¡°I hardly think that we're too late, the work we're doing with Microsoft is extraordinarily compelling ¡ª ultraportables are compelling," HP's Todd Bradley said during the call where Meg Whitman, the company's new CEO, declared her decision to keep its PC business. Of course, Bradley wasn't only defending HP's role in the computer and mobile market, but he was hinting at HP's intention to jump into the new crowded ultrabook pool. And the HP Folio 13 is just that entry.
Interestingly, the 13.3-inch Folio isn't really a consumer-focused PC ¡ª it doesn't have HP's typical Beats branding or its characteristic playful design language ¡ª but it does have a nice array of features that will appeal to everyday users. Sure, it has the standard ultrabook specs ¡ª an Intel Core processor, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB Samsung SSD for fast boot and resume times ¡ª but for just $899.99, it also has a backlit keyboard, Core i5 (most at that price have an i3), and the important ports that many ultrabooks have left off (see Lenovo's IdeaPad U300s). So, is the Folio just as ¡°compelling¡± as Bradley believes, and can it provide HP ¡ª a company with a floundering mobile strategy ¡ª with the firm momentum it needs in this new fiery ultrabook market? And more to the point, is it the ultrabook you should buy? Read on for the full review of the Folio 13.G700 Touch Screen
Hardware / design
Just one glance at the Folio 13 is enough to tell that it isn't a descendant of HP's consumer Pavilion or Envy line; it's much more the offspring of the enterprise or business focused Elitebook or ProBook side of the family. The greyish aluminum lid and palmrest, which are offset by a black soft-touch plastic underside and edges, are almost identical to that of the new Elitebooks. What that means is that no one is going to call the laptop ugly, but "boring" and "not very stylish" were amongst the adjectives a few friends used when I asked them about the design. So no, it's not as attractive as Lenovo's IdeaPad U300s, but it's definitely not as humdrum as the Toshiba Portege Z835; I'd say it's really your middle-of-the-road ultrabook from an aesthetic point of view. Still, for the price, this is one well-built machine. While it's not completely clad in metal, there are no creaks around the edges and there's zero wobble to the screen and its hinge. And that almost-rubberish-feeling bottom gives the system a nice feel in hand when you grab it off a table.
Design isn't the only place where the Folio 13 doesn't quite match the competition; it is also both heavier and thicker than all four of the other ultrabooks. That doesn't mean at 3.3 pounds the .71-inch thick machine is cumbersome to carry ¡ª it's really not ¡ª but it's just not as svelte as the MacBook Air or as light as the Toshiba. Again, though, it really is very easy to hold in one hand. In fact, when I first got the box from HP, I thought they may have forgotten the laptop since the cardboard package felt so light. HP didn't opt for any ostentatious packaging (perhaps to match the look of the laptop); the machine comes wrapped in a plastic bag and locked in styrofoam holders. My guess is that HP is saving all that luxurious stuff for its Spectre ultrabook. N8-00 Cell Phone
Keyboard and trackpad
The Folio 13 has the best keyboard of any ultrabook to date. While the Asus Zenbook UX31 and Toshiba had well spaced layouts, the keys were incredibly shallow. The soft-coated keys on the Folio, however, don't suffer from those issues ¡ª perhaps, because of the added thickness of the base of the system. The squared-off keys are just the right height and feel great. Sure, the deck on the Lenovo U300s was similarly comfortable, but HP understands the importance of lining the bottom of the deck with a backlight. Yes, you get illuminated keys here, though you cannot adjust the brightness and there's no ambient light sensor to automatically adjust the light level. However, the F5 key doubles as an on / off switch for the light.
Screen and speakers
Like every other ultrabook I've tested, the Folio 13 has a 13.3-inch 1366 x 768-resolution display. The low resolution and lack of higher-density options are annoying ¡ª but not quite as annoying as the crappy display quality of the panel you're stuck with. Not only is it not as bright as some of the competition (especially the Zenbook), but viewing angles are quite narrow. Pushing the screen backwards while working on this review in bed caused colors to mute, and trying to make out how the battery test was running while it was positioned three feet away was nearly impossible because of the reflectiveness and the poor vertical angles.
However, what bothers me the most about the display is that surrounding the glossy display is a matte bezel. While those gloss-less bezels are usually less distracting, the thin frame looks cheap and lacks a uniformity to the look of the machine. It's a small detail, but one that bothers me to no end.
Jimmy Iovine can't be happy about the lack of Beats branding on the system, but the speaker strip along the top edge of the keyboard does provide some decently loud sound. It's branded with Dolby Advanced Audio, for whatever that's worth. I could hear Adele pop up on my Rdio mix from the other room in my apartment, but obviously I didn't think it was a stand-in for my Griffin speaker dock that broke in the middle of my New Years Eve party ¡ª sad and true story. Also, I really appreciate the one touch volume and multimedia controls along the top row of the keyboard.
Performance and graphics
Unlike Toshiba or Acer, which saddled their $900 ultrabooks with Core i3 processors, HP has managed to equip the Folio 13's $899.99 configuration with a 1.6GHz Core i5-2467 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD. All together, they provide a really solid performance experience. I didn't find myself waiting around when programs were installing and the machine kept up with my everyday tasks, including simultaneously writing this review in Google Docs, running Chrome with over 15 tabs open, listening to Rdio, chatting in Trillian, and checking Twitter every so often with MetroTwit. Even when I threw a 1080p YouTube video of Foster the People in there and then played it on my 40-inch Toshiba HDTV using the built in Intel Wireless Display (WiDi) feature, I saw no slow down. (Note: Wireless Display is integrated into the Folio, but you need an additional box for your TV to take advantage of the capability.
SSD Performance
But don't underestimate the power provided by the Samsung MZMPA128HMFU SATA II drive. While it isn't the fastest ultrabook to actually boot up, it does start in 33 seconds and resume from sleep in 4.8 seconds. Comparatively, the Lenovo IdeaPad U300s boots in 25.8 seconds and the MacBook Air in 18 seconds. However, it is faster than the U300s when it came to transferring files. Transferring a 1.8GB file from a USB 3.0 external hard drive took 14.5 seconds when plugged into the 3.0 port and 59.2 seconds when plugged into the USB 2.0 port. It took the Toshiba Portege Z835 twice as long at 35 seconds, though the IdeaPad U300s only took 15.7 seconds (via USB 3.0.
Battery life and software
HP claims the Folio 13 lasts nine hours on a charge, and while I couldn't squeeze that long out of the 59Wh battery, it is now the longest-lasting ultrabook I've tested. On The Verge Battery Test, which loops a series of 100 websites while sporadically downloading some pictures and brightness set to 65 percent, the laptop lasted for seven hours and seven minutes. Not only is that longer than all the competing ultrabooks, but it's longer than the MacBook Air. It's a fairly solid comparison, but because of the dimness of the display on the Folio, it may not be exactly apples to apples. Regardless, the run time is impressive here and you can absolutely leave the AC adapter in the overhead bin on that flight from New York to Vegas. Changjiang W007
Wrap-up
I can confidently say that the Folio 13 is the most well-rounded ultrabook on shelves right now. That's not to say it is the flashiest or the most portable, but the machine is well-built, lasts the longest on a charge, is the most comfortable to use in terms of typing and navigating, and packs more performance than the others priced at $900. If you're looking for something thinner, lighter, and with a much better display, the MacBook Air is the obvious choice, but it will cost you $400 more. And that's why the Folio 13 is the first ultrabook to live up to Intel's dream ¡ª for less than the competition, you get a very nice blend of portability and performance without sacrificing the essentials. And with that I'd say HP's got the right momentum as it stays the course in the PC business.