HP shows OEMs how to make a Microsoft device with the EliteBook x360

HP has been on a roll with its laptops and tablets when it comes to design.

When Microsoft launched its own line of hardware with the Surface series, it was seen as a mandate for OEMs to start coming up with more attractive devices to take on the dominance of Apple. HP took up the challenge when it launched the Spectre series, in particular the Spectre x2 which bears a striking resemblance to Microsoft's Surface Pro 3.

Much like the Spectre series, HP seems to have taken some cues from another Microsoft product, this time with the HP EliteBook x360 laptop aimed at business users.

The EliteBook x360 is a lot like HP's new logo for premium devices: simple and sleek. While it's not necessarily a spitting image, there are some similarities with the Surface Book, most notably the plain, grey finish. The moment you begin typing, the premium quality of the device becomes obvious. It's a welcome change from the bulky plastic business laptops of the past.

HP has thrown every feature it has into this device, and a lot of it sticks. Despite this, it has a very high-end feel without being excessive.

The EliteBook x360 has everything under the hood you would expect from a premium device. The cheapest model sells for $1955 and comes with an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage. It goes up to $2541 for the laptop with 4G mobile broadband connectivity, and $3,421 for the most expensive model with an Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB RAM and 512GB of storage.

It’s fitted with a 1920x1080 resolution touchscreen that flips 360 degrees to transform into a tablet, if that's your thing. It also comes with an electronic stylus similar to Microsoft's Pen, if you prefer using that.

HP has also made a statement against Apple's lack of ports for its iPhones and MacBooks. The EliteBook backs in a USB Type-C port, two USB 3.1 ports, a HDMI port and a Micro SD port just to make sure you have the connectivity you need.

With business users in mind, HP has gone all out with security. Perhaps the most interesting feature, which wasn't available at the time of review, was HP's Sure Click.

Sure Click protects users from malware and ransomware by creating a hardware-isolated browsing session for every website the user visits, eliminating the risk for one website to infect the entire system.

As a business-focused product, HP said that it would open up Sure Click's APIs so managed security providers can manage the application for a fleet of devices within a business.

The product was announced in February and is yet to roll out to devices, though HP said the EliteBook x360 would be the first device with Sure Click.

It's easy to recommend the EliteBook x360 to business users as a device that looks good and comes with all the bells and whistles professionals could want. It's also a fraction of the price of a Surface Book, which starts at $2229 for the baseline first generation model, going all the way up to $5198 for the highest-end second generation device.

Let's just hope HP can keep up their momentum when it comes to form factors so we can see more innovation in the future.