When it comes to a laptop, not all of us need the best and most powerful specifications that money can buy. If your primary purpose on a laptop is entertainment, and just opening files on Microsoft Office apps, going for the best processor or display in class seems unnecessary. But I am also of the opinion that a laptop is an investment for many users, a product they will use for at least two to three years, perhaps much longer than their beloved smartphones.

In such a scenario, it is critical to strike the right balance when considering a laptop. The HP Pavilion Plus 14 is one such option, which packs good enough specifications for most users and comes in a pleasing form factor. Here’s my review of the HP Pavilion Plus 14:

HP Pavilion Plus 14 review: 14-inches display with 2240 x 1400 pixels resolution, LCD IPS | 300 nits brightness | Intel Core i5-12500H processor | 16GB DDR4 RAM | 512GB SSD storage 5MP camera with temporal noise reduction | Dual speakers, Audio by B&O | Fingerprint Reader | 51 Wh Li-ion | 2 USB Type-C ports | 2 USB Type-A ports | 1 headphone/microphone combo port | 1 AC smart pin | 1 HDMI 2.1 |Windows 11 Home 64 Plus Single Language | Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211 (2×2) and Bluetooth 5.2 combo (Supporting Gigabit file transfer speeds) | Intel Iris Xe Graphics | 1.41 kg, Dimensions: 32.5 x 21.6 x 1.7 cm

HP Pavilion Plus 14 Price in India: Rs 79,999

HP sent the ‘silver’ coloured variant for review, which looks like a classic laptop from the brand. Though I have to admit the design is safe and a tad boring. The Pavilion Plus 14 has a thickness of 16.5mm—with HP claiming this is one of the thinnest in their Pavilion lineup. At 1.41 kg, this laptop is not particularly heavy, and that’s something I always appreciate. The laptop has an all-metal chassis, giving it a premium look and feel.

It also comes with a dedicated fingerprint reader, which is just below the keyboard. I found it to be accurate and quick when it came to unlocking the device. But I wish it was embedded in the power button, like it is on Apple’s MacBook Air, because I often pressed the power button and expected the HP laptop to unlock, only to remember that the scanner was below.

The laptop comes with a 14-inch display with a 2.2K LED display. I found the display quality adequate for daily tasks, such as accessing indianexpress.com, our CMS, and opening my daily quota of Google Docs. I watched some Netflix cartoons on this laptop as well, and the experience was nice. It is not as reflective either, which can be an issue on some laptops.

When it came to performance, HP Pavilion Plus proved to be a reliable and steady companion. The 16GB RAM means the laptop is capable enough for most daily tasks. I usually have around 18-19 tabs open on Chrome on one profile, and another 5-6 on the second profile. I also typically use Photoscape X on most Windows machines, and so was the case with this HP laptop. In my daily usage, the laptop performed smoothly. There was no case of stuttering or the dreaded ‘Chrome hangups’ as I call them when you have too many tabs open.

Granted, I did not use this laptop for gaming, but then it is not meant for something like that. Also, there is no noticeable heating on the HP laptop. But what impressed me most about the HP laptop was its battery life. I fully expected this to last around 6-7 hours of my workday, but it will easily get through to 8-10 hours. In fact, one day, I noticed the battery remained at 100 per cent for a while. I even checked if the charging cable was plugged in. I was a little worried that there was some software error, which caused the laptop to display an incorrect percentage. But it wasn’t the case. The battery life remains one of its most solid features, which I think many users will appreciate. It comes with a Type-C USB charger with 90W charging speeds.

The HP Pavilion’s keyboard was another positive. This is a full-size keyboard, backlit, and typing on this was a delight. The keys are responsive, and I had minimal typos when using this laptop. But I didn’t care as much for the trackpad. I can no longer function on a laptop without an external mouse, but the trackpad didn’t appeal to me.

I was also grateful for HP’s decision to ensure that the function keys included music control settings. Some other laptops I have used recently did not have this option. I rely frequently on these music controls, especially when listening to transcriptions on loop.

HP has also packed plenty of ports, and this should keep the average user happy. There are two Type-C and two Type-A USB ports, a dedicated headphone/mic port, and an HDMI 2.1 port. The lack of an SD card reader might be a miss for some users.

I had very few complaints using this laptop. Perhaps, the weakest point for me was the audio, which could have been better. The trackpad was the other thing I didn’t like about it.

The other concern I have is that HP does not offer this particular model in other processor or storage variants. Typically, there are more SKUs, but the only one I could find on the HP website was the one I reviewed.

If you are looking for a steady workhorse with a good enough display, ample RAM, and exceptional battery life, the HP Pavilion Plus 14 is a worthy option to consider. Sure, it does not have the bells and whistles that some other laptops offer, but then those come with an extra cost attached. And yes, at Rs 79,999, the HP Pavilion Plus is not affordable, but you are getting assured performance for the price in a sleek design. However, if you feel you will need a better processor, be prepared to spend more.

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Shruti DhapolaI'm look after the Indian Express Technology section and write primari... read more