Performance: Overall this laptop's performance was only Fair, well below that of many models but still good enough for routine tasks like email, word processing and web browsing. Performance was okay for routine productivity and Web-based tasks but for some tasks it's very slow, particularly when launching applications and scanning for malware. It was so slow that it was difficult to edit photos, and slow for viewing and editing HD videos.
Portability: This laptop is a Good choice for traveling, although not ideal. Battery life lasted 9 hours in a light load of web browsing tests, and 5.5 hours in a heavier load of 4K video playback tests. Results could get you through a typical workday, under a workload of mixed use. At 2.4 lbs, weight was typical for a laptop of this size category.
Ergonomics: Some features of the keyboard, touchpad, and labeling were not well-designed, so it's not especially comfortable or convenient to use. The keyboard has large keys and was comfortably sized. Its high contrast letters were reasy to read. The touchpad was uncomfortably small, providing less space for gestures than most others tested. A stylus is included for use with the touch screen.
Display. The display quality was Good overall. Colors were in the ballpark, though not completely accurate. The display was highly prone to glare making it difficult to see in a brightly lit room or outdoors. The display has a wide viewing angle, especially important if more than one person needs to see the screen at a time, say, for a video or presentation. The touchscreen is smooth enough for fast swipes, and fingerprints clean off easily. The keyboard can be detached, allowing the screen to be used like a tablet.
Useful features and attributes on this model include: Laptop converts to a touchscreen tablet to be used as either a laptop computer or a tablet. There's a 32GB solid-state drive, which uses less power and accesses data more quickly. You can connect common external devices such as hard drives and Blu-ray burners to the USB 3.1 ports for maximum performance. This laptop has a micro HDMI port for connecting to an HDTV or monitor.
Downsides: There's no optical drive like a CD or DVD reader, so you'll have to buy an external drive if you need one. The primary drive only has 32GB of storage, which can quickly run out of room. There is an SD card reader for adding extra space, but you may need to delete unused files in order to install large system updates.
