14 DAY TRIAL // HP called its two latest products detachable PCs, but the Split X2 is the only one of the two that actually fits the mold. Sure, the moniker isn't wrong per se, but the HP SlateBook x2 easily qualifies as a normal Android tablet.
The HP Split x2 uses a third-generation Intel Core central processing unit (CPU), based on Ivy Bridge micro-architecture.
It also has the Windows 8 operating system installed on whatever HDD happens to be inside.
Speaking of hard drives, HP didn't provide all the details, but it did say, in the press release, that there was an optional HDD bay in the base, for double capacity.
This requires special mention because, unlike on normal notebooks that have most of the hardware underneath the keyboard, the Split x2 crams it behind the 13.3-inch HD screen instead (1366 x 768 pixels).
It would not be able to work otherwise, since the keyboard has to be detached if the user wants to.
"The HP SlateBook x2 and the HP Split x2 are next-generation devices and the latest examples of our continued commitment to evolving the computing experience by providing the flexibility necessary for customers to be productive at home, at the office or on the go," said Ron Coughlin, senior vice president and general manager, consumer PCs, HP.
Like with the SlateBook x2, HP did not describe the hardware layout in full detail, insofar as the insides are concerned.
It did enumerate, however, the 2-megapixel HP TrueVision Full HD webcam, the HP ClickPad (multifinger and gesture navigation), and the soft-touch coating that ensures a comfortable grip and few fingerprints.
HP will start shipping the Split x2 in August this year (2013), for the price of $799.99, which will no doubt correspond to €799.99 in Europe. Full hardware and software data disclosure will happen then.