HP Spectre XT TouchSmart 15t-4000 Pro Reviews

The Spectre XT 15t proved itself a competent and capable 15.6-inch multimedia notebook in our testing. The extra bright IPS display is gorgeous and has plenty of resolution for work; the touch capability works seamlessly with Windows 8. Other things we like about this computer are the solid build quality and design, excellent backlit keyboard, accurate touchpad (it's actually a clickpad), good speakers and respectable battery life. It even has a healthy selection of ports, including Thunderbolt which isn't something usually seen on a PC. There are two real downsides; the glossy display surface is the first. The reflections are distracting in well-lit environments, especially where's there a lot of sunlight. This is more of a concern with glossy displays in general rather than just the Spectre XT 15t. The second issue is the inclusion of a traditional hard drive instead of an SSD; at this price we'd like an SSD. SSDs are far faster than normal hard drives. HP offers the customizable Spectre XT 15t with SSDs but they're pricey upgrades. Overall we're pleased to recommend the HP Spectre XT 15t; it's a well-packaged 15.6" notebook with a great mix of features. Look for models on sale that include an SSD.