Super-powerful and brilliantly flexible, the HP ZBook x2 is the creative world's best-kept secret.
The HP ZBook x2 is the perfect laptop for creatives(Image credit: HP)
What's the best laptop for your creative work? Some cry 'Macbook!', but are they right? We'd argue that when it comes to actually getting things done, with the kind of smooth workflow that allows you to get into the zone and properly unleash your creativity, then – whisper it – there may well be better options out there.
Whether you're a designer, photographer, digital artist or videographer, the HP ZBook x2 is certainly worth investigating as an alternative. The jewel in HP's crown, this powerful tablet-laptop hybrid runs Windows 10 Pro 64 and is super-flexible, incredibly powerful, and has a lot of brilliant features (more on that in a moment).
But maybe you're worried about the faff of switching from macOS to Windows? Don't stress. Ask anyone in your studio who's used both Macs and PCs (which will probably will be most of them) and they'll assure you that it's really not a big deal these days. It's kind of like when you get a new phone: there are a few key differences that may trip you up from time to time, but you soon get used to them, and if you ever get stuck, a quick Google search invariably provides the answer.
Let's face it: fear of change wouldn't make you stick with the same phone forever, and the same logic should apply to your laptop. So read on, as we explain exactly how the superior features of the HP ZBook x2 can save you time and energy, and make you more creative.
01. It's super-flexible
Perhaps the most obvious thing about the HP ZBook x2 is that it's a combination of laptop and tablet in one. That means it offers ultimate flexibility wherever you're doing your work; whether that's at your desk, on the train, in a cafe, held up waiting in someone else's meeting room, or wherever.
The HP ZBook x2 can be used in four different ways. You can use it as a tablet, using your fingers on the touchscreen, or drawing with an EMR Wacom pen. You can use it as a laptop, by pulling out the stand and attaching the keyboard. You can detach the keyboard and use it wirelessly. Or you can use it docked and connected to an external monitor or keyboard, with Thunderbolt 3 allowing you to connect to a 4K screen.
Depending on the task you're engaged in, and the location you're working in, it really is useful to be able to switch things around like this, quickly and flexibly. Can your current laptop boast the same adaptability?
Want to create digital art? Just detach the screen and use it as a tablet using an EMR Wacom pen (Image credit: HP)
02. The screen is awesome
Whether you work in 2D or 3D, static design or moving images, consumers nowadays are getting used to seeing everything in higher and higher resolutions, and as creatives, we need to be sure our creations are pixel-perfect. So it's great news that the HP ZBook x2 comes with a screen that is simply sensational.
The world’s most advanced detachable PC screen, the HP DreamColor provides you with an astonishing one billion colours, in a 4K, multi-touch, 14-inch diagonal display that boasts high-end anti-glare technology, making it easy to use in real-world situations. In non-techie terms, that basically means your creative work will look amazing, and you're able to see everything in the minute detail that you need to ensure your designs are perfect.
You can use the Bluetooth keyboard attached to or detached from the screen: it works just as efficiently either way (Image credit: HP)
03. Adobe shortcuts are built in
In 2019, the vast majority of creative professionals make heavy use of Adobe's Creative Cloud software. So HP has gone to extra mile, and made these easier to use on the HP ZBook x2. Both the tablet and the detachable Bluetooth keyboard come with built-in Adobe app shortcuts, and there are 18 in total. This might sound like a minor thing, but in practice makes for much smoother workflow, helping you to work more intuitively, as well as adding up over time to some serious time-saving.
04. It's mega powerful and offers great performance
If you just wanted to do some light web surfing with your laptop, we'd probably recommend something like a Chromebook. But if you need to do regular professional-level creative work, using Adobe Creative Cloud apps, then you're going to need a device with serious power. And the HP ZBook x2 has plenty of that.
Armed with the latest Intel Quad Core processors and up to 4.2GHz of turbo boost, the HP ZBook x2 quite simply enables you to work at the speed that you think. And anyone who's ever drummed their fingers, waiting for their laptop to catch up with their brain, knows exactly how important that can be.
And there's more. Nvidia Quadro graphics provide real-time visualisation of your multi-layered artwork and creative projects, and the HP ZBook x2 comes with an impressive 32 GB RAM Dual Channel Memory – twice the memory capacity of any other detachable PC.
You won't get slowed down by large assets, either: HP Z Turbo Drive storage is 4 times faster than SATA SSD and 14 times faster than traditional HDD storage. There's an impressive number of ports for a small detachable device. And the Ultrabook-class battery life, along with ultra-fast recharge, means you'll never have to cut your working day short due to a lack of power.
Conclusion
When it comes to laptop-tablet hybrids, HP ZBook x2 is best in class. Thoughtfully designed, supremely powerful, and above all, hugely flexible, this is a device that's perfectly positioned for professional creative work in the 2020s. Enabling you to speed up your workflow and design more intuitively, this clever laptop will help you to better unleash your imagination and truly raise the level of your creative output. And if your work is important to you, isn't that worth the investment?
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Tom May is an award-winning journalist and editor specialising in design, photography and technology. Author of the Amazon #1 bestseller Great TED Talks: Creativity, published by Pavilion Books, Tom was previously editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine. Today, he is a regular contributor to Creative Bloq and its sister sites Digital Camera World, T3.com and Tech Radar. He also writes for Creative Boom and works on content marketing projects.
