HP prices Envy X2 tablet-laptop hybrid from $850

IDG News Service - Hewlett-Packard's Envy X2 tablet-laptop hybrid will cost from $849.99 when it starts shipping in the U.S on Nov. 14, the company revealed on Wednesday.

The Envy X2 is one of several products that use Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system and can be transformed from a laptop to a tablet by removing the detachable keyboard.

The HP hybrid will compete directly with products such as the VivoTab from Asus, which is slightly cheaper at $799.

Besides the same form factor, the two products both have a display that measures 11.6 inches.

For users that can live with a slightly smaller screen, Asus has also introduced the VivoTab Smart. It was announced on Tuesday, has a 10.1-inch screen and will cost from $499. The VivoTab Smart can also be equipped with a detachable keyboard, but it isn't included in the standard package.

Other Intel-based products that will also start shipping soon include Microsoft's own Surface with Windows 8 Pro and the ATIV Smart PC from Samsung Electronics.

Microsoft and its hardware partners will offer products based on Windows RT, which are powered by ARM-based processors. Microsoft's own Surface tablet and Dell's XPS 10 will cost from $499. Just like on the VivoTab Smart, keyboards are available as an optional extra.

HP's Envy X2 was originally presented at the end of August. It is powered by a 1.8GHz Z2760 processor from Intel and the 11.6-inch screen has a 1366-by-768 pixel resolution.

It can take pictures using an 8-megapixel camera on the back, and has a 1080p webcam on the front for video conferencing. Images are stored on the 64GB SSD hard drive.

The Envy X2 also has NFC technology built in, which lets users share content, including photos, contacts and URLs, with a tap, according to HP.

HP also reiterated and detailed pricing and shipping details for a number of other products that use Windows 8 on Wednesday, including the SpectreXT TouchSmart Ultrabook, which is scheduled to arrive in December and cost from $1,399.99.

It has a 15.6-inch multitouch display and is the first notebook from HP with Intel's Thunderbolt technology, which is already used by Apple to connect external devices.

The SpectreXT is 17.9 millimeters thick and weighs 2.16 kilograms.

Users that are on the hunt for a cheaper Windows 8 laptop can choose HP's Envy TouchSmart Ultrabook 4, which costs from $799.99 and can be preordered in the U.S.

It weighs the same as the SpectreXT but has a 14-inch screen and is 23 millimeters thick.

Windows 8 will be officially launched on Oct. 26.