Like other “detachable” Windows 8 tablet/notebook hybrids, the new HP Envy x2 promises the “no-compromise” touch or laptop computing experience envisioned for Microsoft’s latest operating system. But despite long battery life and a stylish package, performance compromises remain.

The Envy x2 is HP’s first attempt at a Windows 8-based tablet that is a detachable mini-notebook–it comes standard with a dockable keyboard that also doubles up the tablet’s battery life. Without the dock, it’s an 11.6-inch tablet running Windows 8. With the dock, it becomes an 11.6-inch notebook.

These devices promise the best of the tablet world combined with the best of the laptop world. And while Laptop Magazine praises the screen quality, design, and battery life of the Envy, it criticizes the device for “netbook-level performance.” In other words, it may do as a companion or light computing device while on the go, but it’s not a sure solution for users whose computing requirements include higher horsepower.

Devices like the HP Envy x2 and its peers (the Acer Iconia W510, and even Microsoft’s own Surface Pro device) are exactly what Microsoft envisioned as the no-compromise computing experience for Windows 8–meaning that it’s a single device that can be used capably as a content consumption device (a tablet) and a creation device (a notebook).

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