HP EliteBook Folio 1020

The HP EliteBook Folio 1020 ($ 1,649 as tested) is an ultraportable business laptop built with one thing in mind: to compete with Apple MacBook Air 13-Inch (2014) $ 923.87 at Amazon. Nothing unusual about taking a few cues from the minimalist look of Apple's laptop design was popularized, but the EliteBook Folio 1020 $ 1,701.00 on Amazon so closely apes the MacBook Air in two sat side by side on the table, you will You must pay attention to where you grab. The slim profile, the rounded corners, all-metal unibody design; HP set out to make a MacBook Air competitor for the workplace, but while the look is dead-on, the performance and the battery life produce short.

Design
The slim laptop measures 12.2 by 0.62 by 8.27 inches (HWD) and weighs 2.68 pounds, so it is actually a bit smaller than the 13-inch MacBook Air, but the similarities are striking, and clearly intentional . Besides an integrated fingerprint reader and the use of both aluminum and magnesium alloy chassis, the two are almost twins. The EliteBook Folio 1020 actual one-up the MacBook Air in some respects. For example, it has a fanless chassis design, thanks to an Intel Core M processor, the same type of CPU sees Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro $ 1,199.00 Lenovo, Apple has not yet offered.

The smaller size is due to the 12.5-inch display EliteBook Folio 1020, which boasts 2560-by-1440 resolution, a big step up from 1440-by-900 resolution of the Apple MacBook Air 13, but not as high as Dell XPS 13 Dell Touch $ 1,248.99, with its 3200 by 1800 3k (QHD +) screen. The display offers excellent viewing angle as well, with a tinge constant even at steep angles. The screen is covered with edge-to-edge glass, which is a bit reflective enough to be working near a window or under fluorescent lighting can cause some serious glare.

The keyboard uses the same design tile HP, with the square button and a half size keys for the arrow and function keys, but it offers decent feedback and key travel. Backlighting of the keys makes it easier to type on a dark or dim room, while a spill-resistant design means that you can eat lunch at your desk or take the laptop to Starbucks without living in fear of spills.

More intriguing is the touchpad, which uses HP ForcePad, a press surfaced glass sensor registering the pressure of every key and swipe to give you all the usual point-and-click and multitouch gestures support expected, but without any moving parts. The right and left buttons are not really clicked, but hit just under the sensor zone. The absence of physical and audio feedback is dramatically different from the usual touchpad, but it takes almost no time to get used to it. Above the keyboard are two built-in speaker, DTS Studio Sound enhancements. The speakers offer solid sound quality, with minimal distortion at high volumes.

The aluminum and magnesium-alloy construction is not just for looks. The EliteBook Folio 1020 is built to the standards of MIL-STD 810G, which includes a range of semi-rough capabilities, such as the surviving four-foot drops, works despite the shock and vibration, and withstanding relatively significant temperature fluctuation. This is not the laptop to carry in a Warzone, but you can travel without concern.