HP Spectre 13 Notebook

Mission impossible. HP designed a conventional notebook with a "thickness" of just 10 millimeters, so it is thinner than some first-gen tablets (original iPad: 13 mm). Our full review shows how HP accomplished to fit a fully featured Windows 10 PC into one of the thinnest designs currently available.
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The new HP Spectre 13 is without a doubt a main show act in the notebook segment in 2016. The device was announced around one month ago (we reported), in combination with a preliminary launch date in the beginning of June. Right now, HP is talking about availability for the Spectre 13 at the end of June or start/mid July. 
The preliminary starting price of 1499 Euros (~$1695) supports the high-end claim compared to the rivals. The recently updated and reviewed Apple MacBook 12 has a similar price tag of 1449 Euros (~$1638) with the entry-level configuration with an Intel Core m3 and 256 GB PCIe-SSD, Dell's XPS 13 with FHD display and 256 GB SSD already starts at 1249 Euros (~$1412). The brand-new Acer Aspire S 13 (here in review) for around 1000 Euros (~$1131) in a similar spec is comparatively expensive. With heights around 15 mm and a weight between 1.2 and 1.4 kg, however, these 13-inch "rivals" appear comparatively clumsy. Even the Asus ZenBook UX305UA tips the scale at around 1.5 kg and is 12 millimeters high, so it is not even close to the record specs of the Spectre1

Case

"Piston hinge" mechanism in the Spectre 13
"Piston hinge" mechanism in the Spectre 13
It was Stacy Wolff, chief designer at HP Inc., who was responsible for the development of the Spectre 13. With his plan to build a conventional notebook based on full-fledged Core-i processors but only 10 millimeters thick, he will probably have taught the Intel developers about the possibility of such a device – at least this is what HP is saying.
The result of this ambitious project is the HP Spectre 13, which is exactly 10.4 millimeters at its thickest point (without support feet), and just 2 millimeters is used for the display. The chassis is made of CNC machined aluminum (A and C cover, so display cover and the top of the base unit), the base unit (D cover) of a magnesium alloy. Our pre-production unit shows an excellent stability and pressure resistance. The build quality is already on a very high level as well.
The design of the Spectre 13 is dominated by the incredibly thin construction of the base unit and display, which is attached via two razor-thin and elegantly curved brackets. The idea was to let the display visually flow above the device. Because of the distance between the display and the base unit, the two fragile attachments and the glossy copper color scheme ("Luxe Copper") of the area below the screen, you can also notice it.
The hinges are definitely a special detail of the new HP Spectre 13. The drastic reduction of the thickness both of the display and the base unit prevented the implementation of conventional solutions. HP developed a special hinge mechanism, where the resistance or the closing pressure of the display, respectively, is created by gas cylinders located inside the base unit. This worked very well in our pre-production unit. You need both hands to open the lid, while the opening angle (up to 124 degrees) can comfortably be adjusted with one hand. The display did, however, slightly teeter. The center of the keyboard can warp slightly from pressure and the base will creak slightly when attempting to twist it.
At the bottom of the Spectre 13 are three continuous support stripes. Those are also used for the new models from the Pavilion and Envy series and are supposed to ensure a better stand as well as improved air circulation below the device.

The size comparison shows that the HP Spectre 13 sets new benchmarks in terms of thickness, but it is one of the bigger 13-inch devices in respect of its footprint. The Dell XPS 13 can benefit from its "InfinityEdge" design, which allows the implementation of a similarly sized display in a much more compact chassis.


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