The SmallBizWindows Hybrid Laptop/Tablet PC of the Year 2015: HP Pro x2 612 G1

February 13, 2015 John Obeto

The HP Pro x2 612 is the SmallBizWindows Hybrid Laptop/Tablet of the Year 2015.

With a bullet!

Earlier last year, I largely abandoned the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 in favor of the HP EliteBook Folio 1040 G1, a 14” Intel Core i5 Ultrabook.

However, there were times when I wanted the use of a plain tablet, with the option for a keyboard, mostly when the need for inking in OneNote or taking freeform handwritten notes arose, a tablet was needed.

In walked the HP Pro x2 612 G1.

With a 12.5” 1080p HD display, 8Gb of RAM, a 256GB SSD, dual cameras, dual batteries, dual USB 3.0 ports (tablet and power keyboard each have a port), DisplayPort, fingerprint reader, a backlit keyboard, microSD and SD slots, and lots more, this device added something else the Microsoft Surface was missing in laptop mode: a base steady and sturdy enough to rest in your lap.

It even came with built-in LTE broadband functionality!

I liked it at once.

I must confess though, that I was initially taken aback because of the relative heft of the Pro x2, which at just over 4 pounds with the optional power battery isn’t anything to sneeze at. However, a further read of the accompanying spec sheet – and verified by me – showed that it was a a result of the ‘Power Keyboard’ base, which contained an integrated secondary battery providing juice to the primary battery in the tablet portion of the Pro x2.

Battery performance is excellent, with the Pro x2 able to go several days in non-use mode.

Another upside for this hybrid device is the price, which is rather competitive for the performance delivered.

I have used this device personally for the past several months, delivering a flogging to it. It has persevered,

I also have it running Microsoft Windows client Hyper-V, with which it has hosted my VM, handling them with ease.

One good thing: it never ran hot to the touch, even when under a heavy processing load.

I am impressed with it.

It is a very worth day-to-day hybrid device, and can easily substitute most user’s desktop needs.

A winner of our SmallBizWindows Superstar Award, the HP Pro x2 is the SmallBizWindows Hybrid Laptop/Tablet PC of the Year 2015.

As tested

Intel Core i5
12.5” backlit 1080p full HD screen
8 GB RAM
256 GB SSD
Backlit keyboard
Wacom digitizer and pen built-in
LTE broadband, Bluetooth, and a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi
MicroSD & SD slots
DisplayPort slot
2 USB 3.0 ports
Full size, spill-resistant keyboard
Dual cameras, front and rear facing, and
Dual batteries.

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