I just love blogging that’s why I bought this HP Stream 11. It’s a hobby that I consider now as my “other” job. It was conceived from my love of writing and taking pictures and social media. I enjoy it a lot but mind you, it’s not as easy as we think it is because there are a lot of things we need to consider and to invest.
On my blog, I posted some basic tips about blogging. It’s actually one of the primary reasons why I started to establish this website.
I met new friends through blogging (found some enemies, too. That’s life.) I also spent a lot of time and money trying to be as much as comfortable and updated I am with my posts. One of which is buying a laptop. A netbook one.
So that’s what I did a year ago when I celebrated my birthday. I gifted myself with a brand new netbook. It’s an HP Stream 11, and here’s what I think why it’s ideal for bloggers and so far loving it.
HP Stream 11: An Ideal Blogging Netbook
The HP Stream 11 is full-packed with Windows 8.1 64Bit operating system, an Intel® Celeron® N2840 processor, 2 GB 1333 MHz DDR3L SDRAM (onboard) and an 11.6″ diagonal HD anti-glare WLED-backlit (1366 x 768). The internal ROM is 32 GB eMMC, and 3-cell, 37 Wh Li-ion polymer battery that lasts up to 8 hours and 15 minutes of battery life.
Design And Color
There are two variants for this kind of laptop in terms of screen size and color: An HP Stream 13, which is a 13.3″ version with both Horizon Blue and Magenta Pink colors. Of course, I’ve got the HP Stream 11 in Horizon Blue (my younger sister had the pink one). It also has a touchscreen version, but I settled for the 11-inch, non-touch, and blue. Already perfect for my blogging.
The edge of the HP Stream 11, considering its small size, is the loud dual DTS Studio Sound Speakers. I usually play music with Spotify using this netbook.
FOLLOW ME: Check my playlist on Spotify
Almost 9 Hours Of Battery
What I like most about this netbook is its size and weight which you can easily put in your backpack that does not occupy a lot of space and gives room for more stuff when you travel or you go outside for a chill at the coffee shop or at the mall. The color is also an eye-candy. It won’t bore you from using it in longer hours as I tried using it to watch movies or play video games like Angry Birds or Call of Atlantis.
The 11.6″ display is a matte screen that doesn’t get too much smudge from fingerprints. With its battery life of 8 hours and 15 minutes, surely you can enjoy what you are doing with the HP Stream 11 without worrying too much about having the device died down in front of you.
Expanding The Disk Space
Due to its limitation on the hard drive (32GB eMMc), I bought a Class 10 32GB SD card and utilized the available SD card reader slot to extend the disk space. And fortunately, Western Digital was so kind to send me a WD My Passport Ultra 1TB external hard drive. This can give me more space for saving files and photos without filling up the limited internal storage.
The WD My Passport Ultra 1TB is available online for only ₱3,099.00 in different color variants. Check here.
ImagePad and Keyboard
The multi-touch touchpad is somehow challenging since there are specific parts where you can perform the “gestures”, like opening the right-hand menu on Window 8.1 and also since I have a huge pair of hands, I sometimes unmistakably slide over my palm on the pad and moved my mouse to another place.
To remedy that, buy a USB, wired- or Bluetooth, non-wired mouse. Well, I still use the HP Imagepad anyway when I’m already comfortable and was able to familiarize it.
The keyboard is great. It’s almost as normal-size looking as the regular keyboard on bigger laptops or desktop computers. The 97% size fits well on my typing needs and the white keys are very responsive and attractive too.
Complete Product Specs
Here are the technical specifications of HP Stream 11:
| Operating system | Windows 8.1 64Bit (upgradable to Windows 10) |
| Processor | Intel® Celeron® N2840 (N3050 also available) with Intel HD Graphics (2.16 GHz, up to 2.58 GHz, 1 MB cache, 2 cores) |
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics |
| Display | 11.6″ diagonal HD anti-glare WLED-backlit (1366 x 768) |
| Memory | 2 GB 1333 MHz DDR3L SDRAM (onboard) |
| Hard drive | 32 GB eMMC |
| Wireless | 802.11b/g/n (1×1); Bluetooth® |
| Power supply | 45 W AC power adapter |
| Battery | 3-cell, 37 Wh Li-ion polymer (Up to 8 hours and 15 minutes) |
| Ports | 1 USB 3.0; 1 USB 2.0; 1 HDMI; 1 headphone/microphone combo |
| Expansion slots | 1 multi-format SD media card reader |
| Webcam | HP TrueVision HD Webcam (front-facing) with integrated digital microphone |
| Audio | DTS Studio Sound™ with 2 speakers |
| Pointing devices | HP Imagepad with multi-touch gesture without on/off button |
| Keyboard | 97% size island-style |
| Dimensions | 11.81 x 8.1 x 0.78 inches |
| Weight | 2.74 lbs |
Final Thoughts
As a conclusion, I love this device. It gives me so much to what I need for my blogging. I can bring it anywhere I want and anytime I want. The display is good, and the color is amazing. Very portable, very light and very sexy netbook.
The storage can be very limiting, however, you can have an SD card slot to expand your file space or carry a portable external hard disk for saving the files. The other thing that might be stopping you from getting this device is the 2GB RAM. But for blogging and basic use on social like Facebook, Twitter, and other platform, this is just enough.
The HP Stream 11, both Horizon Blue and Magenta, can be bought online (comes with FREE original HP Sleeve) for only ₱12,690.00. Check here.
ALSO READ: Gadgets That I Want That Should Be Available In The Philippines
What do you think? Would you consider the HP Stream 11 for your blogging or do you have your own favorite? Please share your thoughts via the comment section below.
If you like posts like this, follow me on my Facebook Page and on Twitter. You can also go and check my random photos on Instagram.
HP Stream 11
Pros
- Very affordable
- Colorful and fun to use
- Light-weight and easy to carry around
- Loud speakers
- Amazing keyboards; Ideal for blogging
Cons
- Built-in storage and processor (non-upgradable)
- Very limited internal storage (32GB)
- Not advisable for heavy-duty application installation
- Limited USB ports
- ImagePad usage needs hand calibration at times