HP ENVY Spectre XT 13-2050nr Pro Reviews

The HP Envy Spectre XT (13-2050 nr) is a solid ultrabook with a stylish design, but its appeal is marred by a so-so clickpad and display.

The ultrabook market is bubbling like a cauldron, with a slew of affordable hard drive-based (rather than SSD-based) models now on sale; a few high-end options to tempt well-to-do executives; and a crop of touch-screened (and hence a bit heavier and thicker) Windows 8 ultrabooks due to arrive along with Microsoft's new OS this fall. The HP Envy Spectre XT reminds us how pleasant first-generation ultrabooks like the HP Folio 13, Dell XPS 13, and Toshiba Portege Z835 were, with their 13.3-inch displays and 128GB SSDs. It's just the right size and weight for take-it-anywhere productivity, with a keyboard that's a positive pleasure and an injection of "Ivy Bridge" horsepower that leaves those older models in the dust. Our only hesitation is that a $999 sticker marks it as something of a premium machine nowadays, and while it has plenty of premium features such as its software bundle and Smart Connect Technology, a 1,366x768 screen is starting to look a little lackluster against higher-res units from the likes of Asus and Vizio. In other words, while no rival can beat the Envy Spectre XT's keyboard, a few can beat its value proposition. A $100 price cut would make us happier with this otherwise admirable ultrabook.