Enlarge / Reflective screens and creases aren't the only concerns with foldable PCs. (credit: Scharon Harding)

Although foldable smartphones have been available for five years , the devices are still trying to justify themselves. And after using a foldable-screen laptop as my primary PC for about four weeks, I'm not sure they're ready for prime time.

I'm leaving my time with HP's first foldable laptop with a sense of anticipation for the future of laptops, which I think would benefit from a resurgence of creative ideas that cater to the unique ways people use their computers. But I seriously question if the benefits of having a 17-inch screen in a 12-inch laptop body are worth the trade-offs inherent in today's foldable PCs .

Early participants in the foldable laptop world have an opportunity to define the space, while consumers can decide if this is something they even want. HP's foldable is the most beefed-up option ever, and weeks of use have shown me a lot about what I want and don't want to see when the dust settles.

Enlarge (credit: HP )

HP knows people have grown to hate printers. It even knows that people hate HP printers . But based on a new marketing campaign the company launched, HP is okay with that—so long as it can convince people that there are worse options out there.

The marketing campaign hitting parts of Europe aims to present HP as real and empathetic. The tagline "Made to be less hated" seems to acknowledge people's frustration with printers. But HP's a top proponent of the exact sort of money-grabbing, disruptive practices that have turned people against printers.

When did HP printers become “less hated”?

Three short HP video ad campaigns detailed by Marketing Communication News include one with a customer supremely frustrated with his printer's low ink warning. He kicks his hardware off the table before words appear saying, "No more low ink with HP ink solutions." Another HP video brags of "no more installation fails" and points to HP's Smart app. Both of these claims fall apart with a look at HP's recent and poorly executed firmware rollouts.

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  HP sees the Envy Move being shared among family members and moved from room to room. [credit: HP ]

In a tech world with powerful desktops and ultralight laptops , all-in-one PCs have become a niche category. Yet, with the right twist, they can become more interesting. HP's Envy Move all-in-one PC, released today, has a handle and an integrated, rechargeable 83 Wh battery. Combined with a handle on its backside and a built-in pocket for its wireless keyboard, this AIO is ready to go wherever you want.

The Envy Move is only 9.04 pounds and measures 21.74×5.85×14.43 inches. In a blog post on Thursday, Jo Tan, senior vice president and division president of Personal Systems Consumer Solutions at HP Inc., said the computer was the "world's only" all-in-one with an integrated battery.

The PC also has a built-in stand that Tan said uses two HP patents and can work on "any flat surface." In videos shared with the press, the device's two feet look like they align horizontally with the device's bottom edge until they're pressed down onto a surface. Then, the legs flip out perpendicular to the machine's bottom edge and provide stability.

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  HP's foldable-screen PC. [credit: HP ]

HP is the latest company to announce a foldable-screen PC. The 17-inch Spectre Foldable PC has a keyboard that can be used wirelessly with the device propped up on its kickstand. Or you could magnetically attach the keyboard to the screen's bottom half or even slide the keyboard toward you for a 1.5-screen-like experience. The OLED device addresses concerns around battery life and portability by including two battery packs instead of one. But the bendy, Intel 12th-gen computer will have to do quite a lot to even begin rationalizing its staggering $5,000 price.

The Spectre Fold works as a 17-inch, 0.33-inch (8.5 mm) thick OLED tablet. Uniquely, it has an integrated kickstand for propping the PC up at a 120° angle. This is key because HP cites the kickstand as one of the reasons the computer is so costly, but this also means you don't have to deal with separate origami stands/sleeves. With the PC propped up, it should be easy to work with the included wireless keyboard or stylus, which both charge wirelessly on the device.

The Bluetooth keyboard can attach to the bottom half of the PC's screen for a 12.3-inch laptop view. If you slide the keyboard down toward you, revealing more of the OLED, the PC will automatically display windows north of the keyboard. This scenario is like working on a 14-inch laptop.

Enlarge / Don't bother hitting the scan button if you're out of ink.

How much ink does an all-in-one printer need in order to fax a document? Or to scan one to your computer? The obvious answer is "none." But if you own certain printers from companies like HP and Canon, you won't be able to use core features unless the device has ink—even if those features have nothing to do with ink.

Unfortunately, all-in-one printers arbitrarily demanding ink to perform non-printing functions isn't a new frustration . And that's despite some companies having printers that can scan without ink . Clearly, scanning or faxing without requiring an ink cartridge would improve users' experience—and they've illustrated that through class-action lawsuits. But this hasn't stopped printer makers from fighting to keep the nettlesome practice.

No ink, no scan

Since mid-2022, HP has been fighting a class-action lawsuit alleging that certain all-in-one printer models won't scan or fax without ink and that HP doesn't properly disclose this to shoppers. On January 13, 2023, the complaint was dismissed but allowed to be amended (you can view the amended complaint here: [ PDF ]), and on August 10, a Northern District of California judge dismissed HP's motion to dismiss the amended complaint [ PDF ].