HP 13.3" UltraBook 4GB 128GB SSD
The HP Sprectre is the company’s flagship Ultrabook model and one of the Microsoft-highlighted Ultrabook models running Windows 8. It was first seen during the Microsoft keynote that Steve Ballmer presented at CES 2012.
The Spectre is all about sleek design, modern aesthetics and a brand new OS from Microsoft. It is definitely a premium notebook that will come with an equally premium price tag but for many, it will definitely be worth it because of its smooth glass looks and it seamless design. Also, even with the good looks in place, this HP Ultrabook carries great business features that will make it at home in any boardroom.
The HP Spectre’s base model starts off with an Intel Core i5-2467M processor coupled with 4GB of DDR3 memory (expandable up to 8GB). It also has a 128GB SSD module that can be chosen instead of the HDD storage that otherwise comes with most other notebooks. This SSD can also be upgraded to 256GB SSD and at this point we know that this is going to be an expensive notebook to have. The demo unit at CES is running Windows 7 Premium 64bit but it is going to come out with Windows 8 once the OS itself is officially launched.
According to the HP, this Ultrabook of theirs is going to treat the user to 9 hours of battery life. Since there are no units available for real world tests at the moment, we will just have to give HP the benefit of doubt. Especially since other HP Ultrabooks perform pretty well. Not 9 hours well of course but quite well nonetheless.
The most striking feature of the HP Spectre is the generous use of glass on the body of the notebook. It is all shatter resistant, hardened Gorilla glass that is found on popular device like the Apple iPhone and other high end smartphones. And HP has used this glass even on the touchpad of the notebook. In fact, the only areas that have been spared the ‘glazed’ treatment are the keyboard and the base of the frame.
Thankfully though the company has been able to keep the weight of the Spectre under 4 pounds, which makes it quite light. All HP Ultrabooks are required to be light thanks to the strict design specifications from Intel in exchange of being able to use the brand name. In an attempt to further add to the lure of a good looking glass exterior, HP is also displaying some examples of personalized glass exteriors at their CES 2012 demo.
HP Spectre Ultrabook
Another twist in the Spectre tale is its display — it has a 14inch display on a body that is actually 13inch. The display manages this by having hardly any bezel around it (about ¼ inch). This gives us a notebook that is just about 13inches wide, 8.7inches deep and 0.8inch thick at closed position.
All of this glass has it own problem though — fingerprints and glaze. Thankfully, the display is bright enough to combat the glare in indoor conditions. Outdoors will be another thing entirely.
