HP EliteBook Folio is a very good business laptop. On the outside it is similar to the Macbook, but inside it has Windows and perhaps the best keyboard on the market. However, its battery life is not exactly perfect, and the screen may annoy some users, making the purchase impractical. The Dell XPS 13 and the Asus UX305CA are faster and have longer battery life with more ports available.
DETAILED STUDY OF THE HP ELITEBOOK FOLIO
The HP EliteBook Folio Laptop is an integral part of the business-class laptop segment. It is similar to the Macbook on the Windows platform, but comes with two USB Type-C ports instead of one. While HP tries to accept most orders from business customers, the laptop is available to the general public. Abroad, it is known as Folio G1, but as there is only one option available in India, HP decided to call it Folio Elitebook.
Ports: USB Type-c Puzzle
The new USB port standard is great, and it’s better to have two ports instead of one (are you listening, Apple?). You can upload your Folio by connecting other devices, and it would be strange to think that a laptop should offer a little less performance. However, implementing a Type C solution is not an easy task, especially in India.
A quick search on Amazon shows that Type-C docking stations are quite expensive, and on the one hand, few. I mean, even with the dock, you see a sea of cables. A laptop charger is one thing, and the base itself will add another. Anything you connect to the base will add even more. This breaks the overall elegance of the laptop itself, and it can also be quite bulky. You may need a NAS setup to facilitate file transfer to and from the laptop. However, it’s only a matter of time before the implementation of USB Type-C is completed from all angles, and laptops like the EliteBook Folio will come as standard.
There is also a 3.5mm headphone jack on the left side of this keyboard.
Creation and design
The Elitebook Folio is thinner than the Macbook, but larger in Size, which means that it is a little wider and roomy. All this does not matter much if your laptop weighs about a kilogram (the contactless option is supposed to be even lighter). I usually carry my stuff in a bag over my shoulder, and the Elitebook folio is light enough that my shoulder doesn’t start to hurt over time. Even when I had the charger with me, the weight didn’t bother me much.
Externally, the folio looks like two high-quality silver-plated aluminum plates mounted one on top of the other. I would call it a good laptop, but that would be a huge understatement. The Elitebook folio is remarkably lightweight, and the silver aluminum combined with its thinness make it one of the most beautiful laptops to date. I say “remarkably light” because when you take it in your hands, people will realize that it is a lightweight laptop. It weighs just under 1 kg.
Interestingly, HP also notes that the EliteBook Folio mil-STD 810G is certified for endurance that extends over dust, vibrations, altitude and shock. The company apparently dropped the 26-by-30-inch laptop onto a hard surface, and it survived. However, I haven’t actually tried this snippet.
The hinge on the Elitebook folio is a discussion point for me. The mechanism, made in a bright silver color, looks clear but a little loose. As a result, the folio screen flashes when you touch it or when you are in the car with a laptop on your lap. Because the screen can tilt 180 degrees, it can sometimes cause irritation. If you are carrying it in a bag that is not designed for laptops (and therefore without a strap to hold the laptop), when taking out the laptop, you will usually find that the flap is slightly ajar. In this scenario, the upper and lower parts still hit each other.
After all, the glasses on the sides of the screen are quite large. HP probably had to do this to fit the keyboard, and that doesn’t bother me much, but the question is whether a similar keyboard with a smaller bezel was possible, especially under the screen.