HP EliteBook Folio 1040: Review

If you are in need of a sturdy but performance oriented laptop, which is equally secured externally as well as internally, then HP has brought to you EliteBook Folio 1040. Designed to satisfy the business users, this 2014 model is available in three versions worth $1,299, $1,729 and $1,979. It boasts a razor-sharp aluminum build that looks classy. The look is best complimented by the speedy Core i7 performance. A robust suite of security apps delivers the very much required security.

To get the insights of the device more closely, check out the following review.

 Design

 

 The HP EliteBook Folio 1040 has a powerful elegance. It has a dark-grey colored aluminum lid that features the chrome HP logo at its center. Towards the edges, there is the gentle curve that gives a smooth finishing to the overall frame. On mounting the lid, the inside is also made of same dark-grey aluminum. There is an air vent or speaker grille that is trenched over the entire length of the deck. The Keyboard is of black color and there is a large touchpad sitting below it, towards the right side there is a fingerprint reader.

The EliteBook Folio's weighs 3.4 pounds, so neither it’s the heaviest among its competitor nor lightest. The Lenovo ThinkPad Carbon X1 weighs 3.15 pounds, Acer TravelMate P645 weighs 3.5 pounds and Dell Latitude 7440 weighs 3.9 pounds. EliteBook measures 13.31 x 9.19 x 0.63 inches, thus it is a thinner book as compared to its rivals that have the following measurement specifications:

·         Lenovo X1 Carbon (13.03 x 8.94 x 0.73 inches)

·         Acer (12.9 x 9.3 x 0.8)

·         Dell (12.2 x 8.3 x 0.79 inches)

Tech Specification

·         Processor: 1.7-GHz Intel Core i7-4650U

·         Operating System: Windows 7 Professional (64-bit)

·         RAM: 8GB RAM Upgradable to 16GB

·         Hard Drive Size: 256GB

·         Display Size: 14.1

·         Native Resolution: 1920x1080

·         Graphics Card: Intel HD Graphics 5000

·         Ports: 2USB, DisplayPort, Combo Headphone/Mic Jack, USB 3.0, Smart Card Reader, SIM card, Kensington Lock, Docking Connector

·         Warranty/Support: 3-years

·         Measurement: 13.31 x 9.19 x 0.63

·         Weight: 3.4 pounds 

Keyboard

EliteBook Folio sports a black keyboard with island keys that are coated by soft-touch material. The keys while typing give a cozy feel. During a Ten Thumbs Typing Tutor test conducted by a renowned website, this HP laptop delivered a typing speed of 78 words per minute with a 1 percent error rate. The average is usually 65 wpm. During low-light situations, the keyboard sports a bright-blue backlight that makes typing convenient even in dark. 

Touchpad

HP EliteBook Folio is the first notebook that has used Synaptics' new ForcePad. This touchpad has physical buttons and it is highly pressure-sensitive.

Display

The Folio 1040 has a vivid 1920 x 1080-pixel display with an average brightness of 264 lux. If put into comparison with contemporary models available, then the display quality is better than Acer P645(235 lux) and Dell 7440 (238 lux) but lacks a little bit in comparison to the sharpness of Lenovo X1's 2560 x 1440p screen(268 lux). Overall, Folio has a bright display, over which the app icons look bright and colorful. Text also appears crisp and hence easy to read.

Performance

What more you can expect when the new HP EliteBook Folio is powered by 1.7-GHz Intel Core i7-4650U processor paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD. Clearly, these are strong numbers and thus promise strong performance. Considering the tech specifications, this laptop of HP has beaten many of its rivals, which are either limited to 4GB RAM or less SSD storage.

During a lab test by a renowned party, Folio 1040 booted to Windows 7 Professional in just 15 seconds. It took only 37 seconds to copy multimedia files of 5 GB.

Battery Life

For its battery performance testing, Folio 1040 was subjected to web surfing via Wi-Fi on 40 percent brightness. Under these circumstances, the laptop sustained for 7 hours and 41 minutes, which is considered fabulous under usual circumstances. Here this HP device deserves applauds, as it ran nearly an hour longer than the average battery runtime of thin-and-light notebook average. Its battery performance was better than Lenovo X1 (7:15) and Dell 7440 (5:52). But, this doesn’t make HP Folio the best battery friendly device as Acer TravelMate P645 delivers epic runtime of 9:46.

Configurations

For $1,979, you can avail the package of 1.7-GHz Intel Core i7-4650U processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD and Intel HD Graphics 5000. However, this is not the basic price quote. You can own the device by offering a more reasonable $1,299, for which you will get 4GB of RAM, 1.6-GHz Intel Core i5-4200U, a 128GB SSD and Intel HD Graphics 4400. There is ann intermediate model available for $1,729, which packs a 4GB of RAM, 1.9-GHz Intel Core i5-4300U processor, a 256GB SSD and Intel HD Graphics 4400.

Verdict

In one word, HP EliteBook Folio 1040 is a powerful device with strong configuration and sturdy design. Its look is elegant and if you are buying the $1,979 model then you are getting the best of tech specifications available in the market currently. It wins as one of the most impressive business Ultrabooks. The device becomes more powerful owing to its strong resistance to drop, vibration and dust. Furthermore, it is loaded with robust suite of security apps that keep the device as protected from inside as it is from outside.