Over the past few month’s HP has boasted an impressive release of laptops, ranging from the HP Spectre x360, HP Spectre 13 to the HP Chromebook 14 G5.
We got to try out the 8th generation Intel Core processor, the 2018 HP Pavilion 15 laptop. The new Pavilion 15 is thinner (17.8 mm vs. 22.5 mm) and lighter (1.8 kg vs. 2.1 kg) than the previous generation Pavilion 15t-au100.
The device comes in six colour options, including a Mineral Silver, Pale Gold, Sapphire Blue, Velvet Burgundy, Tranquil Pink and Ceramic White.
One of the features that stood out is the Advanced Electro Deposition finishing process for a matte finish with a metallic look.
This time, HP made its Pavilion lines easier to open, by adding an hour-glass design to the front edge, where the lid and deck taper inward, so your fingers can open it with less effort. Not only will that make the machine easier to open, but a new hinge design lifts the keyboard deck up and makes for better typing angles, which certain HP Envy laptops already do.
In terms of connectivity, HP has dropped one USB Type-A port from the outgoing design in favor of one USB Type-C port.
DisplayPort over USB is not supported here, but a the full-size HDMI port remains. Port positioning is excellent as the ports are easy to reach and evenly distributed along the edges.
The trackpad glide is smooth, responsive, and very roomy due to the wide aspect ratio. Unfortunately, the integrated mouse keys are very soft in feedback with the right click in particular requiring more effort to press than the left. An external mouse is recommended whenever possible as using the trackpad can get tiresome very quickly.
The spring-loaded SD card reader is responsive allowing you to transfer 1 GB worth of images from card to desktop takes almost 30 seconds.
Battery life is respectable at just under 7 hours of non-stop WLAN use. There are no included extras in the box other than the AC adapter, Quick Start guide, and warranty card.
Conclusion
For a sleek, budget-friendly “Notebook” line and HP’s premium Envy laptops, look no further than the affordably-priced Pavilion.
These mid-range laptops come in all shapes and sizes, but all offer decent performance with solid feature sets.
FEATURES:
Opersating System: Windows 10 Home 64
Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-7200U
Memory: 8 GB DDR4-2133 SDRAM (1 x 8 GB)
Storage: 2 TB 5400 rpm SATA
Graphics: Discrete NVIDIA® GeForce® 940MX (4 GB DDR3 dedicated)
Display Size: 39.6 cm (15.6
Display Resolution: 1366 x 768
Touch Display: No
HDMI Input: Yes
USB Ports: Yes
SD Card Reader: 1 multi-format SD media card reader
Connectivity: Integrated 10/100/1000 GbE LAN, Intel® 802.11b/g/n/ac (1×1)
By Neo Sesinye
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