T3 India

HP

Tested: HP 27 Curved Display

by

AHEAD OF THE CURVE
HP 27 Curved Display
The HP monitor is a jack of all trades

The first thing that strikes you when unpacking the monitor is the slimmed down bezels to make the large display manageable. The 3 sided micro design also have the added benefit of looking cool combined with the stand. Unfortunately, tilt angles are limited and height cannot be adjusted requiring a monitor stand or something makeshift like a thick hardcover book.

The 27” display uses a Vertical Alignment (VA) panel that benefit from deeper blacks and better contrast. It natively supports FHD (1920×1080) resolution but we would have preferred 2560×1440 since it would have been ideal at this size owing to its pixel density. It is capable of displaying upto 99% sRGB colour gamut and has a 3000:1 contrast ratio. Connectivity ports include a 1x DisplayPort, 1x HDMI, Audio out/Headphone jack and a Kensington lock.

There is a learning curve (pun intended) when viewing on a curved panel but it soon becomes natural as it tracks around the shape of your eyes more comfortably. However, the viewing angle is limited making it less than ideal for those with an audience or if you move from the desk occasionally. The Low BlueLight mode helps filter blue light emissions by shifting to a warmer spectrum which worked better than a software solution.

It also supports FreeSync so those with an AMD Radeon graphic card will be able to play games without screen tearing or judders. Everyday usage like working on productivity applications and web surfing went well while watching videos was a mixed experience. You might have to switch modes or stick to custom settings because most of them were too bright washing out the picture. Overtime we noticed the colour reproduction had a tendency to favour the warmer spectrum.

The major problem is the location of the curved control panel located at rear edge. Often while navigating the On-Screen Display we accidentally selected or toggled the wrong setting leading to frustration. The power button should have been spaced further away as we mistakenly turned it off quite a few times.

We ended up relying on muscle memory to feel the position in the end. The backlight bleed around the edges was evident when blacks dominated the screen. This will vary from panel to panel so check your monitor before buying it.

VERDICT
WE’RE IMPRESSED Commendable contrast, versatile
WE’D IMPROVE Curved controls position, FHD resolution, slightly expensive
THE LAST WORD The HP monitor will serve you well provided you have the patience to fine tune it
RATING 3.5/5

Note: This review was originally published in the March 2018 issue of T3 India.

HP reveals latest Omen X gaming portfolio in India

by

HP announced the 2018 refresh of its Omen X portfolio that includes gaming desktops, notebooks and accessories for the Indian market. Additionally, the company also introduced a VR backpack and Windows Mixed Reality headset.

The Omen X desktop comes with dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 or dual AMD Radeon F9 Fury X, Intel core i9 processor, a custom tri-chamber design with dedicated cooling for each chamber. Upto 3 120mm liquid cooling radiators are supported by it. The Open X compact desktop with VR backpack allows for free movement during VR sessions due to its design if paired with the optional VR backpack. It runs on a 7th gen Intel Core i5/ Core i7 processor, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 GPU, advanced thermal cooling and hot swappable batteries.

The Omen X gaming notebook houses a 17″ FHD (1080p) display with 120Hz and 144Hz refresh rate choices. It runs on a 7th gen Intel Core i7 CPU, Nvidia GTX 10 series GPU and standalone 1TB 7200RPM HDD or both SSD+HDD storage. It has also been thermally optimised to improve heat transfer from the GPU and CPU to the radiators through four 3.5mm heat pipes. It has an array of ports including 3x USB 3.0 Type-A ports, 2x Thunderbolt-3 certified USB 3.1 Type-C ports, 1x HDMI 2.0 port, 1x Mini DisplayPort, RJ45 and a multi-format media card slot.

The HP Windows Mixed reality headset sports twin 1440x1440p resolution displays encased in a double padded headset with an easy adjustment knob. It offers 100 degree viewing angle connected to a supported Windows Mixed Reality Ultra PC and 90-degree viewing angle with a regular Windows Mixed Reality PC. For precise control there are bluetooth motion controllers to track user arm movement.

The Omen X compact desktop with VR backpack starts at Rs.2,94,998 available from today. The Omen X desktop begins from Rs.4,49,999 and will be available from June 2018. The Omen X laptop has a starting price of Rs.2,10,990 and will be sold from 20 March 2018. If purchased separately, the Windows MR headset will cost Rs.51,187. Additional accessories on offer are the Omen Headset (Rs.6,999), Omen Mouse 600 (Rs.4,999), SteelSeries gaming keyboard (Rs.9,999) and SteelSeries mouse pad (Rs.2,199). A limited time pre-booking offer for the Omen X compact desktop includes a bundle of MR headset, Omen headset, keyboard, and mouse while Omen X laptop will come bundled with Omen headset, mouse, mouse pad and a 1TB HDD.

MWC 2017: The HP Pro x2 is a rugged hybrid with a Wacom pen

by

HP Pro x2 612 G2 is the newest entry in the Professional series from the company announced at MWC 2017. The device is the successor to the original Pro x2 612 launched back in 2014.

Equipped with a FHD (1080p) display, the hybrid is powered by Intel Core i7 7Y75 processor with integrated Intel 615 graphics, 8GB RAM, upto 512GB SSD, built-in smart card reader, optional fingerprint sensor and optional NFC. In addition to the bumped up specs, the G2 also features MIL-STD 810G certification for durability making it perfect to carry out field work. HP Client Security Suite Gen3 comes installed for additional security measures.

The device features various modes like presentation, inking, tablet and notebook mode which are pretty self explanatory. The HP Active Wacom Pen Stylus with App Launch can also be used when the device is tilted via the 165 degree kickstand. Interestingly, the device has a fanless design with a removable M.2 SSD although the battery is non-removable.

HP also revealed a range of new vertical workflow accessories for the existing x2 and Elite x3 lineups. A rugged case to store the device is sold separately. No pricing or release date has been mentioned for India.

HP Spectre, Envy successors are coming

by

HP has added two more laptops to its existing range of premium devices with the new Spectre x360 and Envy 13.3. Both devices are upgraded variants of existing laptops in their respective line-ups.

The Envy 13.3″ comes with the choice of an optional edge-to-edge flush glass display with QHD+ or a regular display with Full-HD resolution, extra wide glass touchpad, backlit keyboard and upto 14 hours battery backup. It is powered by 7th Gen Intel processors available from i3 to i7, upto 1TB SSD support and upto 16GB RAM expansion.

The HP Spectre x360 has become even thinner by shaving off 2mm and reduced the display bezel from 15.12mm to 5.45mm in comparison to the older Spectre. Even battery life has gotten a boost which is claimed to be 25% more than the previous Spectre while Fast Charge technology charges the battery upto 50% in 30 minutes and 90% in 90 minutes. The device comes with Wi-Fi 802.11ac support, USB Type-C ports with Thunderbolt, Bang & Olufsen audio with HP Audio boost.

Available by the end of October, the Spectre X360 will be sold at a price of Rs.1,34,390. Envy 13.3″ costs Rs.90,000 and will go on sale from the middle of November.

HP introduces world’s smallest inkjet printer

by

HP took the curtains off the HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 3700 All-In-One printer aimed at the ever increasing digitally active youth in India. The HP 3700 combines print, scan and copy capabilities to offer easy printing directly from various social media websites. Always connected consumers can share and design custom photos from Facebook, Instagram and Flickr or directly from the camera card with the free HP Social Media Snapshots app supported by the printer. The printer offers easy printing from a smartphone or tablet.

The design of the printer is a huge departure from HP’s generic black and white look. This is the first time in the history of the company when bright colours have been used. The two-tone printer is available in 3 colours – Electric Blue, Sea Grass Green and Cardinal Red. While HP has said that more colours will be launched in the near future, for now users will have to make do with the RGB primary colour trinity.

The printer comes bundled with separate Black and Colour cartridges. The Black cartridge costs Rs.580 and is capable of giving a yield of around 480 pages.

The AIO printer is priced at Rs.7,176 and will be available for sale from today across the country.