Introduction

HP has been making personal computers since nearly the invention of PCs. I've got a long history of owning HP laptops and I've seen both ends of the spectrum come out of their factories. I've had great notebooks that have lasted years and some that have come from the factory with defects. Today, I have the joy of evaluating the HP Folio 13, one of several Ultrabooks which HP offers.

This term Ultrabook is a trademark of Intel and is used on computers that meet certain requirements set forth by Intel, which include battery life, quick start from sleep, thickness (or thinness) and several others. Intel is strongly pushing these new computers and has spent lots of money advertising them on TV-I'm sure you've seen at least one of their ads.

Unfortunately, most Ultrabooks carry a price tag that is several hundred dollars higher than Intel's target price of $699. When Windows 8 releases, however, you'll see a flurry of touchscreen-enabled Ultrabooks hitting the market. At that time, older models, such as this very capable Folio 13, will likely see a price drop or at least that is what we hope to see.

At $999, this Ultrabook isn't the cheapest in the pack and it certainly isn't the most expensive. It sits competing with several other models, including the MacBook Air which is an Ultrabook's biggest competitor.

Let's get into it then and see how we go with it.