HP Spectre 13 Ultrabook Review

ros: Unique Control Zone touchpad; Beautiful design; Gorgeous display; Snappy backlit keyboard; Strong performance; Long battery life

Cons: Bottom runs a bit warm

The Verdict: The HP Spectre 13t-3000 Ultrabook packs a user-friendly touchpad, strong performance and long battery life in a beautiful design.

One of the chief complaints users have about Windows 8 is that its gesture controls aren't intuitive enough for first-time users. HP addresses that gripe head-on with the new Spectre 13t-3000 Ultrabook. Large areas on either side of the notebook's Control Zone touchpad make it easier to activate Windows 8's gesture-based Charms and Recent Apps menus. That's not all this $1,019 ultraportable has to offer, though. With the latest Intel Core i5 processor, a solid-state drive, beautiful 13-inch 1080p touch screen and a dead sexy design, the Spectre 13t is one of the best Ultrabooks money can buy.

HP Spectre 13 Ultrabook Review

Design

  Like many of HP's Ultrabooks, the Spectre 13t-3000 features a gorgeous, all-aluminum chassis. For the Spectre 13t, however, HP has added some panache, throwing in a truffle-brown-colored, brushed lid and base that are offset nicely by the notebook's champagne, brushed-aluminum keyboard deck. In the center of the lid, a reflective bronze HP logo adds a touch of class.

Open up the notebook, and the first thing to catch your eye will be the Spectre 13t's oversized Control Zone Touchpad. Developed to make it easier than ever to use Windows 8 gestures, without having to reach up to the touch screen, Control Zone features a standard touchpad flanked on its left and right sides by areas specifically designed for interacting with Windows 8's Recent Apps and Charms menus. (More on this later.)

Measuring 12.8 x 8.7 x 0.59 inches and weighing a scant 3.3 pounds, the HP Spectre 13t is a hair thinner, though a bit heavier than the 13-inch MacBook Air (12.8 x 8.9 x 0.11 - 0.68 inches and 3 pounds). At 12.6 x 8.8 x 0.54 inches, Samsung's ATIV Book 9 Plus is slightly smaller than both the Spectre 13t and Macbook Air, and weighs 3.2 pounds. Acer's Aspire S7 measures just 12.7 x 8.8 x 0.51 inches and weighs 3 pounds.

Display

 The Spectre 13t sports a beautiful 13.3-inch, 1920 x 1080-resolution HP Infinity touch screen display that's far sharper than the $1,099 MacBook Air's 1440 x 900 panel. The Acer Aspire S7 offers a 1920 x 1080, 13.3-inch display, while the $1,399 Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus comes with a Retina-like 3200 x 1800 QHD+ screen. If you want to shell out an extra $70, however, you can equip your Spectre 13t with an HP Vivid QHD Infinity display (2560 x 1440 pixels).

A trailer for "X-Men: Days of Future Past" looked considerably better when viewed on the Spectre 13t's 1080p display than it did on the MacBook Air. Fine lines in characters' faces were sharper on the HP, and colors appeared warmer. Skin tones also looked more natural, and blacks looked endlessly deep on the Spectre 13t. The MacBook Air's display looked washed out by comparison. Similarly, a high-definition image of a lush mountain landscape looked far greener and sharper on the HP.

With a display brightness of 254 lux, the HP Spectre 13t's screen barely outshined the ultraportable laptop category average of 249 lux, and was neck and neck with the Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus (251 lux). The MacBook Air's display topped out at 263 lux, while the Acer Aspire S7 hit an impressive 329 lux.

The Spectre 13t's touch screen proved accurate and responsive during our time with the notebook.

Audio

As with many of HP's more-premium notebooks, the Spectre 13t-3000 comes loaded with the impressive Beats Audio software. Jay-Z and Kanye West's bass-heavy "No Church in the Wild" sounded excellent as it thumped through the Spectre's bottom-mounted speakers. We noted a similar experience while listening to Coheed and Cambria's "Mothers of Men," as guitar squeals and symbol crashes filled our conference room.

Switch off Beats, however, and audio sounds muddled. In fact, at one point, it sounded like we were listening to a smartphone rather than a laptop. So just keep Beats on. On the LAPTOP Audio Test, the Spectre 13 pumped out a steady 84 dB at a distance of 23 inches. That's just above the category average of 83 dB.

Keyboard

The HP Spectre 13t's keyboard provided consistently solid feedback throughout our testing. We experienced a good amount of travel and little to no flex. We're also fans of the keyboard's beautiful white backlighting, which evenly illuminated each key.

On the Ten Thumbs Typing Tutor test, we typed at a rate of 79 words per minute with a 1 percent error rate, about equal to our personal average. Our one gripe with the keyboard is the small size of its directional keys, which made navigating a bit of a chore.

Control Zone Touchpad

Using Windows 8 gestures via a notebook's touchpad can be a pain. The pad's small size limits space for swiping in from the left or right, making accessing the Charms and Recent Apps menus frustrating. To address this issue, HP and Synaptics equipped the Spectre 13t with a Control Zone touchpad. Despite its name, it's essentially a normal touchpad with two visually and tactilely distinctive wings on either side. It's designed to make using Windows 8 gestures more intuitive.

Performing gestures on the Control Zone is no different than it would be on a standard notebook. Users swipe in from the right to open the Charms menu, while a swipe in from the left opens the Recent Apps menu. In testing, however, HP said it found that the wings helped users more easily recognize how to use Windows 8 gestures. From a practicality standpoint, it makes more sense to direct users to the touchpad, rather than forcing them to use the touch screen exclusively or expecting them to know, without prompting, that they can use the touchpad for the same gestures.

 Control Zone offers more than not just improved usability. When you open the Charms menu, for example, you can now simply slide your finger up or down the right control zone to select the icon you want to open. Without this feature, you'd have to open the Charms menu, then move your cursor to the icon you want. It's a small, but welcome improvement.

Adding the Control Zones to the touchpad dramatically increased its size, to a whopping 5.5 x 2.6 inches. With such a large space between the user and keyboard, we figured we'd accidentally move the cursor more often. To prevent this, HP and Synaptic wisely chose to disable the cursor in the Control Zones. As a result, we noticed little to no issues with palm rejection during our time with the notebook.

Overall, we liked the larger touchpad and its enhanced functionality. Even Windows 8 veterans will appreciate how much easier it is to use gestures with the Control Zone compared to a standard touchpad.

Ports and Webcam

  As with many Ultrabooks, the Spectre 13t-3000 keeps ports to a minimum. On the right side, you get a single USB 3.0 port, full-size HDMI port, mini DisplayPort and power jack. On the left side is a second USB 3.0 port, combination microphone/ headphone jack, 2-in-1 SD Card slot and lock slot. Don't expect Ethernet or VGA.

The Spectre 13t's 720p webcam provided acceptable stills and video. Colors were accurate, and while we noticed some blurring, the lines in our shirt were still easy to make out.

Heat

The Spectre 13t proved itself to be a cool customer during our LAPTOP Heat Test (streaming a full-screen Hulu video for 15 minutes) reaching just 84 degrees Fahrenheit on the touchpad. The space between the G and H keys hit 94 degrees, falling just below our comfort threshold of 95 degrees. The bottom of the notebook, however, reached a somewhat toasty 99 degrees.

Performance

With a 1.6-GHz dual-core Intel Core i5-4200U processor, 4GB of RAM and 128GB solid-state drive, the Spectre 13t is a lightweight speed demon. We opened multiple tabs in both Chrome and Internet Explorer, streamed music from Spotify and watched Netflix without any slowdown.

On the Geekbench 3 benchmark, the Spectre 13t scored 6,436. That's better than the Intel 1.3-GHz Core i5-4250U-powered MacBook Air 13-inch's score of 6,267, and well above the ultraportable category average of 4,559. The Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus, which packs the same processor as the Spectre 13t, scored a lower 4,150.

The Spectre 13t performed equally well on the PCMark 7 benchmark, hitting 4,806 and easily besting the ultraportable category average of 3,927. The ATIV Book 9 Plus pulled ahead of the HP with a score of 5,017, but the Acer Aspire S7 was higher still, with a score of 5,051.

Thanks to its 128GB solid-state drive, the Spectre 13t booted Windows 8.1 in just 10 seconds. The Acer Aspire S7 was one second faster, while the ATIV Book 9 Plus was a second slower.

The Spectre's SSD also helped it transfer files at a breakneck pace, moving 4.97GB of mixed media files in just 32 seconds. That equals a rate of 159 MBps, which is faster than the category average of 111 MBps, as well as the Acer Aspire S7's 113 MBps and Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus' 127 MBps. That said, the MacBook Air handily beat all three notebooks with its impressive transfer rate of 242 MBps.

During the OpenOffice SpreadSheet Macro, the Spectre 13t matched 20,000 names to their corresponding addresses in 5 minutes and 30 seconds. The average ultraportable takes 6:40, while the MacBook Air 13-inch took 5:33. The ATIV Book 9 Plus was a bit quicker, at 5:13. Once again, though, the Aspire S7 took the crown, with a time of 5:12.

Graphics

 With its Intel HD Graphics 4400 integrated graphics chip, the HP Spectre 13t is primed for watching HD videos and playing basic Windows 8 games, but don't expect to run something like "Call of Duty." On the 3DMark 11 benchmark, the Spectre 13t pulled down a score of 943, while the Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus scored a respectable 913, and the Aspire S7 scored 895. All three laptops easily beat the ultraportable category average of 713.

While playing "World of Warcraft," the HP Spectre 13t delivered an average of 28 frames per second with the graphics set to auto detect and resolution at 1366 x 768. That's not quite playable. The Acer Aspire S7 averaged 39 fps at the same resolution, while the ATIV Book 9 Plus hit 46 fps. The MacBook Air averaged 45 frames per second with the resolution set to 1300 x 812.

Battery Life

Thanks to its 4-cell battery and low-voltage, fourth-generation Intel Core i5 processor, the Spectre will last you all day, and you won't have to worry about finding an outlet. On the LAPTOP Battery Test, which involves continuous Web surfing over Wi-Fi with the display brightness set to 40 percent, the Spectre 13t lasted an impressive 9 hours and 4 minutes. That blows away the ultraportable notebook category average of 6:35. This runtime also surpasses the Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus' 8:06 and Acer Aspire S7's 8:53. The MacBook Air 13-inch, however, ran for a marathon 11:40.

Software and Warranty

 HP went relatively light on the software load for the Spectre 13t, which is a good thing. You get the standard array of Windows 8.1 apps, including the new Bing Food & Drink and Health & Fitness apps and Microsoft Office Home and Student.

The heavy hitter here is the included Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5. Regularly priced at $149, the software lets you adjust, enhance and organize your digital photos with ease. Unfortunately, unlike HP's older Envy notebooks, the Spectre 13t doesn't come with Photoshop Elements or Premiere Elements.

HP provides customers with a one-year limited hardware warranty. See how HP fared in our Tech Support Showdown and Best & Worst Brand Report.

Configurations

The Spectre 13t starts at $999. At that price, consumers get a 1.6-GHz dual-core Intel Core i5-4200U processor, 4GB of RAM, a 128GB solid state drive and a 1080p display. The Smart Buy configuration, which costs $1,229 after a mail-in rebate, has the same processor, but 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and a 2560 x 1440-pixel screen.

Consumers can also customize the starting model with up to an Intel Core i7-4500U processor ($195), 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD ($150) and the 2560 x 1440 display ($70). Additionally, you can outfit the Spectre 13 with 802.11ac Wi-Fi, a $20 option.

HP Spectre vs. the Competition

 In some ways, the Spectre 13 surpasses the likes of Apple's $1,099 13-inch MacBook Air, offering a sharper and more vivid screen along with touch capability. However, the Air lasts much longer on a charge and boasts faster flash memory.

Samsung's $1,399 ATIV Book 9 Plus has a sharper display, but you can configure the HP with a higher-res panel, too. And the Spectre 13 offers a better keyboard. The Aspire S7 ($1,399), an Editors' Choice pick, is lighter and slimmer than the HP and offers faster performance, but it also costs $380 more.

Verdict

 HP's $1,019 Spectre 13t-3000 has everything you want in an Ultrabook: a sleek design, fast performance and long battery life. And while you can always use the full HD touchscreen to navigate Windows 8.1, HP gives you an excellent alternative with its Control Zone touchpad. We also like this ultraportable's keyboard and sound quality. The only complaint we have is that the bottom of the Spectre 13 runs a tad warm. Overall, the HP Spectre 13 is a superior Windows 8 Ultrabook.

See more: Lenovo IdeaCentre Flex 20 Review

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HP ZBook 14 Review

Pros: Powerful performance; Fast and large SSD; Robust security software; Comfortable keyboard; Sleek design

Cons: Expensive; Lackluster webcam

The Verdict: HP's ZBook 14 is a high-powered and durable mobile workstation Ultrabook that can handle anything you throw at it.

HP's ZBook 14 is a business Ultrabook with the power to call itself a mobile workstation. With an Intel Core i7 processor, a monster 16GB of RAM, a 240GB SSD and a dedicated graphics chip, this 14-inch laptop can easily handle your most demanding tasks. But at $2,349 as configured (starting at $1,399), the Windows 7-powered ZBook 14 is almost as expensive as a similarly configured 15-inch MacBook Pro. Here's why it's worth the investment.

HP ZBook 14 Review

Design

The HP ZBook 14 features the same design language as its larger sibling, the ZBook 15. Its lid is composed of a stylish brushed aluminum surrounded by a textured magnesium alloy. In the center is an inlaid, reflective HP logo that matches the magnesium's dark coloring. Inside, the ZBook 14 sports a sleek and sturdy aluminum keyboard deck.

Above the keyboard, and stretching from edge to edge, is the notebook's speaker grille. Just above sits the power button on the left, and Wi-Fi and mute buttons on the right. To the right of the ZBook's keyboard is a low-profile fingerprint scanner.

At 13.4 x 9.3 x 0.83 inches and 3.9 pounds, the ZBook is a hair thicker and heavier than Lenovo's T440s, which measures 13 x 8.9 0.80 inches and weighs 3.8 pounds. Acer's 14-inch TravelMate P645 also undercuts the HP, measuring 12.9 x 9.3 x 0.82 inches and weighing just 3.3 pounds.

[HP ZBook 14] At 13.3 x 9.1 x 0.83 inches and 3.6 pounds, the Dell's Latitude E7740 is similarly thin and light. Apple's MacBook Pro 15, which features a slightly larger 15-inch display, is thinner but heavier than the HP, measuring 14.1 x 9.7 x 0.71 inches and weighing 4.5 pounds.

The underside of the ZBook 14 features an easy-access bottom panel, which allows you to quickly replace internal components such as the notebook's RAM, storage drive and battery.

The ZBook 14 is MIL-STD 810G certified, which means it can withstand drops from as high as 4 feet. HP says the ZBook can also hold its own against dust, functional shock, vibration and both high and low temperatures. The notebook's keyboard is also spill-resistant, so you won't have to worry if you tip your coffee on it.

Display

The HP ZBook's 14-inch, 1920 x 1080-pixel resolution provided a crisp, clear picture. Text viewed on The New York Times home page was sharp, as was a high-definition image of a field overlooking a mountain. A trailer for "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" looked equally good, as the red-and-blue-clad wall crawler crisscrossed the Manhattan skyline. Fiery explosions appeared to jump off the ZBook's screen, while Electro's blue complexion looked stunningly bright.

When compared to the MacBook Pro 15's Retina Display, however, the ZBook 14's screen had a slightly tan tint. It's not something most users will likely notice, as we needed to look at both screens side-by-side, but it's certainly something to take into account.

At 255 lux, the ZBook 14's display just outshines the 251-lux thin-and-light-notebook category average. The Acer TravelMate P645's screen hit 235 lux, while the Dell Latitude E7440 registered 238. Both the Lenovo ThinkPad T440s and MacBook Pro 15-inch offered brighter displays, averaging 294 lux and 324 lux, respectively.

Audio

Chances are, you aren't buying the HP ZBook 14 for its audio capabilities, but you'll be pleasantly surprised by how good its speakers sound. Kendrick Lamar's "Backseat Freestyle" was clear, even with the sound turned all the way up. Just make sure the included DTS Studio Sound software is switched on; otherwise, the audio sounds hollow and tinny.

On the LAPTOP Audio Test, which involves measuring a notebook's decibel rating at a distance of 23 inches, the HP ZBook 14 registered an impressive 86 dB. That blows away the Acer TravelMate P645 and the thin-and-light laptop category average (both 83 dB). The Dell Latitude E7440, however, offered the loudest speakers, registering 88 dB.

Keyboard

Like any business notebook worth its salt, the ZBook 14 offers a quality backlit Chiclet-style keyboard. The keys' travel and lightly textured surface made typing this review a breeze. On the Ten Thumbs Typing Tutor, we recorded an average typing speed of 80 words per minute, with a 1 percent error rate. That's better than our usual laptop typing speed of 78 words per minute.

Touchpad and Pointing Stick

The ZBook 14's 3.8 x 2.2-inch touchpad proved smooth and accurate during our testing. Gestures, such as two-finger scroll and twist-to-rotate, worked like a charm. The physical mouse buttons below the touchpad were similarly easy to use.

As with many other business notebooks, the HP ZBook 14 comes with a rubber pointing stick at the center of its keyboard, as well as two mouse buttons at the top of the notebook's touchpad. The pointing stick's rubberized textured surface made it easy to locate and use without looking. Overall, the pointing stick was accurate and offered smooth movement, comparing favorably to the one found on Lenovo's ThinkPad T440s.

Fingerprint Scanner and Security

The ZBook 14 comes with a biometric fingerprint reader for added security. To enroll our fingerprints, we simply swiped a digit across the scanner, automatically launching the HP Client Security setup program. After registering two fingers, we were asked to select three backup security questions. Once enrolled, we could set the HP Client Security program to require a fingerprint swipe to log in to our favorite websites. All told, the process took less than 5 minutes.

With HP Client Security, you can also manage your Windows passwords, encrypt your storage drives, wipe your hard drive and limit device access to the ZBook's ports, to prevent someone from stealing data via a USB drive. Additionally, you can sign up for Absolute Software's LoJack for Laptops, which lets you track your laptop and report it as stolen to the police. With HP Trust Circles, you can securely share selected files and folders with specific users via your email address.

Heat

After streaming a high-def video for 15 minutes, the ZBook's keyboard reached 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The touchpad was even cooler, at 77 degrees, while the underside topped out at 88 degrees. We consider temperatures of 95 degrees and higher to be uncomfortable.

Ports and Webcams

For an Ultrabook, the ZBook 14 has a good number of ports. On its right side are two USB 3.0 ports, a full-size DisplayPort, a dual microphone/ headphone jack, a dock connector, an Ethernet port and a microSD card slot. The left side features a third USB 3.0 port, a USB 3.0 power port, a VGA port, a Secure Card slot and a lock slot.

The ZBook 14z's 720p webcam captured noisy images that were full of artifacts. Fine details in our subject's face were nearly impossible to see, and colors were too dark, even under bright office lighting.

Performance

 HP equipped the ZBook 14 with a 2.1-GHz dual-core Intel Core i7-4600U processor, a whopping 16GB of RAM and a 240GB SSD. With that kind of power, this workstation can easily handle even your most demanding productivity tasks. We ran a system scan on our review unit while streaming a Hulu Plus video with eight tabs open in Chrome without noticing any slowdown.

On the PCMark 7 benchmark, which tests a laptop's overall performance, the ZBook 14 scored an impressive 5,378. That's higher than the Dell Latitude E7440, which scored 4,544 with a 1.9-GHz Intel Core i5-4300U processor, 4GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Acer's TravelMate P645 and its Intel Core i7-4500U processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD scored 4,886.

The Lenovo ThinkPad 440s, which packs an Intel Core i5-4200U processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, scored 4,970. Each of the notebooks outscored the thin-and-light notebook category average of 3,614.

On the Geekbench 3 benchmark, the ZBook 14 notched 6,271. That's higher than the Lenovo T440s' score of 5,151 and the Dell Latitude's 5,259, both of which fell below both the category average (5,918) and the Tavelmate (5954). Apple's MacBook Pro 15-inch, which features an Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of flash memory, however, outpaced the field, with a score of 13,652.

Thanks to its 240GB SSD, the HP ZBook 14 booted Windows 7 Professional in just 25 seconds. That's faster than the category average of 27 seconds, but slower than the Acer TravelMate P645's time of 23 seconds.

It took the ZBook 14 just 32 seconds to complete the LAPTOP File Transfer Test, which involves copying 4.97GB of mixed media files. That's a rate of 221 MBps, well ahead of the thin-and-light average of 44 MBps. The Dell Latitude E7440 copied the files at a rate of 130 MBps, while the Acer TravelMate P645 did so at 176 MBps. The ThinkPad T440s finished the task at a rate of 188 MBps. Apple's MacBook Pro 15, once again, kicked the competition in the pants, with a transfer rate of 309 MBps.

The ZBook 14 performed very well on our OpenOffice test, matching 20,000 names to their corresponding addresses in just 4 minutes and 10 seconds. That just beats out the MacBook Pro's time of 4:15. The Acer TravelMate P645 completed the test in 4:42, while the Dell Latitude E7440 finished in 4:46. The Lenovo ThinkPad T440s took the longest, finishing in 5:14. All of those notebooks, however, were much faster than the category average of 6:13.

Graphics

With its discrete AMD FirePro M4100 graphics chip, the HP ZBook 14 can easily handle demanding video-editing software and some mainstream games. On the 3DMark11 benchmark, the laptop scored 1,770. That's far better than the Latitude E7440's score of 801, as well as the Lenovo ThinkPad T440s' 930. The category average is 988. Still, the Acer TravelMate P645's AMD HD 8750M graphics chip edged out the HP, with 1,783.

While playing "World of Warcraft" with the graphics set to autodetect and the display resolution at 1280 x 1024 pixels, the HP ZBook 14 averaged 73 frames per second. That's more than twice the category average of 35 fps. The Acer TravelMate P645 hit 47 fps, while the Lenovo ThinkPad T440s came in at 39 fps. The Dell Latitude E7440 reached just 23 fps. It's worth noting that only the ZBook 14 ran at a resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels. The rest of the notebooks ran at a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels.

Bump the graphics up to their highest, and the resolution drops down to a playable 33 fps. Move up to 1080p, and the HP's frame rate falls to 26 fps. That still beats the Acer's 24 fps and the category average of 23 fps.

The graphically intensive "Bioshock Infinite" ran at a respectable 34 fps with the graphics on low and resolution set to 1280 x 1024p. Just don't expect full-HD gameplay to be smooth; setting the graphics to max and the resolution to 1920 x 1080p dropped the frame rate to 10 fps.

Battery Life

The HP ZBook 14's 3-cell battery lasted 7 hours and 34 minutes on our LAPTOP Battery Test, which involves continuous Web browsing over Wi-Fi with the display brightness set to 40 percent. That runtime is better than that on the Dell Latitude E7440 (5:52) and the thin-and-light laptop category average (6:51). However, other systems lasted longer, such as the MacBook Pro 15-inch (8:57), the Acer TravelMate P645 (9:46) and the Lenovo ThinkPad T440s, which ran for 14:36 with its high-capacity battery pack.

Configurations

With a 2.1-GHz Intel Core i7-4600U processor, 16GB of RAM, a 240GB SSD and AMD FirePro M4100 graphics chip, our $2,349 HP ZBook 14 is the most powerful preconfigured version of the system available. If that's not good enough, you can customize the notebook with a 512GB SSD and all of the aforementioned components for $3,641.

If you don't want to shell out that much cash, you can opt for a base model of the ZBook 14 for $1,399. That version includes an Intel Core i5-4200U processor with 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive and AMD FirePro M4100 graphics chip.

Software

HP kept the ZBook 14 expectedly clean of bloatware. The workstation comes loaded with the aforementioned security software, as well as the CyberLink YouCam software. You also get the HP Performance Enhancer, in addition to CyberLink PowerDVD 12. Further software offerings include Skype and the AMD Catalyst Controller.

HP offers ZBook 14 users a three-year limited warranty. On-site service and extended service contracts are also available beyond the standard warranty period via HP's website. See how HP fared in our Tech Support Showdown and Best & Worst Brands Report.

Verdict

The sleek HP ZBook 14 isn't just a powerful mobile workstation; it can also serve as a very capable multimedia laptop during your downtime. Its keyboard is comfortable enough to use during long workdays, and the machine's MIL-STD 810G certification means it can stand up to the bumps and bruises of everyday life.

If you're in the market for a low-cost business notebook, we suggest checking out the Lenovo T440s or Acer TravelMate P645. If you're interested in a workstation, you should also consider Dell's 15-inch Precision M3800. That slim speedster packs a 2.2-GHz Intel Core i7-4702HQ CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and Nvidia Quadro K1100M graphics, as well as a higher resolution, touch-enabled QHD+ display, all for $100 less. (Stay tuned for review.)

Most mobile workstations don't come in 14-inch models, making the HP's portability a win for business users on the go. If you want a high-powered system and don't mind dropping a chunk of change, the ZBook 14 is an excellent choice.

 See More: Acer Aspire Z3 Review

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HP EliteBook 850 G1 Review

Pros: Durable design that's very light for 15-incher; Strong security features; Bright 1080p matte screen; Easy-to-remove bottom; Long battery life

Cons: Mixed performance results; Viewing angles could be wider

The Verdict: The HP EliteBook 850 G1 is an excellent 15-inch business laptop with a durable design, strong security features and long battery life.

The EliteBook 850 G1 is a Windows 7 Pro notebook built for productivity and security. Complete with a fingerprint scanner, HP's security software, a durable design and a luminous 15.6-inch 1080p display, the $1,614 laptop (starting at $954) has everything a business user could want. But is HP's Core i7-powered EliteBook the best notebook you can get for the price?

HP EliteBook 850 G1 Review

Design

The EliteBook 850 G1 looks and feels like it can take some abuse. The first thing we noticed about HP's enterprise-oriented notebook was its durable black magnesium lid, which features the same matte soft-touch finish that's used in the auto industry to keep cars scratch-resistant.

This laptop will likely emerge scrape-free after rattling around in your luggage during flights. The EliteBook 850 G1 is also MIL-STD 810G approved, meaning it can endure more stressful scenarios involving extreme temperatures, pressure, altitude, shock and humidity than your average notebook.

Inside, the EliteBook's keyboard deck sports a shiny, premium-looking silver aluminum design. A speaker is situated just above this keyboard deck, with a fingerprint scanner placed just below it on the right. The Elitebook 850 G1's roomy touchpad almost makes the keyboard look small, but we certainly appreciated the extra space while scrolling.

The laptop's magnesium underside features a removable door for easy access to its internal components. This means you can easily switch out its hard drive for an upgrade without having to purchase a new unit.

Measuring 14.78 x 9.98 x 0.84 inches, the 4.4-pound HP EliteBook 850 G1 is fairly light and portable for a 15-inch laptop. In fact, HP says that this model is 40 percent thinner and 27 percent lighter than the previous model.

Security

 HP touts the EliteBook 850 G1 as one of the most secure business notebooks on the market. The system comes preloaded with HP software such as its SureStart program, which automatically detects malware and attacks to the computer's BIOS.

HP Trust Circle is an encryption program that completely locks down files unless you approve certain contacts to see them. The basic version of Trust Circle, which is available for free, lets you add up to five people to your trust circle. The Pro version, which sells for $19.98 for HP devices and $29.98 for non-HP computers, lets you create multiple trust circles.

Among HP's included security features is its Just In Time Authentication policy, which lets you place certain time restraints on the device. This means if you walk away from the computer and it remains inactive for a certain period of time, an intruder won't be able to plug in an external device with potentially malicious material without proper authentication.

The HP EliteBook 850 also comes with a fingerprint scanner for logging onto your computer and select websites of your choosing. When prompted to enter your password for a website, look for the HP Client Security shield symbol. This means you can use your fingerprint to log in rather than having to type your password.

During our testing we used our fingerprint to log into our Facebook account and to sign on to our computer easily. The process of enrolling your fingerprint is simple as well. We only had to swipe each finger two to three times before the device recognized our print.

Display

The HP EliteBook 850's 15.6-inch 1920 x 1080 resolution matte display offers great image quality for work and play. Text looked bold and clear on the screen as we read through news headlines, and a high-res image of a snow-covered cabin on Flickr looked sharp. When watching the trailer for Disney's "Maleficent," we appreciated the vibrant red color in Angelina Jolie's lips and the glowing green smoke that surrounded her. However, colors quickly washed out as we turned the laptop at a right angle to our face.

HP's productivity-oriented notebook boasts not only beautiful visuals, but also a brighter screen than the competition. During our light meter reading the display averaged 300 lux, which is more luminous than the mainstream laptop category average (207 lux), the Dell Latitude E7440 (238 lux), the Acer TravelMate P645 (235 lux) and the Lenovo ThinkPad T440s (294 lux).

Audio

The HP EliteBook 850 is more for business than entertainment, but the notebook still pumps out crisp and clear sound. When blasting "Mother We Share" by Chvrches, the singer's voice sounded clean and bubbly. We really enjoyed the full-bodied background melodies and sugary synthesizers that popped, especially when switching to the Techno setting in the DTS Audio software. The bass-heavy "Evil" by Interpol also sounded rich, although the front-mounted speaker sounded a bit overwhelmed when the grungy guitar licks kicked in.

The bundled DTS Audio software allows you to choose between certain presets depending on what you're listening to. Music categories include Rock, Opera, Grunge, Techno, Rap and Country; each setting slightly tweaks elements such as bass, treble and focus.

The HP EliteBook 850 reached 84 decibels during the LAPTOP Audio Test, which is one decibel above the mainstream notebook category average. This was just slightly louder than the Acer TravelMate P645 (83 dB) and the Lenovo ThinkPad T440s (81 dB), but the Dell Latitude E7440 was the most boisterous (88 dB).

Keyboard

The HP EliteBook 850's backlit spill-resistant keyboard provided a smooth overall typing experience. The deck felt sturdy as we struck the keys, and we didn't notice any flex while pushing down on the keyboard. The key travel was deep enough for comfortable typing and productivity, but the tactile feedback could have been crisper. We notched 53 words per minute with a 3 percent error rate during the Ten Thumbs Typing Test, which is lower than our 63 WPM speed with an error rate of zero on our standard desktop keyboard.

Touchpad and Pointing Stick

The roomy 4.1 x 2.5-inch touchpad was responsive and fluid in everyday use. We had no issue using pinch-to-zoom and two-finger scrolling gestures, and we appreciated the dedicated clicking buttons.

The Elitebook 850's pointing stick sports a rubbery, comfortable grip that made it easy to scroll without reaching for the touchpad. The textured feel reminded us of Lenovo's TrackPoint pointing stick, although HP's nub features a concave shape made to fit the tip of your finger.

Heat

The HP EliteBook 850 managed to stay cool during our testing. The notebook's underside reached 90 degrees Fahrenheit when streaming video on Hulu for 15 minutes, which is below the 95-degree threshold that we consider uncomfortable. The touchpad only hit 78 degrees, and the area between the G and H keys reached a mild 89 degrees.

Ports and Webcam

The HP EliteBook 850 comes with all the ports you need to get work done. The right side houses a slot for its charger, an SD Card reader, and Ethernet port, two USB 3.0 ports, a DisplayPort and a headphone jack. The left side features a SmartCard reader, two more USB 3.0 ports (one with charging) and a VGA port.

The notebook's 720p webcam took clear and colorful images during our testing. Using the preloaded Cyberlink YouCam software, we didn't notice any grain or blurriness when snapping a self-portrait.

Performance

 Our configuration of the HP EliteBook 850 has a strong mix of components, including a 2.1-GHz Intel Core i7-4600U processor with 8GB of RAM and 180GB SSD. In everyday use, the machine delivered speedy performance and multitasked with ease. We ran a full system scan, streamed an episode of "Bob's Burgers" via Hulu, opened five other programs, including Paint, DTS Audio and Cyberlink YouCam, and browsed the Web with six tabs open in Chrome all at the same time without any issues.

During the Geekbench 3 synthetic test, the HP EliteBook 850 scored 5,901, which is just below the 5,918 mainstream laptop category average and the Acer TravelMate P645 (5,954) but is higher than the Dell Latitude E7440 (5,259) and Lenovo ThinkPad T440s (5,151).

The Acer TravelMate is powered by a 1.8-GHz Intel Core i7-4500 CPU with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, while the Dell Latitude E7440 runs on a 1.9-GHz Intel Core i5-4300U processor with 4GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Lenovo's laptop comes equipped with a 2.6-GHz Intel Core i5-4200U with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD.

The HP Elitebook 850 breezed past the 3,603 mainstream laptop category average on the PCMark7 test with a score of 4,596, but fell behind the Lenovo ThinkPad T440s (4,970) and Acer TravelMate P645 (4,886). However, it still beat the Dell Latitude E7440's score of 4,544.

HP's business notebook took a somewhat sluggish 30 seconds to boot, which is longer than the average mainstream laptop (0:26). The Acer TravelMate P645 (0:23, Windows 7 Pro) was also faster.

The EliteBook 850 also transferred files slower than all four laptops, but faster than the average mainstream notebook. It took HP's device 47 seconds to duplicate 5GB of mixed media files equaling a rate of 108.3 MBps, which is slower than the Lenovo ThinkPad T440s (188 MBps), the Acer TravelMate P645 (176 MBps) and the Dell Latitude E7440 (130 MBps).

HP's offering was the fastest when it came to retrieving data. The EliteBook 850 matched 20,000 names to their corresponding addresses during the Open Office Spreadsheet test in just 4 minutes and 28 seconds, which is faster than the 6 minutes and 17-second mainstream category average. This also outperforms the Dell Latitude E7440 (4:46), Acer TravelMate P645 (4:42) and Lenovo ThinkPad T440s (5:14).

Graphics

The HP EliteBook 850's integrated Intel HD Graphics 4400 is more than adequate for casual gaming and watching HD movies, but don't expect a hardcore gaming experience. The notebook ran "World of Warcraft" at an acceptable rate of 47 fps with the screen resolution set to 1024 x 768 on auto settings, but this dropped to 21 fps at its native 1080p resolution.

The EliteBook scored 37,731 during the 3DMark Ice Storm benchmark, which falls below the 40,507 mainstream notebook category average. Comparatively, the Dell Latitude E7440 (29,235) and ThinkPad T440s (25,767) scored lower, and the Acer TravelMate hit a higher 39,585.

Battery Life

The HP EliteBook 850's 3-cell battery lasted for 7 hours and 26 minutes during the LAPTOP Battery Test, which consists of continuously surfing the Web with the display brightness set to 40 percent. This is longer than the 6:50 mainstream laptop category average, the Dell Latitude E7440 (5:52) and the Lenovo ThinkPad T440s with its regular battery (7:01). However, the Acer TravelMate P645 (9:46) and the Thinkpad T440s with its high-capacity battery (14:36) lasted much longer during the same test. To be fair, though, both of those notebooks are 14-inchers, which place more of an emphasis on portability.

Configurations

The HP EliteBook 850 comes in a few different flavors depending on your budget. The least expensive model starts at $954 and features a 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 resolution display, 4GB of RAM, a 7,200RPM 500GB hard drive and runs on an Intel Core i5-4200U processor with integrated Intel HD Graphics 4400.

The priciest model sells for $1,914 and comes with a 1080p display, 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SATA self-encrypting hard drive. Our review unit is just below the highest price point at $1,614 with a 1080p display, an Intel Core i7-4600U processor with 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD.

Software and Warranty

The Windows 7 Professional notebook is fairly barebones out of the box, but HP offers robust security software. The HP Client Security program serves as a dashboard for managing features such as enrolled fingerprints, passwords and HP Trust Circles. The File Sanitizer allows you to delete any folder or file by virtually shredding it so it can never be seen again. The Bing Desktop widget provides shortcuts to weather, news, trending topics, photos, videos and Facebook right on your desktop.

As mentioned above, the EliteBook 850 comes preloaded with Cyberlink's YouCam software for taking images with its 720p webcam and DTS Audio for managing sound preferences.

HP also includes a limited three-year warranty that covers parts and labor, including the device's battery. See how HP fared in our Tech Support Showdown and Best & Worst Brands report.

Verdict

The $1,614 HP EliteBook 850 is one of the best 15-inch business notebooks money can buy. It offers robust security, long battery life and a luminous display for the price.

Geared toward those who want control over their files, the notebook comes with a removable bottom for swapping out your hard drive and HP's Trust Circles encryption software to ensure only approved contacts see your confidential content. We also appreciate the soft-touch scratch- resistant magnesium lid. The only notable strike against the EliteBook 850 is the matte display's somewhat shallow viewing angles.

Those who don't mind a smaller screen should check out the Lenovo ThinkPad T440s, which offers swifter performance, a better keyboard and a more impressive 14 hours of battery life. Overall, though, the EliteBook 850 is a very good choice for workers in need of a durable and secure large-screen they can take with them.

See More: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (2014) Review

 

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