Close Menu
TechCentralTechCentral

    Subscribe to the newsletter

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube LinkedIn
    WhatsApp Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube
    TechCentralTechCentral
    • News

      Trump tariffs could wreck South Africa’s vehicle manufacturing industry

      14 July 2025

      Legislative overhaul on the cards for South Africa’s ICT sector

      14 July 2025

      The 1940s visionary who imagined the Information Age

      14 July 2025

      Microsoft South Africa to get new MD as Lillian Barnard moves to regional role

      14 July 2025

      Zuckerberg used open source to scale AI – now the lock-in begins

      14 July 2025
    • World

      Grok 4 arrives with bold claims and fresh controversy

      10 July 2025

      Bitcoin pushes higher into record territory

      10 July 2025

      Cupertino vs Brussels: Apple challenges Big Tech crackdown

      7 July 2025

      Grammarly acquires e-mail start-up Superhuman

      1 July 2025

      Apple considers ditching its own AI in Siri overhaul

      1 July 2025
    • In-depth

      Siemens is battling Big Tech for AI supremacy in factories

      24 June 2025

      The algorithm will sing now: why musicians should be worried about AI

      20 June 2025

      Meta bets $72-billion on AI – and investors love it

      17 June 2025

      MultiChoice may unbundle SuperSport from DStv

      12 June 2025

      Grok promised bias-free chat. Then came the edits

      2 June 2025
    • TCS

      TCS+ | MVNX on the opportunities in South Africa’s booming MVNO market

      11 July 2025

      TCS | Connecting Saffas – Renier Lombard on The Lekker Network

      7 July 2025

      TechCentral Nexus S0E4: Takealot’s big Post Office jobs plan

      4 July 2025

      TCS | Tech, townships and tenacity: Spar’s plan to win with Spar2U

      3 July 2025

      TCS+ | First Distribution on the latest and greatest cloud technologies

      27 June 2025
    • Opinion

      In defence of equity alternatives for BEE

      30 June 2025

      E-commerce in ICT distribution: enabler or disruptor?

      30 June 2025

      South Africa pioneered drone laws a decade ago – now it must catch up

      17 June 2025

      AI and the future of ICT distribution

      16 June 2025

      Singapore soared – why can’t we? Lessons South Africa refuses to learn

      13 June 2025
    • Company Hubs
      • Africa Data Centres
      • AfriGIS
      • Altron Digital Business
      • Altron Document Solutions
      • Altron Group
      • Arctic Wolf
      • AvertITD
      • Braintree
      • CallMiner
      • CambriLearn
      • CYBER1 Solutions
      • Digicloud Africa
      • Digimune
      • Domains.co.za
      • ESET
      • Euphoria Telecom
      • Incredible Business
      • iONLINE
      • Iris Network Systems
      • LSD Open
      • NEC XON
      • Network Platforms
      • Next DLP
      • Ovations
      • Paracon
      • Paratus
      • Q-KON
      • SevenC
      • SkyWire
      • Solid8 Technologies
      • Telit Cinterion
      • Tenable
      • Vertiv
      • Videri Digital
      • Wipro
      • Workday
    • Sections
      • AI and machine learning
      • Banking
      • Broadcasting and Media
      • Cloud services
      • Contact centres and CX
      • Cryptocurrencies
      • Education and skills
      • Electronics and hardware
      • Energy and sustainability
      • Enterprise software
      • Fintech
      • Information security
      • Internet and connectivity
      • Internet of Things
      • Investment
      • IT services
      • Lifestyle
      • Motoring
      • Public sector
      • Retail and e-commerce
      • Science
      • SMEs and start-ups
      • Social media
      • Talent and leadership
      • Telecoms
    • Events
    • Advertise
    TechCentralTechCentral
    Home » Gadgets & Reviews » Folio 13 review: HP’s Ultrabook workhorse

    Folio 13 review: HP’s Ultrabook workhorse

    By Duncan McLeod22 August 2012
    Twitter LinkedIn Facebook WhatsApp Email Telegram Copy Link
    News Alerts
    WhatsApp

    Okay, so Hewlett-Packard isn’t exactly known for jaw-dropping notebook designs. But the machines it does make tend to be functional, dependable and, for the most part, reasonably priced. The same is true of the company’s new Folio 13-2000 Ultrabook aimed at the business market.

    The Folio 13 is pleasant enough to look it and hold, what with its slightly rubberised black base, brushed metal surfaces and spacious, well-designed, backlit keyboard. It’s also light — weighing just 1,5kg — and, although its body doesn’t taper at the front, like on the gorgeous new Series 9 from Samsung or Apple’s MacBook Air, the Folio 13 looks the Ultrabook part.

    Inside the machine is a 128GB solid-state drive, which gives the machine great boot-up time and makes firing up and switching between applications incredibly snappy. However, 128GB is probably not going to be enough for power users, or those who like to store music and video files on their laptops. For basic office work, including e-mail, Web browsing and productivity software, it’s enough.

    The Windows 7 Professional-toting Folio 13 comes standard with 4GB of RAM and a 1,6GHz Intel Core i5 processor — nothing to get excited about, but, again, that’s enough for basic office work.

    As in most Ultrabooks, there’s no optical drive in the Folio 13, though it’s so seldom one needs to insert a CD or DVD these days we doubt many people will miss its not being there.

    The machine has two USB ports, located on opposite ends of the unit, but both are the slower USB 2 variety. We’d have liked to have seen HP throw in an extra USB 3 port for high-speed connections. There’s also a full-sized HDMI port for hooking up an external monitor or projector, a multi-format card reader and, of course, an Ethernet port for wired communication. Rounding out the ports is a 3,5mm audio input/output jack.

    The trackpad is not as generously sized as some others, especially the MacBook Air’s. It also feels distinctly cheap to the touch. It gets the job done, though.

    The Folio 13’s glossy monitor is also very middle-of-the-road and doesn’t fare well when working outdoors. Screen quality also fails quickly as the viewing angle is increased.

    But some buyers may be able to overlook this for the rather good battery life. HP claims you’ll get up to nine-and-a-half hours on one charge. Our experience shows you’ll struggle to achieve that, but more than seven hours is doable, provided the screen isn’t turned up to maximum and you aren’t shredding through multimedia files.

    At R12 999, the Folio 13 is cheaper (although not by much) than top-end Ultrabooks like the Samsung Series 9. It’s a workhorse that will probably appeal to a middle management suit who delves into a little Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint. It’ll probably sell well but, if you buy one, don’t expect it to turn any heads. Our advice: shop around.  — (c) 2012 NewsCentral Media



    Folio 13 Hewlett-Packard HP HP Folio 13
    Subscribe to TechCentral Subscribe to TechCentral
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email Copy Link
    Previous ArticleRevised BEE codes approved for comment
    Next Article New player in rural SA broadband

    Related Posts

    Datacentrix Showcase 2024: journey into the future of technology and sustainability

    1 August 2024

    Apple sees big jump in Mac shipments

    10 July 2024

    TCS+ | Yesh Surjoodeen on HP’s Amplify Partner Program

    26 June 2024
    Company News

    Banking on LEO: Q-KON transforms financial services connectivity

    14 July 2025

    The future of business calling: Voys brings your landline to the cloud

    14 July 2025

    How digital twins and AI are shaping the future of security

    14 July 2025
    Opinion

    In defence of equity alternatives for BEE

    30 June 2025

    E-commerce in ICT distribution: enabler or disruptor?

    30 June 2025

    South Africa pioneered drone laws a decade ago – now it must catch up

    17 June 2025

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    © 2009 - 2025 NewsCentral Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.