Convertible table review: HP SlateBook x2

The netbook is back. That was my initial impression of the HP SlateBook x2, a 10.1-inch convertible tablet with a removable keyboard dock.

With its 1,920 x 1,200-pixel screen and Nvidia's latest Tegra 4 chip, the SlateBook x2 is obviously a more sophisticated animal than the inexpensive netbook, which has been pushed out of the market by tablets in recent years. The mere fact that you can detach the touchscreen and use it as a tablet should dispel any lingering doubts.

But the SlateBook x2 does not look that different from a netbook. It is fairly chunky, an impression probably exacerbated by its small size. There are 13.3-inch ultrabooks that weigh less than the SlateBook x2, which weighs 1.27kg.

The good news is that the keys did not feel shallow at all. I also found the top row of short cuts very useful to access Android settings, toggle the Wi-Fi and adjust the volume and screen brightness. The small touchpad could be larger, although I like that it supports two-finger scrolling and other multi-touch gestures.

The high-resolution screen boasts good viewing angles but it appears dim. Consequently, I found myself using it at 80 per cent brightness or more.

The base model comes with just 16GB of internal storage but there is a microSD card reader on the tablet and an SD card reader on the keyboard dock. The dock also has a USB 2.0 port and an HDMI connector.

Despite its quad-core processor, the SlateBook x2 can be sluggish at times. Screen rotation was slower than on my dual-core Galaxy Nexus smartphone but swiping from one screen to another was fluid.

While HP has done little customisation to the Android 4.2 operating system on the SlateBook x2, the company has preloaded some apps on the device, such as a file manager and Kingsoft Office, a productivity app. There are also a couple of printing apps that work only with HP's products.

These fairly basic apps are useful for new users. However, they may not be good enough for those who require more advanced features.

The SlateBook x2 comes with two batteries. The device draws from the battery in the keyboard dock before using the one in the tablet. A helpful battery status widget shows exactly how much battery life remains in both the dock and the tablet. With the tablet attached to the dock, the SlateBook x2 lasted an impressive 12hr 30min. By itself, the tablet ran for 7hr 35min, which is above average.

For an Android laptop-tablet hybrid, the SlateBook x2 has good specifications and battery life. However, Windows-based devices may offer more apps for content creation and productivity.

By Vincent Chang

TECH SPECS

Price: $699

Operating system: Android 4.2

Processor: Nvidia Tegra 4 (1.8GHz)

RAM: 2GB

Display: 10.1 inches, 1,920 x 1,200 pixels

Camera: 2 megapixels (rear), 1 megapixel (front)

Storage: 16GB

Battery: 3,375mAh (tablet), 2,960mAh (dock)

RATING

Features: 8/10

Design: 6/10

Performance: 8/10

Value for money: 8/10

Battery life: 8/10

Overall: 8/10

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