The Spectre 13 is an ultra-thin, ultra-light laptop looking to rival Apple’s 12-inch MacBook and 13in MacBook Air. It succeeds on some fronts, but there are some big compromises.
Weighing only 1.1kg, with a maximum thickness of just over 10mm, HP has succeeded in its aim of producing the thinnest Intel Core i-powered laptop around. I took the Spectre 13 on two flights and a train journey and it was the perfect companion.
It comes with a leather sleeve, too, meaning I didn’t have to worry about the dark grey aluminium lid picking up any scratches in my backpack.
The actual design and colour choice of the Spectre 13 will divide opinion. I don’t dislike the grey aluminium finish with copper-coloured highlights, but in my opinion HP hasn’t done itself any favours by not offering a less showy option of the laptop. Obviously, HP wants its laptop to stand out on store shelves, which it achieves, but I don’t think this translates well to the real world. Nevertheless, you can’t deny that HP has done a great job of creating something unique.