Hybrid Tablet/laptop Computer

The HP Pavilion x360 hybrid tablet/laptop looks an interesting combination. This is a relatively low cost (less than $700) laptop with a 11.6 in screen. The screen is touch sensitive and the keyboard hinges 360 degrees, so the unit will convert to a tablet computer. The 11.6 inch screen is my favourite size as the computer is then small enough to fit in a bag designed for a pad of A4 paper.

I tried out the unit briefly and it worked okay as a laptop, but made a cumbersome tablet. The 360 degree hinge works, but the process of bending the keyboard all the way around is a difficult process. When folded the keyboard does not fit neatly under the screen, with one edge sticking out. The unit is hard to hold when in tablet mode.

HP's designers appear to have placed an emphasis on the laptop look of the HP Pavilion x360, making it look conventional in that mode. They could have given the unit a bulkier hinge and the keyboard a rubber coating, to provide a better grip in tablet mode.