HP is a well-established company known for making top-tier quality products in the computing industry. They’re widely recognized for Windows-based laptops, but it seems that the US-based manufacturer is no longer messing around in the Chrome OS business as well. Over time, they’ve had the privilege of producing Chromebooks like the HP 14 that pack affordability and sensational value for money.
However, not everything is a show-stopper from HP since the Pro C640 Chromebook was sort of a disappointment with a hefty price tag and a substandard screen. That said, now we have the HP Elite c1030 Chromebook at our disposal, and it’s time to gauge whether this Chromebook is a worthy affair or not.
Therefore, in this article, we’ll be getting down to business with this promising device by reviewing it in general and discussing its major strengths and weaknesses. Stick around with us until the end to find out whether this Chromebook is worth the money and time or not. Let’s dive in with the technical specifications first.
HP Elite c1030 Chromebook Specifications
- CPU: 10th Generation Intel Core i3 Processor
- Display: 13.5″ Diagonal WUXGA+ (1920×1280) Touchscreen Display
- Hard Drive Size: 128 GB NVMe Hard Drive
- RAM: 8 GB
- Camera: 720 HD Webcam With Privacy Switch
- Ports: 2x USB-C, USB-A, microSD Card Reader Slot, 3.5mm Headphone Jack
- Weight: 2.87 lbs (1.33 kg)
- Price: $1,029
HP Elite c1030 Chromebook In-depth Review
HP Elite c1030
Design
The HP Elite c1030 comes in a dashing silver color and occupies a decent footprint. If there’s one thing that this company does not compromise on, it’s definitely the build quality of their devices. This was remarkably appreciable on the HP Pro C640, and it’s now one of the strongest selling points of the c0130 as well. This Chromebook looks and feels premium right from the get-go. It’s got that terrific appearance sitting on your worktable, and once you pick it up, you’ll feel how well built, sturdy, and nice this device truly is.
The c1030 is fairly lightweight as well, measuring up to merely 2.87 pounds in weight and offering great portability right off the bat. Businesses are often looking for something powerful and versatile in multiple terms, and this is where this Chromebook strikes the perfect balance. In summary, the c1030 comprises a build quality that’s worth every penny.
Apart from being highly attractive and having a splendid form factor, the finish on this elite Chromebook looks exceptionally well. The all-aluminum frame boasts a soft-touched finishing and dons the sleek new HP logo in the middle, and has the typical “Chromebook” branding in the top-left corner. The device is also around 15 millimeters thick and is mil-spec tested, which means that durability, endurance, and resistance in different types of incidents are simply top-notch. In addition, the hinge is also what has us sold. It’s almost perfect and has that appropriate tension at every angle, making the whole prospect seem flawless and exceptionally well-done.
Moving on to the screen, the resolution on paper isn’t too amazing at 1920 x 1080p, but there are a bunch of features here that make the screen stand out nonetheless. For starters, the bezels you’ll observe are small, and this makes the screen look outright terrific. In addition, this Chromebook has a taller aspect ratio and is actually 3:2. When you combine these traits with the c1030’s 13.6-inch FHD diagonal display, you get a result that’s going to have you hooked for days. The anti-glare, USI compatible display also boasts 400 nits of brightness, meaning that whether you’re at your desk or on the fly with this device, the screen’s brightness is not going to be a problem. Then comes the convertible, 2-in-1 design of this Chrome OS that sports multiple viewing modes and offering you a display that’s as immersive as it gets.
Coming down to the keyboard of the c1030, the positive feedback continues. In fact, the standard of quality that this Chromebook’s keyboard is packing is right up there among devices that rank on the top. It’s extremely high quality and is backlit as well. Typing feels phenomenal, and you can rock with it for several hours without breaking a sweat. One hiccup with the keyboard is the dark-lettered keys that may or may not be clearly visible in certain situations. When you’re near a window, and it’s a sunny day outside, you may want to turn up the backlighting to see them properly. All in all, certain adjustments for the keys are required if you’re not a touch-typer and your environment is fully illuminated.
Right below the great keyboard is the large glass trackpad with a quality click mechanism. HP made sure to slap one of the best trackpad experiences on a Chromebook on this device. There’s just nothing one could complain about the keyboard and the trackpad. To talk about the I/O, the c1030 being an enterprise Chrome OS hits right home. It’s got two USB-C ports, along with a USB-A port for legacy devices, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a microSD card reader slot for extra storage. There’s a power and volume rocker on the left side of the laptop, offering you extra functionality. What’s average at best here are the bottom-firing speakers. They hail from Bang and Olufsen and sound only mediocre. We would have loved to have great-sounding speakers on this Chromebook.
A couple of bonus perks include a webcam privacy toggle on the side of the Chromebook, allowing you to turn your 720p HD webcam on or off whenever you want. This makes a great addition for those who are skeptical about companies keeping an eye on their consumers. Moreover, there are also separate keys for the brightness of the keyboard’s backlighting. There’s also a dedicated key for taking a screenshot, and this is a welcome surprise since no other Chromebook has this kind of functionality yet. To top it off, the c1030 contains a fingerprint scanner for lightning-fast sign-in and gaining access effortlessly to your Chromebook.
Performance
The HP Elite c1030 Chromebook has remarkable internals attributed to premium-class performance – exactly what this device is intended to do. The regular consumer version that starts somewhere around $1000 has a 10th Gen Intel Core i3 processor with 8 GBs of RAM and a 128 GB hard drive. Using these specifications, you’ll be able to pull off almost anything you want to with this Chromebook. Since this is an enterprise model, a heavy workload is surely expected from the laptop. This is why HP made sure to produce something that delivers beyond expectations consistently. Even if we’re talking about running virtual desktops using a program like VirtualBox or downloading Windows on your Chromebook, the Elite c1030 can handle everything like a champ.
The performance is just what you expect from a high-end Chromebook like this. May it be a bevy of Play Store applications or running something off of Linux, this device won’t show you any signs of slowing down or hanging up, thereby offering you that sense of reliability every time you sit down to use it. HP has many other models lined up for this device where storage goes as up as 256 GB NVMe and RAM extends to 16 GB. If you’re all about extra horsepower, then the most premium version of the c1030 has an Intel Core i7 up for grabs that lends you that additional processing power you need. However, that won’t be a necessity and only targets those individuals and enterprises looking for these kinds of specs in their computers.
In conclusion, the c1030 can sail through your day with charm and effect in equal measure. It’s one of the best Chromebooks out there in terms of performance, and you’ll surely be making the right choice buying this versatile laptop.
Battery Life
The HP Elite c1030 Chromebook’s battery life is mediocre. It offers over 8 hours of battery life on a full charge, and since it sports a USB-C port for quick charging, you can get it fully juiced up in under 90 minutes. HP has slapped on a 50Wh battery across all models of this device, so it doesn’t matter if you own the Intel Core i3 variant or the i7 one – you’re still going to get the same nice battery life.
Value
The HP Elite c1030 Chromebook is, by no mistake, a top-class Chromebook built from the root up with straightforward royalty. It has an amazing screen, top-of-the-line build quality that looks seriously dazzling, and has a host of cool extra features that enhance how one can use this device. The trivial touches added to this Chromebook combine to leave an awesome impression in the long run, such as the dedicated shortcut key, webcam privacy toggle, and separate keys for keyboard backlighting brightness.
It’s a great Chromebook, and there’s no doubt here. However, we cannot help but factor in the cost of this device, which apparently tops the $1000 mark. After all, what truly matters is getting the job done, and if the competition is offering a similarly-powered device that costs hundreds of dollars less, then there’s no reason dishing out a thousand bucks for the c1030. That said, there are still people looking for that stamp of kingship with their products, which is an area where the c1030 can definitely do something about.
Final Verdict
HP Elite c1030 Chromebook is certainly a flagship product with excellent internals and amazing build quality. Battery life could be better considering the 1K+ price tag. In summary, our major concern with this otherwise brilliant laptop is the price, and this ultimately boils down to personal preference at the end of the day.
