HP fell from third to sixth overall this year because some really poor products brought its reviews score down to near the bottom. (Only Toshiba did worse in this category.) In 2015, HP had a number of very disappointing systems that suffered from poor battery life, including its Spectre x2 2-in-1, Envy 13t and EliteBook 745 G3. While HP has some of the best-looking systems in the industry, its lackluster products and poor tech support suggest that the company is heading in the wrong direction.
Design (14/15)
Like a designer during fashion week, HP isn't afraid of showing a variety of looks. The company does have a few laptops that are Apple-like in their silver-colored presentation (the Pavilion x360 11 and the Envy 13t). But some, like the HP Spectre x360, escape the stereotype by virtue of being undeniably stunning in their lightweight, silvery glory. HP adds some brawn to its beauty, ensuring that the sleek-looking EliteBook Folio 1040 G2 and EliteBook Folio 1020 Special Edition can pass MIL-SPEC 810G durability tests including those for extreme temperatures, dust and vibrations. Laptops that don't get the aluminum treatment get a splash of color, like the cerulean 15t Touch and the frost-white Pavilion x2 10t.
Reviews (16/30)
Last year, HP was tied with Acer in seventh place for product ratings, but the brand has moved down two places to a disappointing ninth-place finish in this category. Both the EliteBook Folio 1020 Special Edition and the EliteBook 745 G3 earned 2.5-star ratings due to their dismal battery lives — a weakness shared by a number of the HP systems we reviewed this year. The Spectre x360 13t, however, was one of the best 2-in-1s we saw from any company in 2015.
Tech Support (17/20)
Once second-best, HP's customer support fell down the ladder this year, as its agents handed us incorrect answers over the telephone and via live chat. One agent incorrectly told us to uninstall Windows 10 to solve a minor issue — a problem the company told us it is addressing with better training. HP's online support database had the answers we were looking for, but we had to dig deep to find those solutions. On the positive side, the agents running HP's Facebook and Twitter accounts pointed us toward helpful answers.