Performance: Overall this laptop's performance was only Fair, well below that of many models but still good enough for routine tasks like email, word processing and web browsing. Performance was okay for routine productivity and Web-based tasks but on the slow side, which you'd notice most when launching applications and scanning for malware. It was slow for viewing and editing photos, and speed was adequate for viewing and editing HD videos.
Portability: This laptop is a Very Good choice for traveling. Battery life lasted 14.25 hours in a light load of web browsing tests, and 8.75 hours in a heavier load of 4K video playback tests. Results were notably longer than many similar laptops, under a workload of mixed use. At 2.9 lbs, this laptop is too heavy for a laptop of this size category.
Ergonomics: Some features of the keyboard, touchpad, and labeling, were well-designed, and were comfortable or convenient to use. The keyboard has large keys and was comfortably sized. Its high contrast letters were reasy to read. The power button was conveniently located, but its labeling was hard to read when the laptop is off.
Display. The display quality was Very Good overall. Colors were in the ballpark, though not completely accurate. The display has a wide viewing angle, especially important if more than one person needs to see the screen at a time, say, for a video or presentation. The touchscreen is smooth enough for fast swipes, and fingerprints clean off easily. The keyboard can be folded away, allowing the screen to be used like a tablet.
Useful features and attributes on this model include: Laptop converts to a touchscreen tablet to be used as either a laptop computer or a tablet. There's a 32GB solid-state drive, which uses less power and accesses data more quickly. You can connect common external devices such as hard drives and Blu-ray burners to the USB 3.0 ports for maximum performance. This laptop has a full-size HDMI port for connecting to an HDTV or monitor.
Downsides: There's no optical drive like a CD or DVD reader, so you'll have to buy an external drive if you need one. The primary drive only has 32GB of storage, which can quickly run out of room. There is an SD card reader for adding extra space, but you may need to delete unused files in order to install large system updates.
