Thunderbolts are go
It's only when you turn the Spectre XT TouchSmart around to access the ports on either side that you are reminded that it's an Ultrabook – it's barely over 2cm thick at its fattest point. The slimline case is achieved by dispensing with any optical drive, of course, but HP has used the 15.6in format to pack in three (not just two) USB ports, Ethernet (not gigabit, unfortunately) and even a Mini DisplayPort-compatible Thunderbolt port.
HP's provision of a Thunderbolt port could be a gamble... or forward-thinking
Since almost nobody outside Apple's reluctant and overpriced ecosphere has clapped eyes on let alone bought any Thunderbolt peripherals, I do wonder what HP has in mind. It took years before peripherals manufacturers began supporting full USB 3.0, so I estimate that my teenage son will have moved on to his second wife before Thunderbolt goes mainstream. That said, the two of you that own Thunderbolt devices today might be overjoyed to read that HP is so forward-thinking with the Spectre XT TouchSmart.
Another component that has gone large since the 13in Spectre XT is the hard drive – 500GB compared with the earlier model's 128GB – although this half-terabyte of space sits on a conventional spinning disk rather than in solid state. Otherwise, the 13in and 15.6in models are fitted with the same processor and RAM.
Everything about the Spectre XT TouchSmart looks wide and generous, which is odd for an ultrabook.
What you don't seem to get, however, is longer battery life. The Spectre XT TouchScreen is not a poor off-mains performer by any means, especially compared with conventional notebook PCs, but I struggled to keep the computer going on battery power alone for much longer than three hours. That said, this was three hours of constant use involving plenty of network use, processing and hard disk thrashing. If I just sat quietly watching small videos or mindlessly surfing the web, I feel confident that I'd be able to keep the Spectre going for longer, but I can't imagine buying a £1,200 ultrabook for this purpose.
Another concern is the lack of rigidity in the case material backing the display: it tweaks too easily for my liking. Bendy displays are not unusual among plasticky notebooks but it is unexpected in one with a metal case. If you are a brute or compulsive fidgeter, be warned.
As a final swipe, I'm a little disappointed by the sub-megapixel webcam. It does the job but its image and video quality and resolutions are decidedly ordinary for such a stylish computer.
The Reg Verdict
In terms of thickness and weight, this is unquestionably an Ultrabook. But once you open up the Spectre XT TouchSmart and switch it on, it feels like you're working with a larger, beefier notebook that suffers few of the obvious Ultrabook compromises. Connectivity is good, avant-garde even, and the combination of quality keyboard, large trackpad and ultra-responsive touchscreen display makes for very flexible handling. Sure, it's expensive, but quality costs. ®
HP Spectre XT TouchSmart 15-4000ea
COMMENTS
how much?!
did you say, 1200 quid?
p.s. 3 USB ports, right, how many of those USB 3.0
p.p.s. what about sd card slot?
p.p.p.s. does it come with a processor and RAM, you mention those, would you care to share the details?
p.p.p.p.s. I didn't ask about W8 v. W8 pro, but I guess I can look it up on the
p.p.p.p.p.s. presumably no wifi or 3G, let along good old LTE, cause you would have mentioned those in the review, right?
Why do I feel so alienated by the PC manufacturers
There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that I can see about this machine that would encourage me to buy one to replace my current laptop. It's -
- Too expensive.
- Too big.
- Not the screen format I want.
- Has a mirror instead of a screen.
- Encourages people to touch the screen and leave greasy finger marks.
- Probably more powerful than I need.
- Comes with an OS that I neither want nor need.
The problem is that almost every company making laptops is aiming to produce the same type of machine, meaning that there is nothing made by anybody that I would consider.
Am I really that much different from mainstream users now?
Re: how much?!
Yes, indeedy. and only 1920 x 1080 too. Now while that is some sort of improvement on 1368x768, it's not good enough for a machine costing 1200 royal portraits. Not when the Nexus 10 tablet has 2560-by-1600 and comes in at a quarter of that price.
Ethernet (not gigabit, unfortunately)
Really? What on earth were they thinking?
Leave it off for more space (not my preference, but not everyone wants an Ethernet port these days) or put in a gigabit port minimum. Especially on a 1200 machine!
That, lack of SSD and the sub par camera on a machine this expensive just seems like someone looking to make a failure!
Numerical keypad
I suppose it depends on how you type, but I dislike having numerical keypads on laptops. Not because I don't like numerical keypads, but because when the manufacturers fit them they offset the rest of the keyboard, such that the centre of the normal typing area does not line up with the centre of the screen. So I find either my head or spine twisted in a way that all the OH&S stuff says is bad, and which is actually uncomfortable after a long time too.
