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Laptops

HP's Spectre is the world's slimmest laptop at just 10.4 mm

By Nick Lavars
April 06, 2016
HP's Spectre is the world's slimmest laptop at just 10.4 mm
HP says it had to rethink its approach to keeping things cool with the Spectre
HP says it had to rethink its approach to keeping things cool with the Spectre
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HP has managed to squeeze an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor into the Spectre's 2.45 lb (1,111 g) body
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HP has managed to squeeze an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor into the Spectre's 2.45 lb (1,111 g) body
HP says it had to rethink its approach to keeping things cool with the Spectre
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HP says it had to rethink its approach to keeping things cool with the Spectre
The 13-inch HP Spectre measures just 10.4 mm (0.41 in) thick
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The 13-inch HP Spectre measures just 10.4 mm (0.41 in) thick
The Spectre is built from carbon fiber and aluminum with a black and copper color scheme
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The Spectre is built from carbon fiber and aluminum with a black and copper color scheme
View gallery - 4 images

Personal computers have come a long way since the hefty notebooks of the early 1980s. Today's laptops are shedding bulk almost as fast as your local CrossFit evangelist, and the latest effort from Hewlett-Packard is set to undercut them all. Its newly announced HP Spectre will enter the market as the world's thinnest laptop, and it is packing some punch within its very slight frame, as well.

The 13-inch HP Spectre measures just 10.4 mm (0.41 in) thick, making it a trimmer computing option than other slender machines like Lenovo's latest Yoga 2-in-1 (14.9 mm), the ASUS Zenbook UX305FA (12.3 mm) and yes, even the newest Macbook at 13.1 mm.

If it wasn't evident through HP's promo materials where the words "craftsmanship" and "artisan" feature more than once, the company's newest laptop is very much billed as a refined, even opulent slice of personal computing.

The Spectre is built from carbon fiber and aluminum with a black and copper color scheme. The full HD IPS display is shielded by edge-to-edge Gorilla Glass and rests on piston-driven hinges, with dual Bang and Olufsen speakers flanking the backlit keyboard and glass trackpad.

The Spectre is built from carbon fiber and aluminum with a black and copper color scheme
The Spectre is built from carbon fiber and aluminum with a black and copper color scheme

Rather than the Intel Core M processors commonly found in the new breed of ultralight devices like last year's Macbook, HP has managed to squeeze Intel Core i5 or i7 processor into the Spectre's 2.45 lb (1,111 g) body. Partnered with up to 8 GB of memory and up to 512 GB of storage, this should offer pro-level users a little more processing grunt.

To keep these internal mechanics running smoothly, HP says it had to rethink its approach to keeping things cool. With what it calls hyperbaric cooling technology, HP says that the Spectre pulls cold air inside instead of simply venting heat out, which combines with dynamic power settings to keep the processor performing at a high level.

When it comes to plugging in, HP is leaping aboard the USB Type C train with three ports, all of which support charging, data transfer and external displays, while two support Thunderbolt at speeds of up to 40 gb/s. Battery life is rated at nine hours.

The Spectre will be available for pre-order on April 25 and will be priced at US$1,170. You can check out the promo video below.

Source: HP

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LaptopsHewlett-PackardLaptop
3 comments
Nick Lavars
Nick Lavars
Nick has been writing and editing at New Atlas for over six years, where he has covered everything from distant space probes to self-driving cars to oddball animal science. He previously spent time at The Conversation, Mashable and The Santiago Times, earning a Masters degree in communications from Melbourne’s RMIT University along the way.

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3 comments
f8lee
It strikes me that this "race to be thinnest" has reached ludicrous speed - unless it rolls or folds into a smaller rectangular shape there is effectively zero difference in terms of "difficulty to carry" - one still needs a slot in their briefcase or a neoprene envelope or whatever, and the 2mm differential is rather moot.
DonGateley
In the 90's a personal HP printer I bought crapped out just out of warranty and even though I could drop if off at the repair center they wanted more to "fix" it than a new one cost. I've not bought anything with an HP label on it since. I wonder what that bit of greed cost them. I would very seriously consider this seeming beauty otherwise and there have been other decisions, including a couple of large corporate purchases, along they way where HP was disqualified by that experience.
Rann Xeroxx
I get them having a gold plated version of this device but why lead with it, its ugly and tacky as hell. Show what a silver one would look like so normal people can see if they might actually want one.