Somewhere along the way, manufacturers figured out that consumers like tablets but want something along the lines of an optional PC experience that’s become common with laptop use. Many an iPad user has said that the idea of needing a detachable keyboard to use with the iPad is nothing short of “stupid,” but buying a tablet and a detachable keyboard (with a wireless mouse) is perhaps much more budget-friendly than your $1500-$2000 (minimum) Apple MacBook laptop. Another benefit of the tablet/detachable keyboard model? You can always buy a new keyboard if the current one stops functioning properly.
This last point hasn’t escaped Hewlett-Packard (HP), whose new HP Pavilion x360 laptop/tablet convertible, unveiled at the HP APJ Summit 2014 conference nin Mumbai, India a week ago, performs as a notebook that turns into a tablet. The new notebook is named “x360” because it provides a 360-degree hinge that allows you to transform your laptop-like experience into a tablet, all while preserving the HP Pavilion x360’s unibody construction.
The HP Pavilion x360 comes with an 11.6-inch LED screen with a 1366 x 768 screen resolution. HP calls its display an HD resolution display, which is accurate (the minimum screen resolution for an HD display is 1280 x 720p). At the same time, however, the 11.6-inch screen with such a small screen resolution (as opposed to 1080p Full HD screens), so it’s likely that color density may not match other comparable LCD screens.
The HP Pavilion x360 is powered by a Pentium Bay Trail (quad-core) processor and has 4GB of random access memory (RAM), as well as 8GBs of SDRAM, a 500GB hybrid hard drive or a 750GB hard drive, a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port, traditional USB 2.0 port, HDMI output, as well as an RH-45 Ethernet port. HP completes the overall user experience with dual Beats Audio speakers and an HP TrueVision HD webcam for web chats on Skype, Google Hangouts, and instant messaging. The Pavilion x360 will run Windows 8.1.
Along with the above features and specs on the HP Pavilion x360, HP has also announced its HP DataPass broadband service that provides two years of 3G or 4G (maximum 250MB per month) data with Fogg Mobile. Fogg Mobile data plans are off-contract and you can purchase additional data for low, affordable prices. Twelve countries are currently eligible for the HP DataPass broadband service. US customers can select a T-Mobile 4G data plan to go with their laptop/tablet convertible. A 30-day McAfee LiveSafe Security software trial also awaits Pavilion x360 buyers.
As for the price, expect the HP Pavilion x360 to cost $399 in the United States and INR 39,990 in India. If you’re the type of person that likes to accessorize with your new mobile gadget, HP’s unveiled a new Bluetooth speaker as well as some HP headsets. In India, HP’s new headsets will cost anywhere from 1,200 to 1,900 Indian rupees (INRs); this price translates into $20-$32USD per headset pair.
The HP headset accessories will go on sale in India on August 7, 2014, but the HP Pavilion x360 is currently available in the US (has been available since February 26, 2014) and is now available for purchase in India. The HP Pavilion x360 convertible is available in Brilliant Red and Smoke Silver colors. In short, the Pavilion x360 provides an affordable package of commendable specs for an affordable price. It doesn’t boast the latest and greatest, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a laptop/tablet convertible that surpasses its price and affordability.
