Laptop Thoughts: A Thin New HP Ultrabook: Envy Spectre XT

"Yes, the glass lid on the HP Envy 14 Spectre is cool, but everyone knows that thin is the name of the game when it comes to Ultrabooks. HP’s new Envy Spectre XT has an all-metal chassis, is just 0.57 inches thick and weighs 3.07 pounds. Available June 8th and starting at $999, this machine sports a 13.3-inch display, a third-generation Intel Core processor (Ivy Bridge), and a 128GB SSD. What’s more, this notebook should last up to 8 hours on a charge."

Pretty decent specs, a very good backlit keyboard and Beats Audio make this a strong contender in the 'under $1000' Ultrabook category. The trackpad, when initially tested, was responsive and smooth, and handled gestures with aplomb, boding well for Windows 8. More information will become available as we get closer to the launch date (June 8th, 2012). With Ivy Bridge processors, a full complement of ports, including HDMI, USB2, USB3 and Ethernet (dropdown), and an estimated 8-hours of battery life, this looks like a great road warrior laptop.