Author: Ewan Spence / Source: Forbes
In the back half of 2017, HP revealed the HP Spectre laptop, a thirteen inch ultrabook that promised both style and high specifications. With a few qualifications (notably it focused on traditional functionality over new ideas), the laptop delivered. HP has now updated the Spectre 13, and I’ve taken a look at the refreshed Windows 10 hardware.
Can it improve on the previous model?
HP has certainly kept its design flair. The last few years have seen HP focus on a new design language that helps the brand stand out. Rather than going for a visual tapered design, the new Spectre 13 plays out the idea of two very thin slates on top of each other when closed. The key identifying factor is the hinge, which runs the full length at the rear, and acts as the spine of the ultrabook. The screen hinges up and slightly away on two relatively sturdy curved arms. You can see the influence of tablet design here – although it is not detachable you get the feeling this is a design that could work well if HP wanted to go after the tablet productivity market.
But it’s not a tablet. The screen is clearly design for a laptop, and the big giveaway is the lower bezel. It proudly displays the HP logo, but it also presents an almost one inch thick bar along the base of the screen. Practically I know this is going to be where the connectors and electronics for the screen are going to be housed (given the thin nature of the screen assembly) but it’s still an awkward looking design choice when you see it on a retail shelf.
This year’s Spectre 13 does raise the design stakes in subtle ways, but the classy change is the ceramic white finish. Along with the gold trim on some edges, this ultrabook looks futuristic and modern. There’s a seductiveness to the look that HP has managed to pull off. 2018’s Spectre 13 screams fashion.
The white styling also draws comparisons to a number of smartphone color schemes, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. That creates a positive association, but ceramic white laptops aren’t as prolific as mobiles.
With the Spectre design bar already high, HP has done well to lift it higher. It’s also, thankfully, done the same with the specifications and hardware. The big change for me is the Spectre screen is now touch enabled. Both the 1080p and 4K resolution choices come with touchscreen, which is something that has become more prevalent on high-end laptops. Windows 10 works well with touch, while macOS stubbornly refuses to add the functionality to the MacBook.
Yes there are times when touch doesn’t work – particularly on older third-party software – but given the wider range of software (and there is a touchpad) I’m happy with that compromise. I’d rather the ability to use older software, and I’m sure enterprise buyers will have the same idea.
The other notable change is the keyboard. The previous Spectre design compressed the keyboard into a smaller footprint, curving the keys…
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