Trying out the new HP Spectre x 360 Touch Screen computer

Something a little different for this Wednesday’s Ad Break. Last year I worked with HP at the launch of their Tango printer – which was designed to blend in with your interiors in the way the traditional clunky black box of a printer never could. It was a cool bit of kit that was meant to look like a book when left on a shelf. Now, in all honesty, it’s probably not going to fool anyone who’s looking closely, but the point is it was designed with form in mind rather than just function. And even if it doesn’t look entirely like a book it’s about the same size as a chunky A4 dictionary so it takes up a lot less space than the traditional home office printers.

And that’s a point worth making. We have reached the stage in technology where we expect it to work well. We know it can do the job but we have had to put up with lots of large black boxes because it was all about the function. Some companies have been quicker to adapt than others of course, and we are also now seeing a raft of televisions that are designed to either blend in or stand out as great pieces of design. Your choice of speaker says as much about your style of interior design as the importance you place on sound quality. In short, we know it works so now we’ve got time to think about how it looks.

Back to the present day and HP got in touch with me again to ask me if I would trial their new laptop computer – the HP Spectre x 360. “Oh I couldn’t” I said. “I’ve worked on the same computers since I first started working in national newspapers and that was nearly 25 years ago. I am an old dog. You can teach me no new tricks.”

But, they said, this one has been designed to be good at photo and visual editing. It’s perfect for writers and creatives – the images are really high resolution. It looks good and, it’s a traditional laptop with a touchscreen. You can also fold it back the other way and use it as a viewing screen. Are you absolutely sure you don’t want to try it?

Well I was intrigued. The touch screen was the thing. I can’t be the only person who has found myself pinching the pages of Elle Decoration trying to “zoom” in on a detail and then remembering that it’s an actual piece of paper.

And I do love a new gadget. I might be slow at the technology side but I love the equipment. I was so quick off the mark with a Kindle that for the first three months of owning it I could only get books by American authors. Jodie Picoult would be my specialist subject on Mastermind.

Then came another interesting piece of information. The KLC School of Design recommends that new students buy a PC as their design programmes CAD and SketchUp run and process faster than Macs. And a leading interior designer confirmed to me that his staff all use PCs when they are designing rooms and projects.

I wrote this post on it. And then halfway through I needed to check something on Pinterest and found myself pinching and grabbing the top screen, which also folds flat so you can prop it up like a newspaper or magazine on your lap. And the transition between touch and typing was seamless so I was switching between the two – you can use the traditional keyboard on the lower half or the screen keyboard which then offers you predictive text like your phone does. I found myself sitting on the sofa with it propped up on my knees like a newspaper and switching between the two. At first because I forgot which one I was using and then just because I changed could. And because, it turned out, it was fun. And when was the last time you felt like typing was fun?

My next concern was that all my existing technology talks to each other. Would that work with a PC in the mix. Well this is what they told me:

• HP Orbit bridges your phone, computer, and tablet to get things done while staying connected. The HP Orbit Canvas feature allows you to transfer files to your computer and mobile phone over your Wi-Fi network or LAN.
• You can also connect your iPhone via Bluetooth.

The screen resolution is a pretty impressive: 3840 x 2160 pixels as well.

I have downloaded Google Chrome as that is what I prefer to use and my calendar immediately synced across all devices.

So I came to this post not being at all sure what I would find. Thinking perhaps that I would turn down this particular paid partnership because I wouldn’t be able to wholeheartedly take their money to tell you about something that I didn’t believe in.

But do you know what? I rather love it. I just need a bit more practice on the left and right clicks and I might be fully converted. The 16yo, who uses a computer for schoolwork, was impressed. “Is it rude to say that it’s really impressive for a PC,” he said. “The screen is great and I love the design details on the corners.”

And the 18yo needs a new computer….I was assuming he could have the PC but I’m thinking I might keep it and he can have my old laptop.