It is said that many of Microsoft's OEM partners resented the company's entry into hardware with the Surface devices. While Microsoft tried to appease said partners by not making its products direct competitors (i.e. no flip functionality, targetting the very high-end), the existence of the Surface Book, in particular, ruffled a few feathers.
Now we see partner OEM's taking it to Microsoft with similarly impressive hardware. HP unveiled the HP ZBook x2, its newest product designed to improve performance and mobility needs for the creative community. HP is making no bones about who they are after. They openly compare the ZBook X2 with the Surface Pro. Featuring quad-core processors as well as NVDIA Quadro graphics that are 73 per cent faster than the Surface Pro.
The HP ZBook x2, the world’s first detachable PC workstation. HP says this "allows designers to unleash the power of Adobe Creative Cloud and other professional applications. Its unprecedented power and performance increase productivity and allow digital creators and storytellers the freedom to work when and where inspiration strikes."
The ZBook x2 will be available in December, starting at $1,749 USD. Canadian pricing is still to be confirmed. Suffice to say, it will cost a lot.