HP notebook

HP, founded as Hewlett-Packard in 1939, is a technology giant famous for many of its products, such as printers, scanners, and later, its business solutions. But there's one area where it has achieved even greater renown: computers. In this article, we'll discuss HP laptops , some models, and their series so you can find the one that best suits your needs.

Best HP Laptops

HP 15s

The HP 15s is a laptop that lets you do everything without breaking the bank. Its 15.6" screen lets you view more content than on other laptops with smaller displays, and you'll see it better thanks to its 1920x1080 resolution , a noticeable improvement if you've been using lower-quality/low-resolution screens.

In terms of performance, this laptop combines an AMD Ryzen processor with 12GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD (it's also available with the full range of Intel processors), so for normal tasks (other than professional 8K video editing) you'll have more than enough power. The 512GB SSD will hold the operating system and all your important files, making access much faster and allowing almost instant opening of the most common apps.

The operating system included with this computer is Windows 11 Home , which, in my opinion, is a significant improvement in both its interface and performance. It's definitely a recommendable HP laptop.

HP Pavilion 14

The HP Pavilion is a 14-inch laptop designed for versatile home use . It features a 1920x1080 resolution, which is more than sufficient for professional tasks, but also adequate for most common user tasks.

The combination of a quad-core AMD Ryzen 7 processor , 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD hard drive will offer very noticeable performance in most situations, as long as we don't perform demanding tasks such as UHD video editing or multi-channel audio.

As we have explained, this is a computer designed for home use and the operating system they have included also points in that direction: Windows 10 Home , whose license will offer us updates until Microsoft abandons the tenth version of Windows.

HP OMEN

The HP OMEN is a computer for those who want a gaming laptop with a large screen without spending a fortune . Its 16,1-inch screen allows you to work or enjoy multimedia content and games on a larger display than other monitors. The Full HD resolution is designed for demanding use.

In terms of performance, this laptop is designed for those who want speed: its Intel Core i7-12th Gen six-core processor will offer more than enough performance, which, together with the Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card, makes it a very affordable gaming laptop.

Where it excels is in its RAM, with 16GB of DDR4, and its hard drive, which includes a 512GB SSD . It comes with Windows 11 Home 64-bit, which runs smoothly and without issues.

HP 14s

Like many computers from this company, the HP Pavilion 14s is designed to handle virtually any task except for demanding ones like professional video editing that require more resources. The 14-inch screen with 1920x1080 resolution allows us to view content with high quality, which is appreciated if, for example, we want to edit images.

One of the strong points of this equipment is its 1TB SSD hard drive which, if we buy it separately, has a price that reaches a quarter of the total price of the computer.

The processor included in this computer is a quad-core Intel Core i5 up to 3.6GHz, which promises to handle tasks smoothly. The 1TB of storage allows you to store all kinds of files, including your movies and music.

One striking feature of this computer is that it comes without an operating system , likely to avoid inflating the price with a Microsoft operating system license. We can install Windows 10 or any Linux distribution we want, as well as other Unix systems.

HP Pavilion Aero 13

If you're looking for a slightly more versatile laptop, one that can even handle more demanding tasks, the HP Envy 13-ba0002ns might be of interest. Beyond its 13.3" screen size , its resolution of 1920x1080 is what I would call very good.

But where this HP truly shines is in everything else: its quad-core AMD Ryzen 7 processor lets you open applications and perform other tasks in the blink of an eye. The smooth performance is also noticeable thanks to the read/write speeds offered by the SSD, which in this case is 512GB. As for memory, it has 16GB of RAM, allowing you to run the included Windows 10 Home 64-bit operating system perfectly.

Its graphics card is the AMD Radeon, one so powerful that it has even been mentioned that it could be used to play important and demanding titles on ultra-light computers. And it is that this laptop weighs only 1.3kg.

Are HP laptops good?

Sometimes it's difficult to give a definitive answer, and this question is a good example of that. The answer lies in looking back at the past alongside recent releases. HP is a company with a significant history, and in 80 years it has had its ups and downs. The answer to the question is yes, they do have good computers and more modest ones, depending on your budget. There was a time when they released less impressive computers, but that's in the past.

HP has computers for every type of user. In this very article, we've discussed a €300 laptop and one that costs over €1000, both with reduced prices due to discounts. The great thing about HP is that their catalog includes more modest laptops for those who don't want to spend a lot of money, as well as much more powerful ones that can handle almost any professional task. So yes, HP laptops are good ... or modest. The choice is yours.

HP notebook types

hp zbook

The HP ZBook series was introduced in 2013 and is the successor to the HP EliteBook . Its competitors are the Precision and ThinkPad series from Dell and Lenovo, respectively. They feature NVIDIA Quadro and AMD FirePro graphics cards and Thunderbolt connectivity. Touchscreen versions are also available.

These are workstations designed to perform all kinds of tasks smoothly, including video editing (non-professional/studio).

HP Specter

The Spectre series includes computers from the Envy family. These are Ultrabooks , and some models can be used as both laptops and tablets, similar to HP's version of the Surface. They are powerful machines with good screens and are lightweight, but their price tag isn't for everyone.

HP EliteBook

The HP Elitebook series is the predecessor to the ZBook series . These were workstations that the company stopped manufacturing under that name in 2013. They are computers designed for business use with features and a price superior to their smaller sibling, the ProBook.

HP Envy

The HP Envy series has also been discontinued, or rather, rebranded as HP Pavilion . Its catalog included compact hybrid computers of all sizes, both in screen and storage capacity, ensuring there was always one to suit our needs, as long as we didn't require demanding professional use.

HP ProBook

The ProBook laptops are designed for business use . They're like the little brother of the EliteBook, both in price and performance. They're available with screen sizes ranging from 13" to 15.6".

HP Stream

HP Stream laptops are small computers with the largest screen reaching 14 inches. Their specifications aren't designed for demanding use, but rather as a home computer, similar to what we use a tablet for, but with a Windows 10 operating system and a keyboard that will allow us to perform almost any type of desktop task.

OMEN by HP

It's fair to say that OMEN computers aren't exactly low-profile , and their price reflects that. Just as the company creates workstations, it also creates them for gaming.

OMEN laptops are computers whose most basic component costs around €1.000, but that's because they include a good processor, SSD hard drive, 8GB of RAM, and a 15″ screen. They also have a distinctive design, sometimes including a keyboard with colored backlighting. HP markets them as Gaming Laptops.

HP Pavillion

HP's Pavilion computers are over two decades old . They compete in the same league as Acer's Aspire, Dell's Inspiron and XPS, Lenovo's IdeaPad, and Toshiba's Satellite.

Their catalog includes all types of laptops, ranging from mini-computers to high-end workstations. They also offer screen sizes from 10.1" to 17.3".

hp essential

HP Essentials are all-in-one computers (AIOs ), but they're not laptops. They're desktop computers (monitor, keyboard, and mouse), and their catalog includes relatively modest models considering they run Windows 11. They are available with screens up to 24 inches, though these are not common.

H.P. Victorus

Like HP's OMEN line for gamers, HP Victus is also a dedicated gaming line, sharing the same DNA as OMEN. This new line debuted in 16-inch laptops, offering the features you'd expect from an OMEN, but at a more affordable price.

FAQ

How to unlock the touchpad mouse on an HP laptop

Actually, the HP mouse or touchpad isn't locked, but rather disabled . You'll know the HP touchpad is disabled if you see a light on the touchpad, usually blue, orange, or yellow. This light indicates that you can work on your computer without fear of accidentally touching the touchpad and ruining what you're doing. If you've disabled it by accident, you can reactivate it by double-tapping the light, as it contains a touch sensor.

How to take a screenshot on an HP laptop

This does not depend on the brand of the computer, but on the operating system.

• In older versions of Windows, just press the Print Screen or Prnt Scr key.
• In Windows 10, to take a screenshot we have to press the key META (Windows) + Print Screen or Prnt Scr.
• In other operating systems it may be different, but it is usually related to the same key.

How to format an HP laptop

An HP laptop is like any other computer, so the process will be the same as on most computers :

1. We put the installation CD of the operating system that we want to install, the most common being Windows.
2. We reboot.
3. We don't touch any keys, which will cause it to boot from the CD.
4. Once started from the CD, we have to tell it that we want to perform a new installation.
5. We choose the disk where we want to install the operating system, we accept and we wait. The computer may restart multiple times until the installation is complete.
6. Once the operating system is installed, it is worth installing all the available updates, since there may be some related to the hardware of our equipment.

If your HP laptop doesn't have a CD drive, you'll need to create an installation USB drive. You can use tools like Rufus or WinToFlash for this. The difference between this method and the previous one is that to install the system from a USB drive, you need to access the BIOS and enable the option that lets you choose the boot device. This is usually done by pressing Fn+F12 when you turn on the computer.

What to do if an HP laptop won't turn on?

It's not normal for a computer not to turn on. This means you won't see any lights or anything on the screen, which is usually related to a hardware (physical) problem. If your HP computer won't turn on, we need to check the following:

• That the power cord is in good condition.
• Battery. Electronic device batteries are not immortal and can fail over the years. One way to verify that the problem is with the battery is, if possible, to remove it and connect the computer with the power cord.
• Motherboard. If we are not able to do it ourselves, we must take the computer to a specialist to check this and the next point.
• CPU.
• The hard drive. Although it is not usual, it can cause a crash and cause the computer to refuse to show activity.

In short, it is worth checking how easy it is (the battery and the cable) and, if we do not see anything strange, take it to a specialist.

What if the caps light doesn't turn on and blink?

If the computer doesn't turn on and the Caps Lock light is blinking, the computer has actually powered on, but it's unable to display any images because the video card is broken . Another possibility is a problem with the cable connecting the monitor to the video card, but this is less likely because for the screen to remain black, the cable must be completely disconnected.

The solution is "simple" for DIY enthusiasts, but an impossible task for those who have never disassembled an electronic device. Basically, you need to remove the fan and apply heat to the video chip for about 5 minutes , something you can do with a hairdryer.

If you don't dare, even taking into account that YouTube is our best friend in these cases, it is best to take the computer to a specialist.

Where to buy a cheap HP laptop

Amazon

Amazon is an online store that should always be considered. There you can find practically any item that can be shipped via a courier service, from a simple USB flash drive to televisions. In fact, although they're no longer the best in this area, you can even buy items like bicycles. As a major company, it negotiates good prices with brands and is one of the best options for buying HP computers, as well as HP printers.

The English Court

El Corte Inglés is a company renowned for its department stores. Operating in Spain and Portugal, it has become so prominent nationally that it offers its own credit card, accepted in many of its stores. There you'll find all kinds of items, but it's particularly known for its clothing and electronics sections. In the electronics section, you'll find computers, including those from HP.

Media Markt

MediaMarkt is a German company that has expanded into countries like Spain in recent decades. These stores could be considered supermarkets, but only because of their size. The difference between MediaMarkt and other supermarkets is that the German chain focuses on electronics , including household appliances, consumer electronics, and computers. It's in the latter category where you'll find HP computers and other products from the same company, such as printers and scanners.

Carrefour

Carrefour is a multinational retail chain headquartered in France, famous for its department stores . In their stores, you'll find all kinds of items, so you could do all your shopping there, no matter what you're looking for: clothes, food, electronics… HP computers will be waiting for you on the shelves at Carrefour, and, like everything they offer, at a good price.