HP EliteBook 820 G1 review

HP’s Elitebook line has had difficulty competing with Lenovo’s ThinkPad. Price has generally been to blame, as even systems with mundane specifications often sold well above $1,000. This was justified, for enterprise users, by the company’s elaborate suite of security and network management software, but consumers have less use for such tools.
Now it appears that HP is changing tactics. The new Elitebook 820, a 12.5-inch laptop that offers 4th-gen Intel Core processors, starts at only $874. Our review unit, which boasts a Core i5-4200U CPU and a 180GB solid state drive, costs $1,274, but this price is reasonable compared to past systems. For example, the Folio 9470m we reviewed less than a year ago was $1,549.
Cutting the MSRP has required some sacrifices, however, most notably the luxurious (and heavy) metal construction that the Elitebook is known for. Does this make the 820 a light-weight that packs a punch, or a shadow of HPs past?

The benefits of plastic 

The new 820 sets itself apart from past Elitebooks by abandoning heavy use of metal construction in favor of a mostly plastic chassis. Predictably, this cheapens the notebook’s look and feel, resulting in a system that seems geared towards buyers on a budget. Even low-end HP Pavilions and Envy systems use more attractive materials.
However, switching to plastic has its benefits. Weight has been cut down to just under three pounds, which makes the 820 over a half-pound lighter than the preceding Elitebook 2560p, and the chassis is barely more than 8/10 of an inch thick. Previous Elitebooks felt like bricks, and the new model is a feather-weight by comparison.

 

And while plastic will never have the premium feel that metal does, HP has made sure the materials used are put together well. Panel gaps are tight, the display lid is coated with a grippy finish that prevents accidental drops, and the screen is lined with a rubber barrier designed to prevent display damage if the system is dropped while closed or if a heavy object is placed on top of it. These touches give the 820 a rough-and-tumble attitude.
Connectivity is a plus on 820, and includes three USB 3.0 ports, DisplayPort, VGA, Ethernet, and a combo headphone/microphone jack. Our only complaint is the location of the ports, most of which are far forward and thus might conflict with the use of an external mouse. However, many similarly sized systems offer just two USB ports and one video-out, so the 820 still earns a check plus in this area.

Not the keyboard you’re looking for 

HP’s Elitebooks have always lagged behind ThinkPads in keyboard quality, and the new 820 is no different. There’s a surprising amount of space given this system’s 12.5-inch display, but key feel is spongy and a bit vague. We also wish the keys had a bit of a curve, as the HP’s flat keycaps provide poor feel when touch-typing. However, we didn’t note any problems with accuracy when using the keyboard.
The Elitebook 820 is part of a new generation, but it makes familiar mistakes.
Though our review unit includd backlighting, it does not come standard on the 820. There are just two brightness settings, but they’re calibrated well. Light-leak is minimal, a minute amount does manage to escape via the area near the function keys.
The HP’s touchpad is about two inches tall and three inches wide, which is rather small. However, the system also comes with a track-pointer in the middle of the keyboard. We prefer to use this when it’s available because it makes mouse navigation possible without shifting from a comfortable typing position. Tactile left/right mouse keys are provided for both the touchpad and trackpointer, and multi-touch gestures work well, though the lack of surface area can sometimes make it difficult to pull them off.

Pixel wars? What pixel wars?

While other laptops wage war with increasingly pixel-dense panels, the HP 820 gets by with a simple 1366 x 768 non-touch display. The small size of the screen means the panel still looks acceptably sharp, but rough edges are noticeable when viewing fine fonts or watching HD video.
The matte screen uses SVA-panel technology, a combination that results in poor image quality. We measured a maximum contrast ratio of just 70:1 and very bright black levels, which means that media doesn’t have the depth and vibrancy most users would expect. We appreciate that HP is targeting work, not play, but Lenovo has already shown that a display can be functional and beautiful at the same time. Report By News24r Team.