HP Folio 13 is HP's ultrabook
The HP Folio 13 is HP's stab at making an ultrabook -- a light laptop that doesn't skimp on power. Click here for the all specs and pics.
HP's Folio 13 is its first stab at an ultrabook, a slim and light variety of laptop that packs an Intel Core series processor and a solid-state drive.
The Folio 13 has a 13.3-inch display and is 18mm thick, weighing 1.5kg. Those numbers add up to a pretty portable little laptop.
It looks a little chunkier than other ultrabooks though, while the Asus Zenbook is 17mm thick at its rear, it tapers down to a razor-sharp point, making it seem much slimmer. The Folio 13 is blockier -- it appears to be about 18mm thick all the way through, rather than wedge-shaped.
It'll come with Intel's latest Core series processors, and 128BG of SSD storage -- as opposed to a clunky mechanical hard drive -- should help with speed.
The Folio 13 will be hitting the UK early next year, starting at £850. (That's pricey compared with the US model, which starts at one cent less than $900, or about 570 English pounds.)
Unfortunately that makes the Folio 13 the same price as the 11-inch MacBook Air. It's slightly better value in terms of hardware -- apart from the smaller screen, Apple's effort has just 64GB of flash storage. HP's ultrabook also has USB 3.0 for speedy data transfer, while the Air is stuck on boring old USB 2.0.
But still, we wish some of these ultrabooks would be a little easier on the wallet. We're yet to see one that significantly undercuts Apple, and until then we suspect anyone in search of a supremely light laptop will be drawn to the aluminium lure of the Air.
Recently there was talk of HP ditching its PC business, while the HP TouchPad tablet had its price slashed dramatically after it was discontinued.
Have you fallen for an ultrabook like the Folio 13? Or would you rather own a MacBook Air? Let us know in the comments section below, on our Facebook or Google+ pages.