The HP Pavilion x2 sends a mixed message. It looks great for a low-cost hybrid, and it runs about as well as other hybrids and laptops in its category. But it also implies audio promises it can't keep, and comes positively buried with bloatware and adware. At $299, it's decent, but Acer gives you an extra 500GB hard drive in the Switch 10 E for only $50 more. For a big performance boost, consider the $499 Microsoft Surface 3 . For a price cut, ditch the touch screen and hybrid hinge by checking out the $179 HP Stream 11.