably thick.
I think this is a cool device. I’m not sold on the media mode as superior to a detachable keyboard, but at least the tradeoff is made for greater key travel. The real issue to me is the 5w processor. I’m not expecting a hex core but given the size of the device it seems like a 15w quad would make this much more viable as a productivity device.
I think 15w might be too much for something that is wrapped in leather. I personally prefer 5w over fans.
It does look like a stressed line could develop where the notebook bends into tablet mode. Decent leather could still easily last years though, if not decades. A lot of leather watch bands or even belts are cardboard/foam sandwiched within thin sheets of leather. Those are lucky to last over even a few months. I doubt HP will use those on their flagship laptop.
Stressed lines and scratches also look way classier on good leather than on plastics or metals. A "seasoned" briefcase looks dignified but on phone or notebook just screams "replace me".
I agree, the design choices of internal components match the design choice of external construction.
The i5-8350, which 15w TDP, has a TDP up of 25w TDP and has been measured at 32w during prolonged boost. So it was entirely unreasonable for consideration in a LEATHER WRAPPED device.
5W, with a TDP up not exceeding 10w, on the other hand is is pretty realistic assuming the frame is magnesium and there is enough surface area. Keep in mind the NVMe SSD could consume up to 5w at load for all we know...
I have a really good pair of boots that I’ve worn to work every single day for 5 years. The soles are worn, but the leather is still perfectly in tact. I have a leather sofa that is over 10 years old that has also held up really well—worn, but no rips or failures. If done well, leather can last a really long time, probably longer than the internals of the laptop itself.
16:9, nowhere close to retina, a sizeable chin with the company logo in my face for $1300 “and up”.
Why, HP, do you want to constantly remind me that I bought an HP? For $1300 I would remember, no? Why waste valuabe space for an otherwise empty blackness (this time covered with expensive gorilla glass rather than warped shiny plastic)... instead of adding more useful pixels?
Will watch a gigantic ad videos instead for the benefit of Anandtech. It has better quality than the product shots.
It's more than plenty as my work PC. It's not powerful enough for space hungry tasks like gaming, content creation or data crunching. This machine and its 5W Amber Lake CPU is not for those people.
There is no synthetic material that works as good as real leather. That's why leather still commands a premium over Bonded Leather or Synthetics or blends
So much for the always connected PC. This is what I think about when I hear always connected PC. Gigabit LTE modem from Wintel, 5W CPU that can run x86 stuff at speed, very good battery life. Beat that Qcom.
I wish Microsoft Surface Pro had this type of keyboard. I hate the kickout stand on the Surface Pro as it takes up too much space and you can actually use it on your lap.
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Inteli - Monday, October 1, 2018 - link
Leather, of course, is widely renowned for its durability compared to conventional laptop materials, like aluminum and plastic.WorldWithoutMadness - Monday, October 1, 2018 - link
HP gains a lot of benefit from this. Uh my cover is scratched... how much to replace it? Another business sales gained.selenite - Tuesday, October 2, 2018 - link
Let’s not forget about excellent heat conductivity.Strunf - Tuesday, October 2, 2018 - link
Cause plastic is a very good thermal conductor...It's a 5W CPU not really something hard to keep cool.
Targon - Tuesday, October 2, 2018 - link
Yea, dual-core for a $1200+ laptop. Form over function seems to work well for those with too much money it seems.GreenReaper - Saturday, October 6, 2018 - link
Well since it won't be able to cool four cores, maybe two is the right number? 😅I get the whole "more cores better" thing but in practice you have to consider the purpose, too. This system is meant for low power and doing *one* thing at once plus virus checking in the background. That's why it's in a leather folio case, because it's a digital replacement for that. And it's also why they're trying to claim 19 hours, although it'd be nice to know their definition of "mixed".
I just bought a dual-core i5 upgrade for a home server, because I wanted a faster system but still within the TDP limit. Sure, I could have whacked a Xeon in there with four real cores in there (possibly even for cheaper) but it's for 24/7 database replication and light nginx while not firing up the fan up too high. A higher-core CPU would've probably been worse for that particular use-case.
BedfordTim - Tuesday, October 2, 2018 - link
Aluminium is not that cosmetically durable. Having had leather phone cases for the past few years my experience is that they wear very well and provide effective protection. It is a vast improvement on the glass backs earlier Spectres had.PeachNCream - Tuesday, October 2, 2018 - link
It's a bit over the top with the leather, but there's just something about the leather exterior that looks really sharp and professional. If I had a legitimate need for a new computer right now, this thing would be someplace close to the top of my list. It just looks like it would blend into my desk landscape at work next to the few paper notebooks and my nameplate rather than stick out like a more conventional PC.Manch - Tuesday, October 2, 2018 - link
BC a metal/plastic friction hinge has NEVER failed on a laptop?Valantar - Tuesday, October 2, 2018 - link
Well, yes, actually. Full-grain leather is _very_ durable, and generally only looks better with handling, use and time as the leather wears gracefully and gains a (protective) patina from handling. Aluminium scratches and dents easily, and plastic is ... garbage, unless you're looking for cheap, disposable "protection". And rubberized/soft-touch metal tends to wear out too easily.IntelUser2000 - Monday, October 1, 2018 - link
It's heavy for a convertible. Their Spectre x360 2-in-1 is 2.8lbs, with a 15W U chip.I'm afraid at this high price, it might turn out to be a short-lived product. And we've yet to see if Amberlake is a decent advancement in the battery life department. I'm not expecting any gains on the platform side.
You have to go for the 1W panel to have advantages. 1W saving is pretty decent. It'll be anywhere from 1.5-2.5 hours of gain. But the rest? I'm not so sure.
Byte - Monday, October 1, 2018 - link
This or a iPhone XS Max. Decisions, decisions.Manch - Tuesday, October 2, 2018 - link
Yes its heavier than the other but it's not heavy. Do some curls!!erple2 - Monday, October 1, 2018 - link
I'm worried that if the hinging mechanism relies on Leather for it's "structural integrity", that's doomed to break (based on looking at various of my leather watch bands that I use daily). Is it metal-reinforced? Or literally all just leather?Rayb - Monday, October 1, 2018 - link
Leather, when is well processed will last a long time. The thickness is a factor on how well the leather will fare over time, a watch band is usually 2 thin pieces sewn together.I've own a leather belt for over 15 years and still my favorite, this looks to have that same thickness.
Sunrise089 - Monday, October 1, 2018 - link
Concur. Full grain leather is plenty strong if it’s reasonably thick.I think this is a cool device. I’m not sold on the media mode as superior to a detachable keyboard, but at least the tradeoff is made for greater key travel. The real issue to me is the 5w processor. I’m not expecting a hex core but given the size of the device it seems like a 15w quad would make this much more viable as a productivity device.
wr3zzz - Tuesday, October 2, 2018 - link
I think 15w might be too much for something that is wrapped in leather. I personally prefer 5w over fans.It does look like a stressed line could develop where the notebook bends into tablet mode. Decent leather could still easily last years though, if not decades. A lot of leather watch bands or even belts are cardboard/foam sandwiched within thin sheets of leather. Those are lucky to last over even a few months. I doubt HP will use those on their flagship laptop.
Stressed lines and scratches also look way classier on good leather than on plastics or metals. A "seasoned" briefcase looks dignified but on phone or notebook just screams "replace me".
Samus - Tuesday, October 2, 2018 - link
I agree, the design choices of internal components match the design choice of external construction.The i5-8350, which 15w TDP, has a TDP up of 25w TDP and has been measured at 32w during prolonged boost. So it was entirely unreasonable for consideration in a LEATHER WRAPPED device.
5W, with a TDP up not exceeding 10w, on the other hand is is pretty realistic assuming the frame is magnesium and there is enough surface area. Keep in mind the NVMe SSD could consume up to 5w at load for all we know...
MonkeyPaw - Monday, October 1, 2018 - link
I have a really good pair of boots that I’ve worn to work every single day for 5 years. The soles are worn, but the leather is still perfectly in tact. I have a leather sofa that is over 10 years old that has also held up really well—worn, but no rips or failures. If done well, leather can last a really long time, probably longer than the internals of the laptop itself.digiguy - Monday, October 1, 2018 - link
Please note that there is no USB A, just a dongle in the box...Yaldabaoth - Monday, October 1, 2018 - link
"Kinky!"cassiohui - Monday, October 1, 2018 - link
you mean reinvented like the thinkpad 15th anniversary special?selenite - Tuesday, October 2, 2018 - link
16:9, nowhere close to retina, a sizeable chin with the company logo in my face for $1300 “and up”.Why, HP, do you want to constantly remind me that I bought an HP? For $1300 I would remember, no? Why waste valuabe space for an otherwise empty blackness (this time covered with expensive gorilla glass rather than warped shiny plastic)... instead of adding more useful pixels?
Will watch a gigantic ad videos instead for the benefit of Anandtech. It has better quality than the product shots.
fmyhr - Tuesday, October 2, 2018 - link
Agreed. 16:9 in small screens needs to go. HP should take a cue from Microsoft and Google here.yankeeDDL - Tuesday, October 2, 2018 - link
I would like to know if it is only me that thinks that 256GB, in 2018, are preposterous.wr3zzz - Tuesday, October 2, 2018 - link
It's more than plenty as my work PC. It's not powerful enough for space hungry tasks like gaming, content creation or data crunching. This machine and its 5W Amber Lake CPU is not for those people.darkich - Tuesday, October 2, 2018 - link
This would actually be quite brilliant if they were using some synthetic material with similar properties.Manch - Tuesday, October 2, 2018 - link
There is no synthetic material that works as good as real leather. That's why leather still commands a premium over Bonded Leather or Synthetics or blendsyeeeeman - Tuesday, October 2, 2018 - link
So much for the always connected PC. This is what I think about when I hear always connected PC. Gigabit LTE modem from Wintel, 5W CPU that can run x86 stuff at speed, very good battery life. Beat that Qcom.Dug - Wednesday, October 3, 2018 - link
I wish Microsoft Surface Pro had this type of keyboard. I hate the kickout stand on the Surface Pro as it takes up too much space and you can actually use it on your lap.