As the world becomes mobile-first, many people are ditching their old desktop machines and are replacing them with small, light, and portable laptops. We've recently reviewed the HP EliteBook Folio 1040 G1 as well as the Dell XPS 13 and have found that Ultrabooks are a great way to go as long as you don't expect to play any heavy duty 3D games at maximum resolution.
Today we're taking a quick look at the HP EliteBook Folio 1020, with a full review coming after we've had some time to use the device in the real world. When you first look at it, the 1020 appears to be the younger brother to the previously reviewed 1040 G1. However, this model has a lot more going for it than the one we looked at last year. For starters, the screen resolution has been bumped up to 2560x1440 and supports touch, although there is a basic 1080p version without touch for those who don't need it.
The other interesting feature is that the EliteBook Folio 1020 is fanless and has no visible vents anywhere on the machine. I haven't researched how HP pulled this off, but it's a great idea for those who are sensitive to fan noise.
The device itself is made of aluminum and feels very sturdy with little flex in the screen or keyboard. The screen hinge holds the position well and provides a nice angle for viewing. The chiclet-style keyboard is illuminated and typing on it feels natural although I still prefer a high-quality mechanical keyboard. The Forcepad also seems to work much better in Windows 8.1 now than it did last year, although some may miss the physical "click" of a normal trackpad.
Overall the HP EliteBook Folio 1020 seems like a quality machine, but we'll know more once we start running various benchmarks against it. Until then, enjoy the photos in the gallery and let us know if you have any questions you want answered in the full review.
Gallery: HP Elitebook Folio 1020
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