HP - 2-in-1 12.3" Touch-Screen Chromebook - Intel Core M - 4GB Memory - 32GB eMMC Flash Memory - White

I was looking for a Chromebook for my casual home and school use, and this device had been under my radar for a while. I would like to think of myself as a tech enthusiast, and this was under my radar for a reason, it checks every mark for today's casual computing needs, and makes a whole lot more sense than getting anything else for the $400 that I was able to get it in the President's day. Awesome screen, perfect performance for online needs, media consumption, and grad school needs, awesome battery (11-12 hours), very good keyboard, and on top of being a laptop, I can use this as a tablet for YouTube, movies and reading, plus it runs Linux and Android apps too. If the Linux part could feel more at home than it currently is, which I hope will be true with future updates, I would have rated it 5.

This little thing is surprisingly poppy. I never really had an interest in Chromebooks as I always thought of them as cheap laptops just for browsing the web and email. However, the X2 has really changed my opinion on them and even convinced a co-worker to get one. The X2 is a essentially a decent sized tablet with an attachable keyboard. The keyboard itself is very responsive and the leather like texture is soft and makes it look like some designer style bag. The touchpad is nicely set in the center making it easy to use with either hand and is as responsive as touching the screen. There are no function keys (F1-12) but a whole row of keys assigned specific functions, such as brightness and volume, making it easy for quick adjustments. As far as treating it as a tablet, it easily detaches from the keyboard and instantly recognizes that it is no longer attached showing the on screen keyboard for applications that require it. The screen itself feels very sturdy, however where the front facing speakers are it feels like a slight weak point and tends to scare me when squeezing those edges. There is a fairly large bezel around the screen, ⅝” all the way around. However, this gives plenty of room for a thumb to be holding the tablet without touching the screen. As far as the screen I am truly surprised at the resolution. This screen is sharp, clear and bright. When I first received it I started playing 4K videos on Youtube and could have sworn it was a 4K screen. However, the specs state it is only 2400 x 1600, which is still impressive considering my 17” laptop still only does 1920x1080. The most common use I have had for my Chromebook has been watching videos, from Youtube and Netflix mostly. With the front facing stereo speakers audio is pretty decent, however I mostly use headphones. When attached to the keyboard the hinge keeps the screen at the desired angle and is surprisingly balanced for how far back it can tilt. An active stylus and AAA battery is also included, as well as a tip tool and 3 additional tips. There are two tips that a more pointed, to give a pen type feel, and two that are more rounded, to give a pencil type feel. The tips are more of a personal feel as far as fine tip and broad tip but do not have much more of a difference to them that I noticed. However, using the stylus to draw on the Chromebook felt really satisfying and really inspired me to want to draw more. As many Android applications are supported through the Google Play store you have plenty of drawing options. As for applications, there is the Chrome Web Store and the Google Play store. The Chrome store had most essentials but having been used to Google Play store from my Android devices I felt like it was missing some common applications. However, for the most part many of the applications through the Play store are supported with a few quirks here and there. For instance, some applications responded weird to the on screen keyboard by capitalizing every word I typed while not providing any auto features when I used the keyboard. As for the surprisingly poppy portion, it is really noticable when opening web pages. I use Chrome on my Windows laptop yet it feels faster while using it on the Chromebook. Pages just seem to load faster in general. The same is true for when you open and close the device and the Wi-Fi connection as it is put to sleep to conserve battery but quickly reconnects to the network when opened up or pressing the power button. As for battery life it gets me through the day if actively using it. As for the past 2 weeks I have only briefly used it to check email and light browsing in the afternoon and have yet to charge it again. So, the standby function is doing really well at conserving the battery. I forgot my charger one day that I let it run dead and used my cell phone USB-C charger instead. Though it recognized it as a slow-charger, it managed to get me through the rest of the day. Upon setting the device up for the first time I noticed it used Google Docs online and I thought for sure that meant I could only use it when online. However, once you have logged into your Google account it retains a cache of documents created through Google Docs and you can later access other items once back online if you have not downloaded them to your device. Having been a primarily Windows PC user the Chrome OS was a bit different, however, having used Android based phones for some time now there are plenty of similarities. Using this Chromebook is very much like a blend between the styles of devices. Also, with this Chromebook having an Intel chipset you can enable developer mode and run Linux if you want to try something a little more technical. Once installed, swapping between the two operating systems is seamless. I’d say my only real complaint about this HP Chromebook X2 is the white surface on the back of the screen is making it look like I abuse the poor thing, collecting every little bit of a scuff mark.

HP Chromebook X2 12-F014DX The HP Chromebook X2 is the first Chromebook with a detachable keyboard that also runs Android apps enabling it to function both as a Chrome OS laptop and as a high end Android tablet. My initial impression of the hardware was that it felt like a high end device with premium build quality. The tablet itself was made of aluminum and felt solid. The screen was super sharp with rich and vibrant colors. The touchpad was responsive and had a nice click to it. Being new to Chrome OS, I had to learn how it responds to touch gestures using the touchpad. Once I got used to the basics, I was able to use two fingers to scroll around documents, three fingers to move around tabs, and two fingers (instead of one finger) to tap/click the touchpad to bring up the context menu. The touchpad easily and correctly distinguish all my gestures. The keyboard felt good (although the smaller sized layout makes some compromises compared to a full-sized keyboard causing me to type the wrong character more than I would like). The leather-like texture on the keyboard was a nice touch. Setting up was extremely easy. Just connect to my home network and log into my Google account and all my bookmarks and passwords were migrated so my browsing experience was exactly the same as on my Windows desktop. Since Chrome OS boots so much faster than Windows, this makes it the ideal machine to use if you just want to quickly get on the internet to browse around. When I first set it up, it immediately found an update. The update actually took a little longer to finish than what I expected it to take but it was still orders of magnitude faster than updates on a Windows machine. Another update on a later date was even faster. Since I’m new to Chrome OS, I’m still trying to figure things out. I’m using Google Docs to write this review to see if Chrome OS could be viable as a main computer. Instead of Google Docs, we also have the choice of using Microsoft Office 365 as either a Chrome Extension (which is called Office Online) or by using the Android Apps version available on the Google Play Store. It’s a little bit confusing since the HP Chromebook X2 can run both. Which version of a program should we install if there is both a Chromebook and an Android version available? Right now, if there is both a Chromebook and Android version, I will favor installing the Chromebook version. There are two USB-C ports that can be used for data transfer, charging and display (I only tested the charging part) as well as a Micro SD slot that accepted my Sandisk 128 GB card with no problems. I’m not sure how external memory is handled in Chrome OS. Is this memory available for installing more apps? On some of my Android phones, I would run out of memory for installing or updating apps even when I had a large SD memory card installed. Android would not let me install apps on my SD card and would only let me use it to store music or picture files. I don’t know if Chrome OS has the same limitations. With 32GB of internal storage, I probably won’t run out of memory for apps but it would be nice if I knew that external memory is also available for installing applications. The HP Chromebook X2 also comes bundled with HP’s Active Pen that supposedly uses Wacom AES technology. From briefly playing around with the pen, I think it’s good enough for artists who want to use it for drawings or sketching. Android apps start in a smaller window with the option of running in full screen. The Chromebook version of Netflix ran perfectly with great video quality. The Android app version of Amazon Prime Video did not run well and had lots of stuttering. The SiliconDust HDHomerun Android app sometimes had trouble finding my HDHomerun tuner on the network. But when it did find it, it ran great. Sound from the front side speakers was capable of filling the room with clear and crisp sound but felt a little tinny to me. My favorite Android app for the HP Chromebook X2 was Comixology! Comics look absolutely beautiful on that large super sharp screen! With the keyboard detached and running in full tablet mode, the HP Chromebook X2 is a gorgeous comic book reader. It might be a little too large to hold comfortably for long periods but the screen is just gorgeous for reading comic books. Battery life has been excellent. With light use, I was able to get about 5 days of use without needing to charge. The HP Chromebook X2 in laptop mode is perfect for web browsing, email, and other light desktop usage (such as word processing and spreadsheets). It’s also a fantastic media consumption device (Youtube, Netflix and Comixology etc.). With its ability to run Android apps it can also function as a high end Android tablet. I think HP hit a home run with the HP Chromebook X2.

First off, this is my second Chromebook, however first 2-in-one. Technical Issues? Nope, surprisingly! There were a ton of things that I liked … including: Quick WiFi acquisition -- when opening the clamshell, it got a wifi signal very quickly. Printing - worked fine with my HP 5200 series wireless printer The display comes set to a very low resolution, so I bumped it up to 1500x1000; the max resolution made it impossible for me, with great eyesight, to use it. I listen to a ton of music during the day -- let’s say 10hours/day. I found there to be seamless audio casting with Google Play Music to any Google device in the house. Also, it connects to a Bose Soundlink Mini via Bluetooth without issue as well. Another very good feature is that there is NOT a proprietary connector to charge it … it uses a USB-C Charger, but requires so much juice to charge, that normal fast-chargers won’t touch it. At least you can use THAT charger to charge your phone, etc. Oh, and it has 2x USB-C ports, so you can still hook up a flash drive if needed. Let’s not forget about the microSD card slot for additional storage as well, though at 32GB on this unit & everything going to the cloud -- I didn’t find myself struggling for free space. There is a solid feeling keyboard. It’s a good size given the tablet portion and the trackpad is perfectly centered - so it’s easy movement between typing & moving the cursor. The magnets are strong and takes a good tug to disconnect it from the keyboard, which doesn’t have a power source itself, thus doesn’t need to be charged in addition to the tablet. The camera is decent, however I didn’t find myself bringing it outside to use so I can’t compare it to my S8+ in regards to quality (and I didn’t research the specs on this camera either, FWIW). Something that REALLY shocked me was how minima the fingerprints were … not like the iPads of yesteryear. Lastly, a pen is new to me, and until I get a real need for it, is somewhat in the way, so I keep it attached to my old 13in MacBook Pro’s Incase pouch. With the Pros, there are almost always some cons. This device has a lot less than I had expected, so here we go … The front-facing speakers (like the Nexus 9) are good but not great; when I see something purposely marked B&O (Bang & Olufsen), I expect more than some tinny output. The screen is a bit wobbly when taking photos while docked to the keyboard, mainly because the display is a HEAVY ‘tablet’ piece. When I was doing some basic video recording on the rear facing camera I definitely had low-light focusing issues. Can’t [easily] rename the device -- which can be annoying for those with naming conventions Apps: Not all are major Android Apps are ready for ChromeOS - it seems like they want to get away from “Apps” and move to Cloud-driven, so -- GMAIL isn’t an App by default, it directs you to Chrome & the gmail web page. Here are some Apps that I came across that just don’t work: Netflix (but the website works fine) Blink Camera Fing So, to sum it up there is plenty of horsepower for the type of use that I’m giving it and I’m a power user in all aspects of technology.

Have never had interest in Chromebooks, they were limited in functionality in my world. That changed in a big way when I got my hands on the HP Chromebook X2. It packs a punch and offers the functionality that works in my world from silky smooth web browsing to office functions and beyond. When I say silky smooth that is an excellent description of the speed and response time in the Chrome browser. To my surprise it smokes my home built “beast” desktop in web browsing, the desktop beast has tested out faster than 99 percent of the world’s computers. Yikes, the Chromebook has come a long way. First impression when I saw the HP X2 as we took it out of the box was the stunning design. The pearl white lid is brilliant. That goes along way as I plan to set the unit up for my wife, she loves the look. Couple kudos in my back pocket when she realizes the X2 is hers. After working on the laptop, the last two days setting it up must confess a little jealously that I will not be using the computer. It is fast, everything I have thrown at it from office products, browsing difficult web-pages that typically load slowly, to crunching numbers have not fazed this little brute in any way. It smoothly sails threw all the operations I have thrown at it, I am amazed. Setting up the HP X2 is almost effortless. It is well prepared and executed through all the steps. Surprised at how similar the Chrome GUI interface they have delivered is to the Windows GUI, feels right at home immediately. Screen has an excellent picture, solid colors. Movies look superb. Rely heavily on Office 365 for business as well as home tasks, all the apps are available on Google Play Store and hooked up with our Office 365 account effortlessly. Installed OneDrive to complete the hooks into our Microsoft ecosystem, so far works like a charm. If you plan on using your “old” USB stuff, well that has become so yesteryear, you will need to step up to USB 3.0 type C power connectors. Kudos. If you want to use a mouse I would suggest going Bluetooth, which was my first thought as I have never liked the touch pad mouse thingy. Now that I have used this computer I find the touch pad quite nice, highly accurate and with the touch screen and the stylus I could see myself hanging the mouse up, maybe. CPU, Memory and storage are fast, that is always a big plus. Storage is 32GB which appears to leave you with about 20.5GB for storing your stuff. After loading several of the Microsoft Office Apps and other base programs I am now at 17GB of free space. The storage may seem tight and will be for some but is simply resolved by adding MicroSD memory in the speed and size you desire. Battery life is very strong. Topped off the charge yesterday and the machine has been in use and running for many hours the last two days and I am left with a 60% charge. Like that. Wi-Fi is top notch supporting two band connectivity. My wish is that the keyboard was backlighted, for me it is tough as I use my laptop on the coffee table at night watching the tube. The Oxford Blue on the interior of the unit does not help seeing the keys in dim light. On the other hand, my wife who will be using the HP X2 never uses her backlighted keyboard. Bottom-line, I love this little laptop and it delivers a nice blend of performance, quality build and hits all the right notes for a highly productive computing device. Have now become a convert and admire the Chromebook tech.

Overall I have enjoyed using this product as it feels very durable and has a responsive keypad. It is a little on the weighted side when you have the keyboard attached and make top heavy. So if using it as a portable laptop be aware it is not balanced well between the screen and keyboard. Otherwise the Keyboard is made very well and make a perfect travel companion. Pros: Portable Audio Out Jack Front / Back Camera Front / Back Microphone Pen Holder Fast Charge Easy Read Setup Instructions Keypad made well / Durable Keypad magnetic slots and uses a connector instead of bluetooth Stylus is powered Cons: Only 2 USB - C Connectors Becomes top heavy when attaching keyboard to screen Audio Jack Not full 3.5m connector Screen - The HD resolution is very beautiful and bright. There were no dead pixels and never experienced any problems when using the touchscreen ability. After heavy usage it gets a little warm in the middle of the back casing however its normal when using it 8 hours straight (I Stress Test it) Both camera were beautiful and easy to use between them. The mic was able to pick up voices without any issues from a close to average distance without distortion. I am a little disappointed that there were not more USB connections on the screen however understand that helps kept the cost down. Keypad - They keypad felt great when using, I love how the keys and touch-pad are very responsive. It uses a connection to connect versus Bluetooth which in my opinion is better as I always run into anyone millisecond delays on Bluetooth keypads. The keypad is powered by the connection to the screen so there is no separate charging needed. The side of the keypad has a thin fabric to hold the stylus. It is thoughtful however at times find it getting caught on bags and carry cases. Charging - The charging was fast and the cords are nice and long. I am very impressed with the quick charge ability this has. The adapter is small and makes it easy to carry in the case with the Chromebook. I like the added feature of a light next to both USB - C connectors indicating a charge. On my older competitive model it only had one light so if plugged into another USB - C you are in the dark of charging status. I have really enjoyed this product and would recommend it based on the price, usage and functionality.

======= Summary ======= The HP Chromebook X2 is my first Chrome OS and Chromebook experience and I really like it~! The hardware is sleek and premium, the display is crisp and bright, the keyboard and touchpad are excellent, the tablet mode is really awesome, and the Chrome OS software and apps work flawlessly and fluidly. And the battery life is simply superb~!! I've only used Windows computers since 1994 and it took me only a day or two to quickly adjust to the new software and how it all works. Great product from HP~! ***Pros: 1. Premium build materials and design. 2. Bright and crispy screen. 3. Excellent keyboard and touchpad. 4. Superb battery life. 5. Useful stylus/pen. 6. Easy to use as both a laptop or a tablet. 7. Fast & performant. 8. Easy to maintain and keep the computer updated. 9. Google Play Store app support (i.e., lots and lots of apps available). 10. Relatively light (~3 lbs) and easy to carry around. Only 1.5 lbs if used as a tablet. 11. Expandable storage via microSD card. ***Cons: 1. Chrome Extensions work a bit differently in ChromeOS than in a Windows 10 environment & Chrome browser. 2. Slight learning curve if new to Chrome OS (e.g., keyboard shortcuts, file management, network sharing). 3. The main rear-camera is slow and not very good (compared to mid- and flagship level smartphones). 4. Only 32GB of onboard storage. 5. Some Android apps have compatibility issues. 6. Custom arrangement of apps and folders inside the "App Drawer" is not saved and resets after a shutdown/restart. 7. Touchpad gestures are lacking compared to Microsoft's Precision Touchpad. 8. Difficult to access Windows shared folders across home network. 9. No unattended remote access option. ======= General Design & Build Quality ======= The HP Chromebook X2 is quite a looker. I love its aluminum ceramic white lid design paired up with a leathery textured dark navy keyboard. The metal sideframe feels premium and solid. The touchpad feels nice and it has just the right amount of "clickiness" and pressure response when clicking on it. The keys on the keyboard feel good as well - definitely made of higher-quality plastic with a slight texture to it that I appreciate. This $600 Chromebook X2 feels more premium than many Windows laptops that cost $1000 or more. Compared to my $1,300 HP Spectre 13 Windows 10 laptop, it looks and feels just as premium and high-quality. Complete win from HP~!! Detaching the screen and using the Chromebook X2 as a tablet is very sleek and nice. It only weighs ~1.5 lbs and it feels light and well-balanced. I experienced no awkward handling issues. ======= Screen ======= The 2400x1600 (240 dpi) 12.3" screen is excellent~! It is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4 and it gets bright enough to comfortably use even in outdoors. The screen registers finger taps and gestures instantly and accurately. In addition, everything looks very sharp and crispy. Watching movies and music videos is a very nice experience. Wonderful stuff, no complaints. ======= Keyboard ======= I highly enjoy typing on the Chromebook X2. The keys are responsive, has a nice matte finish and some texture to it, and repels dirt and oil very well. I only wish there were some additional keys that I'm used to having on my Windows laptops (e.g., Pg Up, Pg Dn, Fn, Home, End, Prt Sc, and Caps Lock). ======= Touchpad ======= The touchpad is sized just right for me. It's not too small nor too big. It feels very solid and smooth when running my fingers across it and gestures are detected accurately and consistently. The pressure required to register a click is just right as well. The only thing I miss from the touchpad are customization options. I would love it if ChromeOS offered custom gesture creations similar to Microsoft's Precision Touchpad gestures. ======= Performance ======= My Chromebook X2 is equipped with a 7th-generation (Kaby Lake) Intel Core m3-7Y30 CPU (1.00 to 2.60 GHz, 4MB cache, 2 Cores & 4 Threads), 4GB of LPDDR3-1600 RAM, Intel HD Graphics 615, 32GB eMMC internal storage, and Intel 2x2 802.11ac Wifi and Bluetooth. Paired up with ChromeOS (7.1.1 Nougat), the computer is able to handle everything I throw at it - opening up Chrome with 26 tabs, playing music in the background via YouTube, working on documents via Google Docs and Keep, and more. I was very pleasantly surprised by how well it kept up with my more powerful HP Spectre 13 Windows 10 laptop (Intel Core i7 8550U CPU with 4 Cores & 8 Threads, 8GB DDR3 RAM, and 1TB Samsung 960 Evo NVME SSD). I haven't run into a single instance where I felt that the Chromebook X2 is slow or sluggish. I'm highly satisfied. ======= Audio ======= The audio performed to my expectations and satisfaction. The volume doesn't get very loud and the bass, of course, is lacking in such a slim formfactor but I experienced no distortions and properly enjoyed all the music and videos I watched. I think it will be good enough and satisfactory for most people. ======= Software (ChromeOS) ======= This is my first experience with ChromeOS and I was delighted by its performance, clean interface, ease of use, and low learning curve. Everything about it has been easy to use - the initial setup process, updating ChromeOS, and finding and installing apps from the Chrome Web Store and the Google Play Store. Almost all of the Android apps I installed to the Chromebook worked without a hiccup and were resized correctly to my satisfaction. I only have a few things on my wishlist for ChromeOS: (1) Easy connection to Windows shared folders on the home network, (2) A better and more flexible file management system like on Windows & File Explorer, (3) Unattended remote access functionality, (4) A more customizable "Shelf" and "App drawer," and (5) Ability to add custom touchpad gestures. With Google constantly improving ChromeOS and Chromebooks now having access to the Google Play Store and Linux apps, the future is very bright and promising. I only expect the software side of things to get better and better from here on out. ======= My Verdict ======= I'm very happy with the HP Chromebook X2. It's premium in its design and build, it works very well as both a laptop and a light 12" tablet, app support and variety is dynamic and wide-ranging, performance is great, battery life is superb, and Google is constantly improving ChromeOS. HP has created an excellent machine with high value - not for just being a Chromebook but even when compared to Windows laptops that cost a lot more. It's a Slam Dunk from HP~!!

I LOVE this machine! I have been a fan of Chomebooks since their arrival, and this model has everything I have been looking for. As the first true 2 in 1 model (as far as I can tell) it not only brings everything you would expect from a typical Chromebook, but also a unique versatility. The ability to use the machine as a standalone tablet is fantastic. To top it all off, it comes with great build quality and the feel and looks of a premium device. The best of all worlds. Like I said in my opening, it more or less has everything I was looking for. The weight is nice, while still having a good feel in the hand. It feels well-built. It looks well-built. It has a sleek design, with a nice color combination. Design is not all about looks, however, and here, HP does not disappoint. They thrive. The machine is quick and responsive, has great connectivity (USB-C and SD reader thank you!), a surprisingly great (and detachable and comfortable) keyboard and touch pad and a BEAUTIFUL 3 by 2 IPS screen that is bright, crisp, vivid, and responsive. You will love the screen. Beyond that, I was impressed with the sound level and quality of the speakers. It is not studio level quality, and does not have a lot of bass, but it more than met my expectations. The battery life is excellent, consistently giving me an entire day of use with quite a bit of room to spare. Lastly, HP includes a pen/stylus, (they call it Active Pen) which other brands require you to buy separately, and I like the functionality it provides, especially when combined with the 2 in 1 capabilities of this machine. They also add a pen loop to the side of the keyboard for storage. Another nice little bonus. Ultimately, I really like this laptop. It is unique, feature-rich, performs well and delivers all of this in a premium build, while being a great value at a less than premium price. If you are in the market for a Chromebook or a “traditional” laptop, you should definitely give this a look.