Beautiful hardware, excellent 2-in-1 flexibility, software bloat that takes a full afternoon to remove.
The Unboxing Experience
The Spectre x360 arrives in thoughtful packaging. The machine itself is striking — chamfered edges, gem-cut corners, a dark copper finish on the hinge. Then you boot it and meet McAfee, HP Support Assistant, HP Audio Switch, HP Sure Sense, HP Connection Optimizer, HP Orbit, and eleven others. The machine felt sluggish and intrusive until an afternoon of uninstallation.
What We Like
- Gem-cut design is genuinely premium and distinctive
- OLED touch display is stunning
- 2-in-1 flexibility is useful for presentations and sketching
- Sound quality far above comparable laptops
What We Don’t
- HP bloatware requires immediate removal
- Pen sold separately for a tablet-mode laptop
- Fan noise noticeable under moderate loads
- Charging brick is large for a portable machine
Owner’s Note
I counted 17 HP-branded applications on first boot. Removal took 45 minutes.
Owned for 11 months before this review was published.
The Bottom Line
Great laptop underneath a software situation you need to resolve before you can enjoy it.
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