![]() The keyboard is otherwise quite roomy (~29 x 10 cm) for a 13-inch notebook as the narrower bezel design has not affected the overall size of the keys. ![]() The Space bar and Up/Down arrow keys are especially soft on the Spectre. Feedback is slightly on the soft side and could have been more firm compared to what the Lenovo AccuType and Dell XPS 13 series have to offer. The keyboard keys are relatively quiet with a shallow 1.3 mm of travel. In theory, the Spectre x360 13 could have been even smaller and lighter had HP decided to slice off the top bezel. HP tells us that this was done to preserve IR sensor and webcam placement compared to the suboptimal placement of the webcam on the XPS 13 9350/9360 series. The thickness of the top horizontal bezel is about 17 mm in contrast to its much thinner left and right sides. Nonetheless, the HP convertible isn't any lighter than these same competitors at about 1.3 kg even though it may be smaller in width. This makes handling much easier in tablet mode when up against the Yoga 900 or Zenbook UX360 while being a hair thinner than both. Now that its bezel edges have been shaved off to just over 5 mm (from over 15 mm on the older generation), the overall size and weight of the Spectre x360 13 has been drastically reduced. The Spectre x360 convertibles have always been a little heavier than the flagship Lenovo Yoga counterparts due in part to their superior aluminum construction and rigidity. There are no rubberized edges around the Spectre and the unit can feel slippery when handling in its closed position as a result. Using the touchscreen or transporting the notebook will almost always push the lid back for a wider angle each time. The hinges are satisfactory at best with only slight teetering when typing. The 13-inch Dell Inspiis stronger still, but it is much thicker and heavier as well. Between it and the lid, there are no unintended gaps and almost no creaking for an overall excellent workmanship. The base is firm and nigh inflexible around its corners and down the center of the keyboard. Pushing down on the outer center of lid and between the two hinges will depress the surface slightly, so the chassis is not perfectly rigid. The lid is very resistant to twists and depressions even though it is significantly smaller in length and width compared to the outgoing Spectre x360 13. Fortunately, the Spectre series is notable for its clean-cut CNC aluminum, Gorilla Glass-reinforced touchscreen, and flat brushed edges that all lend to a sturdy first impression especially when compared to the more flexible carbon fiber Yoga 900 series. Make the bezels even narrower like on the XPS 13 and we start questioning the rigidity and longevity of the design. Super-thin notebooks almost always have us concerned about case quality. Is this latest redesign compelling enough to change our minds about the Spectre series? Up until this point, we have been recommending the Lenovo Yoga series as the go-to notebook for those who find the convertible aspect valuable since the older Spectre x360 models are comparatively larger, thicker, and overall heavier. The latest Spectre x360 13 is a complete refresh of the outgoing Skylake-based Spectre x360 13 with new Kaby Lake options and narrower bezels for a lighter and more portable chassis. The Spectre series was created in an attempt to bridge that gap and attract a new age of business users with a thinner and more visually distinct design philosophy. To millennials and the younger workforce, however, the manufacturer is not typically seen as an alternative or even competitor to the sleek notebooks that Apple have to offer. The HP brand has always appealed well to large-scale businesses and traditional office users.
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