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When it comes to extremely affordable laptops, HP is ahead of the game compared to everyone else. First came the $200 Stream, and now the Pavilion is one of the cheapest convertibles you can pick up for just $299 (£249, AU$549). Economics aside, the Pavilion x2 is a solid Windows machine that offers booming speakers and a charming display.
We liked
You get a lot of bang for your buck with this HP convertible and you can take this point literally with the Pavilion x2's booming sound system. There's also a more than decent screen backing up this machine's surprisingly full-bodied audio experience. It's outfitted with a better performing processor than its contemporaries, while battery life can get you through a seven-hour workday (with lunch break anyway).
We disliked
The HP Pavilion x2 certainly has a few rough edges. For one thing, my particular review unit came loaded with a 32-bit version of Windows, which prohibited me from running certain applications – but HP offers the unit with a 64-bit build of Windows 10 Home. Then there's also the matter of the 93% keyboard that most users with large- to medium-sized hands won't like. Plus, the shoddy trackpad just begs to be replaced by a decent mouse.
Final verdict
This affordable 2-in-1 isn't perfect, but for the price it's a solid package. The punchy speakers and pretty display alone make the HP Pavilion x2 a better Windows 10 tablet than the Asus Transformer Book TP200SA and Acer Switch 10 E. Performance is some of the best we've seen in the budget 2-in-1 laptop space.
Unfortunately, the laptop end of the device has its share of ergonomic issues. However, if you can grit your teeth and bear with the drawbacks, there aren't many better ways to spend 300 bucks on a Windows 10 machine.
