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HP's Spectre X2 Is a Solid Core M Powered Surface Pro Alternative For Less (hothardware.com)

MojoKid writes: Now that we're a few years removed from the introduction of the original Surface and Surface Pro, it's clear that Microsoft's vision had merit, and virtually all of the company's major OEM partners are producing at least a few machines that were influenced by Microsoft's design. HP's new Spectre X2 hybrid is as similar a machine to the Surface Pro 4 that we have seen to date. Its form factor, detachable keyboard design, kickstand and overall look at feel of the machine are very "Surface-like". But HP has made some well thought-out changes and packed the machine with different hardware. The end result is rather interesting, somewhat better experience in some respects, for a lower price point. The model tested here features a Core m7-6Y75 dual-core / quad-thread processor with a base frequency of 1.2Hz and a max Turbo frequency of 3.1 GHz. Its on-processor HD 515 graphics can Turbo up to 1GHz and feature all of Intel's latest graphics tech, like Quick Sync, InTru 3D, etc. Other specs include 8GB of LPDDR3 memory, a 256GB Lite-On SSD, a 12" WUXGA screen, 802.11ac WiFi / Bluetooth and Verizon LTE support, a various IO including a built-in card reader and USB type C. The machine's detachable keyboard is held in place by magnets, similar to Microsoft's method. However, the Spectre X2's keyboard is quite similar to a full laptop keyboard. It's arguably superior to Microsoft's Type Cover, both aesthetically and functionally. Power users looking for a high-performance mobile device for heavy-duty workloads would probably be better served by something powered by a Core i5 or i7-series processor, but for the majority of users out there, the Core m at the heart of this machine should pack more than enough punch.

47 of 93 comments (clear)

  1. No ads here! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Getting one of the last advertisements in the shitdot 2015 budget?

    1. Re:No ads here! by Adriax · · Score: 2

      I dunno. It proudly lists integrated Intel graphics. This looks more like a competitor's assassination piece.

      --
      I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!
    2. Re:No ads here! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      From what I see HP's Spectre X2 has:

      A shit CPU
      A shit GPU
      A small amount of RAM
      A small amount of storage
      A small screen
      No USB 3.0 ports
      Only two USB 2.0 ports
      Carrier lock-in
      A spyware operating system
      A high price

      Yep, seems like a real winner to me!

    3. Re:No ads here! by mlts · · Score: 2

      With a machine like that, I am surprised to see USB 2.0 on Type C connectors. Most everyone else has moved to USB 3.0 or USB 3.1. Since this machine can do a desktop role, it should have the ability for someone to plug in an external HDD or SDD because the storage on those devices tends to be pretty small, or just as a way to back the thing up via a program or wbadmin. Wireless access is one thing, but until someone designs a wireless storage protocol that is up to par for the task.

      What HP needs to do is make a business grade model of this. It should have 16-64 gigs of RAM, a minimum 512GB SSD, and at least two USB 3.1, type C connectors which can also work for Thunderbolt. It also should have a docking station which uses the Thunderbolt bus and have some decent GPU power in that (or at the minimum, a PCIe slot), a number of USB ports (with multiple I/O buses), and a 10gigE Ethernet port. This way, the tablet can be used for business functions and can double as a desktop with ease. Oh, and have Windows 10 Enterprise pre-activated, just so a company wouldn't have to blow a KMS license on the machine. Done right, it would sell, just because it is able to do multiple roles, from being able to display PowerPoint slides with an adapter getting video from the USB-C connector, to doing day to day work in a dock at the office.

      [1]: Wi-Fi Direct isn't usable in this case, unless one doesn't mind switching SSIDs often to go from the Internet connection to the drive's SSID, or putting the HDD on the same Wi-Fi segment and having it available for anyone there to poke at. The ideal would be a protocol that piggybacks off of BlueTooth's encrypted pairing, and can work at a decent speed at a short range.

    4. Re: No ads here! by unami · · Score: 1

      it's mojo-kid, so it's probably a paid ad.

    5. Re:No ads here! by drinkypoo · · Score: 2

      What HP needs to do is make a business grade model of this.

      What HP needs to do is fuck off. I had an HP EliteBook with a 3-year extended warranty and a Quadro FX 1500... aka G71, which had a known die bonding problem within the GPU. It took me literally over 24 hours on the phone with various levels of HP support before I found someone who could find someone inside the company who knew there was a problem. Then they sent me out a refurb machine, finally, a later model. It cost them literally hundreds of dollars to argue with me for a whole goddamned day. It would probably be three times cheaper to just send everyone who called into complain a refurb machine, but instead they are fucking assholes. Now I will never buy HP again, and I will tell this story at every opportunity.

      Fuck HP sideways, and if you buy a HP, you're a moron.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    6. Re:No ads here! by ArmoredDragon · · Score: 1

      Yeah I've had similar bad experiences with HP. The last straw was when I ordered the HP Touchpad on their firesale, (wanted to give it to my dad as a gift) and they fucking canceled the order a few weeks after I made it because they wanted to bundle them with laptops at shitty Best Buy.

    7. Re:No ads here! by KGIII · · Score: 1

      Oddly, I don't mind my phone as a consumption device but I've yet to find a tablet that I've enjoyed. What you describe, with Lubuntu or Ubuntu installed, might be something that I'd enjoy. I'd be interested in something like that and would likely buy one. It may get handed off to a friend or relative but I'd likely buy one just to see if I enjoyed it. Going but what you describe, I'd say that $1400 might be a fair price, maybe $1200 would be okay.

      Another feature would be having SIM cards and being able to use a cellular connection. Having that, built in even, would be a nice feature and I'd probably give it even more consideration.

      For some reason, I just can't seem to enjoy the tablets. I've tried a whole bunch of them. It hasn't been as much fun as I'd hoped. I don't mind netbooks. I like laptops. I enjoy desktops most. I don't mind a phone. The tablet just seems, well, like it's good for nothing - with my use, and I'm mostly a passive consumer these days. Yes, I can get a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, that defeats the purpose. I did enjoy a Motion tablet, way back in the XP days, and I've had a convertible or two that I enjoyed.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
  2. Slashdot is ... by coldmist · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Slashdot is a vehicle for advertisements, without care of what drives us, the readers. It's clear that the readers like vision, but Slashdot has made some terrible missteps as of late. Power users looking for intelligent discussion have mostly left and would probably be better served by some other website, even though Reddit packs more than enough paunch. ;)

    --
    Don't steal. The government hates competition.
    1. Re:Slashdot is ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Why do people like you persist in this slashvertisement meme in the face of......well, common sense?

      Any time an article mentions a product, its suddenly a "slashvertisement". Never mind it is of interest to the target audience, the moment any product in any way shape or form is mentions, the cynical assholes like yourself decry the abject evil that comes from daring to mention a product.

      Go to hell, you fucking moron.

    2. Re:Slashdot is ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      it's a blatant ad masquerading as a legit article. that's the problem.

  3. Windows 10 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Windows 10 is a deal breaker.

    1. Re:Windows 10 by ArchieBunker · · Score: 1

      So don't fucking buy it then. Are you also upset that you can't drop a Toyota engine into a Chrysler?

      --
      Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
  4. How 'bout price by guruevi · · Score: 2

    Besides the obvious slashvertisement for HP, an "alternative for less" implies a large difference in price yet the summary doesn't declare any prices for either camp. There is a small ad on the page that lists it at about $800 which for an iPad Pro or Surface Pro replacement (respectively $800 and $700 for the base models) is not any cheaper.

    --
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    1. Re:How 'bout price by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      I'm not sure where the "for Less" part of the summary came from. The original article does not have it as part of the headline, so the statement was obviously added. The last page of the article, titled "Wrap Up" states it starts at $799 and the fully loaded model is $1199. Neither of which is "for less" than a Surface Pro.

    2. Re:How 'bout price by fermion · · Score: 2
      It is hard to say. The Surface 4 with the Intel M is $900 and the base x2 is $800. X2 includes a keyboard, but in on MS Windows 10 Home, not pro. I don't know why MS is still selling a defective version of windows. Don't they have enough problems?

      Like any MS Windows based product, it is really hard to say if it is a better value. It is cheaper, but that is because it has a screen with less resolution, it is heavier, and has a cheaper processor. So no one would expect to pay more for it. Given it's defects, it may be less of a value than a Surface. Unless you are in love with MS Windows, I don't even know if it is a better value than an iPad pro, since the iPad is lighter, run MS Office, has a cell connection so you are always connected, and the top of the line machine is the same price as the top of the line X2, if you add a third party keyboard to the iPad.

      I will say that if the tablet market is to really take off, we need more machines like the X2. What makes the MS Windows market function is that there are a lot of different machines at different price points. We will have to see if Ms Windows can take over all price points for tablets, or if MS is going to be relegated to mid price machines, as it largely is for laptops and PCs. I thinarket it already dominated by Android, and I don't see anyone challenging that. Ms is in a pickle because they just $1 billion for surface, and the iPad pro is projected to be twice that.

      --
      "She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
    3. Re:How 'bout price by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      The "for less" bit is the specs :-)

  5. Worth Nothing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Didn't Slashdot promise to make advertisements a different color?

    Guess they don't care about anything anymore. Fuck you Dice. Good luck offloading Slashdot now that it is worth nothing.

  6. Fanboys in spec wars is now news? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Why don't we just have articles that claim "Android Nation claims Apple Army is a bunch of shitballs"?
     
    Slashdot is a shithole anymore.

  7. As long as it's better hardware. by Lumpy · · Score: 1

    Surface pro 1,2,3,4 all use shit marvell chipsets that people are STILL having issues with. here is hoping that HP understands this and is using intel.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    1. Re: As long as it's better hardware. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Marvel chipsets? Like the ones that run iron man and captain America? Oops wrong marvel... My bad

  8. Does it run Android or iOS? by QuietLagoon · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I don't want to be stuck with last century's operating system.

    1. Re:Does it run Android or iOS? by Drethon · · Score: 1

      I don't want to be stuck with last century's operating system.

      You mean the OS capable of user interaction with multiple programs simultaneously?

    2. Re:Does it run Android or iOS? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      You mean the OS capable of user interaction with multiple programs simultaneously?

      I can do split window with my Transformer Prime, what's your problem?

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    3. Re:Does it run Android or iOS? by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Split window? Are you implying that you're arbitrarily locked into full screen applications?

      Progress!

    4. Re:Does it run Android or iOS? by iampiti · · Score: 1

      I don't like Windows 10 much but I find iOS and Android terribly limiting for what's supposed to be a general purpose computer

    5. Re:Does it run Android or iOS? by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 1

      You mean the OS capable of user interaction with multiple programs simultaneously?

      I can do split window with my Transformer Prime, what's your problem?

      Um, his name is Optimus Prime - geesh.

      --
      It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
    6. Re:Does it run Android or iOS? by unixisc · · Score: 1

      No, there was no Android or iOS in 1999 or even 2000.

    7. Re:Does it run Android or iOS? by Drethon · · Score: 1

      My problem is my typical setup involves three screens so I can do reference on one, development on another and display the app I'm debugging on the third. Sometimes I'll split screen those other monitors for other applications I need to use. Plus I often want to shrink windows so I can look at different parts at the same time. For now, Android just doesn't work for development for me.

  9. With a base frequency of 1.2Hz ... by DrJimbo · · Score: 2

    The battery must last for years before it needs to be recharged. I imagine they use turbo mode for the benchmarks.

    --
    We don't see the world as it is, we see it as we are.
    -- Anais Nin
  10. This can't be an advertisement with those specs. by infernalC · · Score: 1

    Base frequency of 1.2 Hz? I have a calculator from 1983 that can run circles around that.

  11. No it runs Windows 10 Home by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    No it runs Windows 10 home/pro which means its the one that logs all your keystrokes, and browser history and sends it to Microsoft, even in 'privacy' mode.
    Oh and it also uploads your disk encryption keys to Microsoft cloud ready for the FBI.

    http://mashable.com/2013/09/11/fbi-microsoft-bitlocker-backdoor/#TzEu17t4t8qP

  12. Verizon ... ugh by argee · · Score: 1

    Any alternatives to Verizon ?

  13. Microsoft's vision? Remember Asus Transformer? by walterbyrd · · Score: 1

    I don't think a tablet with attachable kb is MS's invention.

  14. Spectre? by colinrichardday · · Score: 1

    I don't mind evil electronics, but I'd rather not lose to 007!

  15. 4G LTE by jimngo · · Score: 1

    The important differentiator for me is the built-in 4G LTE. The Surface Pro 4 doesn't have a 4G model and one hasn't been announced (yet).

  16. Pen? Screen tech for pen input? N-Trig, Wacom? by michaelbuddy · · Score: 2

    One of the really big features of the Surface Pro is the Pen. It's kind of a key feature, so this HP device, though looking quite good, simply isn't in the same category where it could just replace an SP4 for somebody. Looks very slick though. Would love to try it out for a while.

    --

    ...::----::...

    I am in no way affiliated with this sig.

  17. Just not sold on Core M by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    After seeing performance of the expensive Apple Macbook with a Core M CPU. I am just not sold on this processor. Granted it ties in Intel's family of processors giving the Core M a good mix of performance vs power savings. But as most test show. Its no powerhouse for anything other then basic tasks and maybe better suited for cheaper notebooks. The Apple Macbook and even the Spectre 2 are still considered higher end notebooks. Granted the Spectre 2 only starts at $800 vs the macbook at $1200. But still, you can probably find a mobile core i3 performing much better in a ultra book for less then $800. Unless thin and light is all you care about. The Spectre 2 is far over priced for what you get in performance.

    1. Re:Just not sold on Core M by mccalli · · Score: 1

      Interesting - I have the exact reverse experience, I'm typing this on a 1.3Ghz 12" MacBook now and I'm very impressed with the performance. Sails through everyday tasks, but also I'm a reasonably heavy user of Logic and a large number of passably heavyweight audio plug-ins - the only time I really notice any slow-down compared to my iMac quad 2.5Ghz i5 is on the final export. I also regularly run VMs on it.

      You're right about "care about thin and light" - that was me (vs choosing the 13" MacBook Pro). But another key consideration for me was silence - there are no fans in this, and I love the quiet.

    2. Re:Just not sold on Core M by King_TJ · · Score: 1

      As another Macbook 12" user (and I even have the higher spec model), I agree with the grumbling. But it really depends on what you do with your computer. The Macbook really struggled when I tried to use Windows 7 Pro inside OS X in a VM, and after a while I even got a high temperature warning popping up, suggesting I close some applications because it was throttling back the CPU speed to keep it from overheating.

      I also find it just takes noticeably longer to launch apps like Microsoft Outlook 2016 than it does on a recent model Macbook Air 13" or Macbook Pro.

      If you're primarily using a web browser, or perhaps the iWork apps or iTunes, it performs perfectly fine, and yes, MS Office works fine too (just slower launch times and a little more sluggish opening Excel spreadsheets than other Macs I'm used to).

      Bottom line? If you haven't spent much time working with higher end machines, you'll probably be satisfied enough with the Core-M CPUs. Otherwise, you'll quickly feel it's less powerful than an i5 or i7.

  18. ! "Core m should pack more than enough punch" by ami.one · · Score: 1

    ! "Core m should pack more than enough punch"

  19. Oops by ZipXap · · Score: 1

    I was interested until I noticed that they chinced out on the mouse buttons. For $800 they can't give you a real button?

    1. Re:Oops by KGIII · · Score: 1

      I think it's root is in chintz which is not actually tied to a racial epithet as far as I know. See chintzy - meaning cheap bauble I believe. I could try the dictionary and etymology but I'll toss this out and see what bounces back. They probably should have spelled it chintzed but I don't think that's actually a word.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
  20. Can it run Android? by MouseTheLuckyDog · · Score: 1

    Is there an Android ROM for it?

  21. Re:This can't be an advertisement with those specs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Seriously. But on the other hand the turbo boost from 1.2Hz up to 3.1 GHz is pretty damn impressive.

  22. a base frequency of 1.2Hz by jraff2 · · Score: 1

    That fast! Wow!

  23. Re:Pen? Screen tech for pen input? N-Trig, Wacom? by Captain+Centropyge · · Score: 1

    If you look at the HP page for the Spectre X2, it does say it's ready for use with "active pens with Wacom technology". So, you can implement something similar with a separately-purchased stylus. Not ideal, but doable.

    --
    Bite my shiny metal ass!