The bright silver metal exterior lends a premium look to the HP Envy x360 15—HP refers to it as "Natural Silver with a sandblasted anodized finish." I'm not sure I'd want to order this laptop in a darker color, though a Dark Ash option is also available.

The screen is a 15.6-inch diagonal IPS WLED-backlit touchscreen. It's got a full HD resolution, which translates into 1,920 by 1,080 pixels. It's a decent display, but it's clear that HP is reserving its best panels for the Spectre lineup. Even at maximum brightness, the screen appeared somewhat dull and colors failed to pop.

The 15-inch screen results in a large chassis that is uncomfortable to hold in your hands for more than a few seconds compared with a more manageable 13-inch 2-in-1. But there are niche uses cases for a 15-inch convertible, such as propping it up as a tent for an impromptu presentation.

The key switches depress with a satisfying thud, but the keys themselves are quite wobbly. Spreadsheet jockeys will appreciate that HP managed to squeeze in a dedicated number pad, which is missing from some other 15-inch laptops, including the Apple MacBook Pro.

The Envy line is one rung below HP's ultra premium Spectre laptops, but a few Spectre features have trickled down to the Envy x360 15.

A small switch mounted on the right edge of the laptop kills the power to the webcam. It's intended to provide piece of mind against webcam hacking, a problem that has led some laptop makers to install ungainly physical sliding doors over their webcams.

In addition to the kill switch for the webcam, you'll also find a USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C port, a USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A port, and an HDMI output along one edge of the Envy x360 15.

On the opposite edge, there's another USB Type-A port, a full-size SD card reader, the power button, a power port, and a headphone jack. That's an excellent port complement, and while it would be better if the Envy x360 15 included a Thunderbolt 3 port, I don't expect one at this price.