Yesterday I saw my first ultrabook commercial for the HP Folio. The premise of the ad was to show how dependent we are to power outlets. The commercial showed a bunch of business men and women sitting on the floor with their power adapters plugged into the wall. Children were even looking down at a man sitting next to the bathroom entrance using an outlet.
My initial reaction was that it was an overexageration. But come to think of it, everytime I'm at the airport, there's someone sitting on the floor connected to the wall. Some airports are experimenting with charging people to use their power outlets.
As if air travel is not expensive enough, they want to add another expense. I think ultrabook manufacturers have the right idea in creating more energy efficient portable laptops. The HP Folio power supply brings you 9.25 hours of usage on a single charge. If the average person is awake for 16 hours, that person can use their Folio almost 60% of the time they are awake.
I spend a lot of time on my laptop or desktop, but I don't want to be on my computer for 9.25 hours if I don't have to. Personally, 9.25 usage time is plenty of power and it will last me all day long. Are we sacrificing performance for this added power? Lets take a look at some of the features the HP Folio offers.
Technical Specs for Base Model:
Operating System: Windows 7 Pro 64
Processor: Intel Core i5
Memory: 4GB DDR3, One slot supporting up to 8 GB
Storage: 128GB Solid State Drive
Display: 13.3 inch diagonal HD BrightView LED- backlit Display (1366 x 768)
Wireless: Intel 802.11b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth(R) with Wireless Display Support
Keyboard: Full-sized, backlit island style keyboard with UV coating
Audio: Dolby Advanced Audio
Webcam: HP Folio 13-1020us
Dimension and Weight: 8.7 x 12.5 x 0.7 inches ; 3.3 pounds
I/O Ports: RJ-45 (Ethernet), (1) USB 3.0, (1) USB 2.0 and (1) HDMI; headphone/microphone combo jack; power connector, 1 SD slot.
I would say that the HP Folio is inline compared to other ultrabooks. The speed of SSD along with upgraded USB3.0 ports allows for fast responsive performance. I feel where the Folio is lacking is in design.
The brush metal cover is safe and secure and gives the Folio a generic look. But hey, this ultrabook is very aggressively priced. The HP Folio has a suggested retail price of $899 which is considerable less than some of the other competitors. HP was late to the market with it's ultrabook but that just gave them time to include features and functions that people want while keeping the device budget friendly.
Take note of the Windows 7 Pro operating system for the base model. Even the commercials target business consumers. HP has even dubbed the Folio 13 the "Ultrabook for Business". Business users can also take advantage of the HP Protect Tool. HP ProtectTools can help you protect your laptop. This powerful and comprehensive set of tools allows you to control the levels of protection to help secure your data and infrastructure.
"Personal Folio" is also an available option. It can be shipped with Windows 7 Home Premium or Pro.
At 3.3 pound and 18mm thick, it seem a bit larger than other ultrabooks. There may be some questions about the quality of the Folio but hey, HP was targeting economical business consumers with this line. If you want all the bells and whistles with premium design and better performance you should look into the HP Envy Spectre.
sources: google, wikipedia
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