Does the HP Pavilion Aero have Windows Hello? What kind?

At first glance, the HP Pavilion Aero looks almost too good to be true. High-performance Ryzen processors, a high-quality 16:10 display, and solid specs overall in a package starting at 2.2lbs and $749. That sounds incredibly compelling, and it makes the Pavilion Aero one of HP’s best laptops. Of course, the HP Pavilion Aero does make some compromises to get to that price point, but thankfully, Windows Hello isn’t one of them. At least, not completely.

What is Windows Hello?

Let’s start by clarifying what Windows Hello is, if you don’t know already. Windows Hello is the term Microsoft uses to refer to alternative forms of login, most commonly biometric authentication, in Windows 10 onward. If you’ve ever seen a laptop with a fingerprint reader or an infrared (IR) camera, that’s what enables Windows Hello.

Laptops with some kind of biometric authentication existed in the past, but Windows Hello sets some standards for how secure these methods need to be. For example, some laptops used to have simple webcams they used for facial recognition, but because they were just normal webcams, they’d be easy to fool.

With Windows Hello, there’s a certain degree of accuracy that’s required for these login methods to be valid. That’s why facial recognition uses IR cameras instead of a regular webcam. Microsoft has documentation detailing the requirements for Windows Hello biometric devices, including fingerprint sensors and facial recognition.

What kind of Windows Hello does the HP Pavilion Aero have?

As we mentioned above, the HP Pavilion Aero does have Windows Hello support, and it does so with a fingerprint reader. The fingerprint sensor is built into the keyboard base, but it doesn’t have facial recognition. Security-wise, there isn’t much of a difference, but you do miss out on some convenience. With Windows Hello facial recognition, you can just open your laptop, turn it on, and it will recognize your face to log you in.

The Pavilion Aero also doesn’t have the fingerprint reader built into the power button, so you have to go out of your way to touch the fingerprint reader. Some premium laptops have a fingerprint reader on the power button, so they can read your fingerprint as soon as you turn them on instead of requiring further action from you. At the end of the day, a Windows Hello fingerprint reader you can just tap is way more convenient than having to type in a PIN or password, so this is a great feature to have nonetheless. You’re also less likely to have your fingerprint copied by someone else than to have someone looking over your shoulder when you type your PIN.

It’s impressive that HP managed to cram features like Windows Hello in addition to high-performance specs in this lightweight laptop at an affordable price. Not many laptops offer this kind of value. If the HP Pavilion Aero interests you, you can buy it using the link below, or you can take a look at other affordable HP laptops if you’re still exploring other options.

HP Pavilion Aero

The Pavilion Aero weighs just 2.2lbs, but it's still a powerful and premium-feeling laptop. It has the latest AMD Ryzen processors, a tall 16:10 Full HD+ display, and a fingerprint reader for Windows Hello. Plus, it comes in four colors to choose from.

Buy at HP

The post Does the HP Pavilion Aero have Windows Hello? What kind? appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/2W5v4oC
via IFTTT