Soon after Microsoft unveiled its Windows 10 devices on October 6, its OEM partners started taking turns unveiling their own Windows 10-ready devices. HP was one of the first hardware partners to announce its new line of laptops and 2-in-1 devices. The new operating system (OS) from the Redmond-based tech giant was just the shot of adrenaline needed to jump start the PC industry, which had been in a slump for a long time. The new features added to Windows 10 also give OEMs added incentive to think outside the box and come up with new ways of interacting with PCs.
These new and exciting devices are yet to hit store shelves in India and we should probably expect them around the end of 2015. However, this hasn't stopped OEMs from launching refreshed versions of older models with Windows 10, and that's exactly what we have today with the HP 15-ac101TU. This is the first laptop we're testing to come with Windows 10 pre-installed. It's a budget offering from HP designed for those looking for a general-purpose computer at home. We'll be referring to the laptop as HP 15 for the rest of the review to keep it simple.
Look and Feel
For alaptop at this price level, the HP 15 looks really good. We received the 'Turbo Silver' variant but you also have a choice of 'Flyer Red' and 'Nobel Blue', which have different model numbers. Instead of a simple texture, HP has gone with a diamond pattern for the lid which enhances the aesthetic appeal and keeps fingerprints at bay. There's also a large 'HP' logo prominently displayed in the centre.
Opening up the lid reveals a cross-brush pattern for the keyboard deck. The laptop is made primarily of plastic but thanks to the clever patterns and textures, it doesn't appear tacky. You get a full-sized keyboard along with a number pad. The chiclet-styled keys have good spacing although we're not a big fan of HP's design of the arrow cluster as the keys are too close together.
We didn't like the tactile response of the keys too much; they feel too hard when you type. The travel is decent and even though they aren't sculpted, you'll rarely hit the wrong one. We really liked the fact that the entire palm rest, trackpad and keyboard tray is just one piece of plastic. It makes the keyboard very rigid and the keys don't deform even when you're typing rapidly. There's also very little chance for dust and dirt to accumulate.
The trackpad is very roomy and you get two physical buttons for left and right mouse clicks. We often found ourselves hitting the edge of the laptop when we needed the buttons, thanks to their placement. It's just something that will be better once you get used to it.
The ports are spread on either side of the laptop. On the right, we have an SD card slot, one USB 2.0 port, DVD writer, Kensington lock slot, and LEDs for power and hard disk activity. Over on the left, we have the headphones socket, one USB 2.0 and one USB 3.0 port, HDMI v1.4, a LAN port, the charging inlet, and exhaust vents. We would have liked to see more USB 3.0 ports since this is amodern 15.6-inch laptop.
Underneath, we have the two speaker grilles, which are front-firing but angled downwards. HP doesn't provide a hatch to easily get to the RAM or HDD. However, the battery is removable.
Overall, HP has done a decent job with the design and finish of the 15-ac101TU. It's quite slim, measuring around 22mm in thickness, but is fairly large and heavy at 2.1kg. HP ships a charger and backpack with the laptop, although you can pick it up without the bag from online stores and save a few rupees.
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