By Rieva Lesonsky
Like many of you I spend much of my life on the go, traveling around my city and across the country. My business—content creation—is dependent on a reliable computer that enables me to quickly deal with email (I get more than 300 a day), posting to social media and writing.
Some days are more challenging than others. Airlines have packed more seats onto their planes so it’s become nearly impossible for me to fully open a computer in order to type. My constant deadlines don’t allow for sitting on a plane without working, so I’ve tried many options—but none have been as satisfactory as the HP Elite x2 HP sent me.
The Elite x2 is beautifully crafted. The 2 in 1 device tis so thin and light (it weighs in at less than 3 pounds—with the keyboard attached—a major selling point for me) I can easily toss it in a tote bag without suffering any shoulder pain. The 12-inch screen is conveniently sized to work equally well in my home office, at Starbucks or on the plane. That makes it quite an effective productivity tool. The device boots up in a flash, which just adds to its promised productivity.
Tablets, while handy, have never quite cut it for many small business owners—they were adept at handling some tasks, but deficient at handling others. The Elite x2 is truly a tablet that can replace a laptop—thanks, in large part, to it running on Windows 10 Pro, which includes the fabulous “assistant” Cortana.
Road warriors and mobile entrepreneurs are rightfully worried about security. The Elite x2 comes with global enterprise-class security, including an optional Windows Hello fingerprint sensor. And it’s tough. The Elite x2’s display features Gorilla Glass and HP says it can survive a 36-inch drop (I didn’t test that).
I’ve gone through a number of tablets and 2 in 1’s and this is the sturdiest I’ve used. It feels solid in my hands; I’m not worried about it getting dented or falling apart. The kickstand that supports it is stylishly cool and easily opens and closes. It doesn’t have a huge footprint—which really comes in handy when typing on airplane trays.
The precision-crafted keyboard—which comes with the device—is solid and the screen easily locks into place—a problem I’ve encountered with other devices. Obviously, I spend a lot of my day (and night) typing and I really like the keyboard. It’s comfortable and responsive. If you don’t like it as much as I do, HP offers two other keyboard options. The Trackpad is also responsive. The Elite x2 also comes with an HP active pen (yes, it’s included).
The machine uses Thunderbolt technology, which means it charges and transfers data quickly—there’s no time sitting around waiting for the computer to do something.
If part of your road trips includes virtual meetings, this is the device to have. The device is fanless, so there’s no extraneous noise interfering with a meeting. There are front and back-facing cameras and the HP noise reduction software and audio from Bang & Olufsen.
I’ve easily made it cross country without having to charge the device—and HP says the battery life is actually 10 hours.
Many small businesses don’t have IT departments—or even a staff member. That’s why it’s great that HP supplies technical support via Helpdesk by HP Care. It’s not only cost-effective, but they work entrepreneurs’ hours—24/7.
The HP Elite x2 starts at $899—which for what you get is a bargain. You can check it out and buy it here.
