HP Spectre x360

ATTENTION: Anybody with a Spectre X360, with my unit, when I am looking at the display head on and then tilt the display upwards bringing the keyboard up, the screen grays out slightly. No, this is not a software issue or an issue with a connection, this is the physical display. Just moving your head down causes this. When viewed on a white screen, it will slightly dim and gray, the gray out moving from top to bottom. It is just slight, but I want to be sure that this is an issue with all units. I have the QHD version.

 

I think it´s normal.
It gets a bit Grey with my qhd Display too.

Another question:
Does anyone had freezing issues?
Mine freezes sometimes so only a restart helps.
This day it crashed like i pulled out the battery.

Maybe there is something wrong with the charger...

 

I would be pretty concerned about that, there's no reason for the computer to shut down by itself without warning from Windows, unless something is very wrong with your Spectre.

 

Probably not the case, but I just read something about Skylake processors freezing under certain workloads. Is yours a Skylake model, and were you running some kind of complex calculations?

See here: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016...auses-pcs-to-freeze-during-complex-workloads/

 

Hey everyone...check your Spectre360 for updates. I ran HP Support app and it shows a BIOS and WLAN driver update. BIOS shows an update for the sound. WLAN update is a new driver.

Before I updated, I went to the HP Site and did an online update check and it pulled the same updates as the Support assistant.

I run the Skylake 360, so not sure if this applies to the Broadwells or not.

Glenn

 

Thanks Glenn! I grabbed F.2F (for Broadwell) and installed this morning. Then the new WLAN driver this evening. So far, so good.

Unfortunately my machine is still 50-50 when I close the lid...sometimes it sleeps in my backpack and sometimes it wakes up and runs with the lid closed. I'd hoped a previous BIOS update had fixed it but I guess not.

-Matt

 

Hey guys have been just reading this thread (plus many others) up until now. Decided to order an ash/cobber skylake version a couple of days ago as a replacement for my surface pro 3. I really wanted to go for the i7 version, but it would have meant that I would have to put up 300 dollars of my own money and it would have taken another month for shipment as they were sold out. So I went for the i5 version which I got for free and it will come this week. I still have a couple of days to change my mind though, so were wondering what your thoughts were. Is the bump up to i7 really worth 300 bucks and an extra month? I pulled the specs of the site I'm getting it from and as far as I can see it's only the CPU and a slight increase in RAM speed.

Here's the link: http://www.elkjop.no/INTERSHOP/web/...134105NO@store-elkjop|HP134106NO@store-elkjop

CM

 

Hi everyone, newbie here hoping for some advice please.

I'm looking to buy the x360 in the UK - skylake i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD and FHD. There seems to be only 2 reasonable buying options for this model. The price in both cases is £899 but the deals are slightly different:

a) HP online store. Laptop comes with free "HP 3 year Pickup and Return Notebook Service" worth £79 which essentially seems to be 2 additional years' warranty on top of the standard year.
b) Microsoft online store. There are no freebies as such, but this a Microsoft "Signature Editon".

So I guess my questions are as follows:

1) Is HP's support through these care packages generally decent and worth having?
2) Given the x360 was apparently developed in conjunction with Microsoft, is their Signature Editon unlikely to offer any significant benefits over the standard version?
3) Which of these 2 buying options would you choose?

Any experience or thoughts gratefully received. Thanks in advance.

 

Hello all,

I bough my spectre x360 1 week ago and I was really happy with it. A few days ago I realized a defect on my laptop. It wobbles from the right palm rest area as it doesn`t sit flat on the table when I open the screen 90 degrees or more. This is really annoying as whenever I am using the keyboard or resting my hand over the palm rest area the bottom of the laptop wobbles. Contacted the HP Support, I will try to replace it. Do you guys have any suggestions for me? Is this a known issue?

 

Interesting observation -- just gave it a look. I don't have the wobble. However, I *did* notice that after ~120 degrees, if I tap the left side of the palmrest...nothing. But if I tap the right side, it makes a faint tapping metallic sound back (similar to the "loose trackpad" sound). Seems pretty minor on my unit. I'd have to guess that there's a weight distribution issue biasing the left side of the machine that comes into play once the screen is rotated past a specific point -- before that point, tapping either side sounds equally solid.

Let us know how your new unit performs!

-Matt

 

Hey can anyone tell me if there is a lot of difference between the skylake i5 version and i7 version in usage? Any problems with either version, and any significant difference in power?

Thanks in advance, CM

 

I recently became interested in this notebook again due to the OLED announcement. I bought one from best buy a few months ago and returned it due to creaking noises coming from the bottom plate, as well as the rattling touchpad. The touchpad I can deal with but not the bottom flexing, not for a 1200$ laptop. It also had a yellow tint on the qhd display.

Are these fairly common issues? I really want an OLED and would actually prefer this to lenovos yoga x1.

 

anyone know a good app or utility that gives you mac touchpad gestures on the spectre x360?

 

I just noticed that they increased the price on the HP store... I configured mine with the top end processor/iris/512/16/windows home for 1590, and the same laptop now costs 1690... though with the HPLAPTOPS coupon they come out to the same price

 

Just got mine (i7, ash silver) today. First thing I noticed is - Why is the display so YELLOW?! Everything has a yellow tint to it, no pure whites.
I saw some post about the display having a warm tone, but this is ridiculous. Not sure if hardware or software (Intel graphics perhaps).. If it's hardware I am definitely returning this laptop. I like a lot of things about it, keyboard and touchpad is great and the laptop is a looker, but I can't stand piss color display.

 

Mine definitely does not have this problem. If anything, white looks a tad blue. You haven't run colour calibration by mistake or installed a strange colour profile have you?

It may also just be a defective laptop. White on my laptop has a colour temp of around 6500K

 

Nope, it's like that straight from the box. All display settings (except scaling) is on default settings.
I'm going to compare with some store models. I'll use it for a few weeks to see if I like it enough to try an exchange and hope for a better unit, or just return it and get the Razer Blade Stealth.

The Stealth has TB3/USB-C (eGPU option) and looks even slicker than Spectre in my opinion. Only thing is it's not a convertible - the Spectre is my first convertible but I find myself using it in tablet and presentation modes a lot.

 

That's the same for me, I really like the tablet/presentation modes of 2 in 1's.

I am waiting for more high power implementations - like the Sony Canvas Z - which needs a new version to catch up when the new Iris Pro 45w Skylake/Kabylake CPU's come out.

That will be the form factor, the performance, the eGPU driving tool I hope will emerge quickly.

The x360 updates should keep it ahead of the Stealth though, right? OLED, memory, etc, right?

 

Yes, according to this release from HP ( http://www8.hp.com/us/en/hp-news/press-release.html?id=2151247), the 13" will get 4K and OLED, 16GB RAM, Iris (likely 540). No mention of USB-C on the 13" (it will be on the 15" however..).

The updates would make it a better pick over the Stealth, for me. If it has Iris 540, I'll be happy enough with the graphics capability since I don't game much and don't require lots of graphics processing for work. Plus the Spectre has a larger battery than the Stealth. I hope "spring 2016" means sometime soon; I am also considering the upcoming MBP (March or June announcement according to speculations online).

 

According to that release, it seems the 4k model is only for the 15", and the 13" oled is only qhd

 

Ah, you are right.. that's a bit disappointing. I prefer 4K because of neat scaling (200% = 1080p effective resolution).

 

I also have a yellow tint QHD display. On mine, the bottom panel only flexes (sort of gives in a little) in the area adjacent to the vents and I have to press in deliberately with my fingers to make that happen. No creaking noises during normal use. I'm also not pleased with the touchpad "floating" a bit, so that you can depress it a little bit before feeling resistance to click.

 

Time to check the HP Support Assistant again...this time it's the HD Audio Driver and the Intel HD Graphics Driver. Maybe those quick display adapter crashes will stop now? I got the update notifications for the Skylake X360.

 

Has anyone got the new 15.6" 4K spectre? Am interested mainly in the fan noise, and the quality of the 4k screen (viewing angles, black levels, white balance ie. is it really yellow or really blue!) and battery life.
The only model available in UK so far is the top end 512gb/16gb
Thanks

 

Just wondering if anyone has noticed a rattle from inside the chassis? This is on a Broadwell i7 model.

If I tilt my device, or roll it end over end lengthwise, I hear something loose inside. Does anyone know if it is a tilt switch/sensor, or something I should worry about? I only just started noticing it.

The fan is not noisy when operating, but I suppose the bearing could be a little loose, allowing some movement of the blade when shaken... I also thought it might be the keyboard keys moving sideways slightly in their housing, but after closing the lid with a blanket between the screen and keys, I still hear the rattle.

 

Just checked....and I have one of those "would-never-have-noticed-if-you-hadn't-asked" ever so slight sounds. Seems like it's coming from somewhere near/under the "delete" key. It's really, really small. I wouldn't lose sleep over it.

-Matt

 

I wasn't planning to. Thanks for the response.

 

I just got my 15t in... Currently charging

 

The 13" model's been updated as well with i7-6560U (Iris 540) option.
Still waiting on the OLED and 16GB of RAM and hopefully for all that to be available in ash silver & copper!

 

Please let me know how this goes!
Really keen to find out what the screen is like (eg. does it look 'yellow', does it look awesome), the battery (although that'll take a while to know) and the fan (at load and not at load - just browsing)
15t is the 512gb/16gb/4K one isnt it?
Cheers pal

 

I'm coming from a mid 2014 retina macbook pro, so I can compare the two... the 4k screen is very nice to my eyes, text is crystal clear and doesn't seem yellow, maybe a little bit warmer than the macbook but that screen is cool to begin with... the keyboard is good, but I am still getting used to the layout being shifted one row over due to the home/end/up/down buttons on the right side, so I am missing a keystroke here and there... so far if the mac's keyboard is a 10, the hp's is a 9 mainly because I prefer the black keys, but overall it's a good keyboard, nothing to complain about at all. One thing is that I don't see a way to have multiple levels of back light key brightness, just off or full.

The speakers are not overly loud, but they are excellent quality, and all 4 fire at the same time. I played side by side comparisons with my mac, and the mac was maybe a little louder, but it was tinny and didn't sound as good as the HP's, which sounded clear and full, and had a surround sound effect.

The tablet mode is surprisingly good, it really feels like your using a huge ipad, pinch to zoom is very smooth.

The touchpad is just OK unfortunately.... often times two finger scrolling doesn't register unless I press down with force pad, and sometimes a single tap doesn't register, but I think this is a driver/software issue.. I haven't spent too much time digging into the settings. but my main complaint is I cannot find a way to increase the pointer speed, does anyone know how to do this? Also, it does have the tap issue that the old models have, where it makes a slight tapping noise if you touch it even lightly. This isn't a huge issue, and from searching it appears that while is is fixable with a little piece of electrical tape, that it is actually normal and almost all models will have it due to the click buttons at the bottom.

Battery doesn't seem to want to give me an hour figure, it just says calculating, but I am installing and rebooting constantly so I can't really give you an accurate figure yet. I've noticed the fan come on once and a while (I have the i7/iris) but it's rare and most of the time it's very cool and quiet.

Overall, it seems very well balanced. The macbook has a better trackpad and very slightly better keyboard, but the spectre has better speakers, a higher res screen that is just as sharp. tablet mode, and the hinge that goes way further back when it's in regular laptop mode (I often found the mac's screen didn't go back as far as I'd like. So far the main issue is the touchpad just doesn't feel dialed in, hopefully they will stil release software patches to improve this, but I am much happier on windows than OSX, and at $1,000 less than what I paid for my mac, I am very happy with it thus far.

 

Can't you just use Windows Mouse Properties to adjust pointer speed?

 

Yeah that fixed it, thanks I just assumed that those settings would only affect the mouse because the touch pad had it's own settings tab, much better now

 

I got the dell active stylus and I cannot figure out how to get it to work... either the pen is not compatible or this model doesn't have a digitizer

 

Regarding this issue, can anyone give me a full tutorial on how to take apart the Spectre to fix the rattly touchpad? I don't mean that one YouTube video, I mean like a full on step-by-step guide as I have NEVER taken apart a computer before and have many concerns in doing so.

Mine started to rattle a few days ago and it has been driving me insane. With just a light tap it sounds like I'm clicking something even though I know it's not since the trackpad itself doesn't depress. It "fixes" itself after letting it settle for a few minutes, but when it does happen it's really annoying.

 

Maybe worth double-checking that the battery is facing the right direction (positive/+ end pointed toward the stylus tip), and not dead.

-Matt

 

Yeah the battery is in right, I don't think the Dell pen works, possibly due to some update HP put out... which sucks because the HP Active pen isn't supposed to be good

 

I just got the same pen (model 750AAGN) Friday and have used it straight out of the box (after putting in the battery of course) with no problem, no setting up to go through. I have the 13" ash silver model. It was my understanding that all models of the Spectre x360 support pen input. Can you test the pen itself on another device perhaps?

 

Is your Spectre a 2016 model? I don't have another screen to test, but I suppose mine may be defective if yours is working

 

I believe this particular model has been available since late last year, but I bought it not even two weeks ago. It has Skylake i7-6500U, QHD.

 

I just saw this on reddit

https://www.reddit.com/r/stylus/comments/44gnda/attention_reddit_the_hp_spectre_x360_2016_models/

 

In case Reddit drops the article, here is the important text / notice:

" ATTENTION REDDIT: The HP Spectre x360 2016 models are NOT STYLUS COMPATIBLE ( self.stylus)

submitted 1 day ago * by ss0889 - stickied post

their website says it is active stylus compatible. the stylus is shown in multiple images with the laptop. the bottom of the page lists active stylus compatibility.

i've now verified with 2 sales reps and 1 guy from tech support that they REMOVED this functionality from the 2016 models.

ONLY the spectre x2 and various business model laptops have stylus compatibility now.

needless to say, this laptop is now useless for what i needed it for, so I'll need to return it."

 

I guess they didn't want to cannibalize sales of their business laptops? Still, that is very unfortunate - having a convertible without stylus is much less useful than one with!

This is troubling for me since I want to exchange my laptop (has a yellow-tinted QHD display) for Iris 540 and FHD screen. I haven't used the stylus on my laptop extensively yet, but from some testing I can say that although it's not nearly good enough for extensive note-taking, it is nice to have for highlighting and annotations.

 

The plot thickens though because I chatted with a rep this morning who initially told me that the active stylus was not compatible... but when I then pointed out how HP was falsely advertising active stylus compatibility with the Spectre x360 not only on the product info page, but on the page of the stylus its self, she then said she was wrong and that it is compatible, so the reps may have no idea what they are talking about.

I did notice there is a touch screen driver on the HP site from yesterday that lists active pen support, but I cannot get it to install

 

Interesting.. I wonder if the display is capable of supporting stylus but it is not enabled in drivers - maybe a workaround is possible.
Also, in my experience sales or customer service reps rarely know anything that an informed customer doesn't already know, most times they are frustratingly clueless.

 

Thanks for the review. I'm really happy to see the PgUp/Dn/Home/End keys present on this model. Their absence from the 13" is literally one of the worst things about the Spectre, IMO - I use them all the time on a normal keyboard, and it's a dent in my productivity not to have them.

Not only are they now 2-button operations, but the sole FN button is all the way over on the other side of the keyboard, so they're now 2-handed jobs, which is very disruptive. Maybe a row on the right of the Enter key is not the best position, but it's much better than leaving them out altogether.

I agree about black keys being better (as on Ash Silver model), and no, there's no way to get multiple keyboard backlight levels.

While we're on the subject of keyboard layouts, the UK one is missing a Ctrl key on the right hand side (instead there are a |\ key and a "hamburger" context menu key that I have never once used), which makes a bundle of additional keyboard operations 2-handed. I wonder if this will be fixed on the latest models...? This is one thing that could be fixed in a bios update: option to reassign hamburger to Ctrl.

I saw a review where they said that only one upwards / outwards facing pair fired at once, but maybe they were wrong. Good to hear they're good quality. The 13" ones are pretty weak.

You say you have the Iris model. The one available here in the UK only has the Intel 520 graphics, so I wonder if that's going have the power to throw 8 million pixels around as easily.

A ubiquitous design flaw is still a design flaw! Some people have said they don't have the problem though.

HP nobbled the bios a few months ago, so that it'll never quote a time. Too inaccurate, apparently. Or too far away from the advertised values... take your pick.

Given the time it's been out, I'd be quite surprised if we see any significant updates here, until the hardware changes.

I'm a little disappointed this model doesn't include a Kensington lock port. That's something they even have on the Pavilion X360. Really handy if you want to take the computer into the office and not have to carry it with you or find a lockable drawer whenever you leave your desk. I don't think lack of space can be an excuse on this larger model.

 

The instructions, apart from how to fix the bit of tape on, are all there in the service manual download from the HP site. They're very detailed. Just go for it, so long as you have the tools. It's not hard.

 

I was wondering why the battery always showed "Calculating..." Figured it may take a few cycles to get a reading, but if HP disabled this in BIOS, that is stupid and inconvenient.

 

Does anybody know what the difference is between a 13-4108na and 13-4118na? Both seem to be Core i5, FHD, 8GB / 256GB...

 

It's just the colour.