Envy 13 ordered - I'm finally joining the Envy crew!

HP Envy 13 Refurb

• Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo SL9400 (1.86GHz, 6MB L2 Cache, 1066Mhz FSB)
• 5GB DDR3 System Memory (1 Dimm)
• 160GB (Solid State Drive Flash Module)
• 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 4330 Graphics (HDMI port included)
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium Edition (64-bit)
• 13.1" diagonal High Definition LED HP Radiance Infinity Widescreen Display (1600 x 900)
• Envy 13 Battery slice

I'm going travelling for a while and needed a compact machine with a good quality screen and great battery life (if only the E173DSB fitted in a backpack ). For a while I've been leaning towards a Macbook Air but when I found this deal for about $800 bucks I just couldn't resist. The best 13" screen there is and great battery life with the slice. I just hope the updated/hacked touchpad drivers work Ok on the 13.

Hello Envy

 

Congrats.

You'll find a lot of useful info in the following thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-envy-hdx/432547-official-hp-envy-13-owners-lounge.html

 

You got a steal of a deal on a much unsung superb ultraportable! With the SSD you won't notice the slower speed of the low voltage C2D and you will have the best 13" screen made and 10 hrs of battery life with the slice. PM me if you decide to sell it!

 

Yeah I'm not sure why the 13 receives so little attention, especially now you can snap them up for great prices. Maybe I shouldn't complain though!

 

Because the 13 got horrible reviews and the 14.5 got outstanding reviews. Mostly due to driver maturity.

 

Well I've read most of the reviews out there for the 13 and I would definitely not describe them as "horrible". Quite the contrary in fact.

 

Actually almost 3 years later I still feel the Gateway P 6860FX is better somehow.

 

You're comparing a 13" ultra portable to a 17" gaming laptop?

I used to have a P6831FX, then a P6860FX then a P7811FX so I know that series pretty well. They were good value in their day but the build quality was quite poor. I certainly couldn't take a laptop of that size travelling, otherwise I would have purchased the Envy 17 3D SB.

The Envy 13 seems like a great little machine with very similar specs to the Macbook Air 13 but less than half the price.

 

I saw an identical deal in HP's refurb outlet about a month ago and after a few days of hesitation, I tried to order it. Unfortunately, it was out of stock. Fortunate for you, if it's the same one I was eyeing Amazing price on an amazing machine.

 

800 for all that is quite a steal. Remember to use the custom Envy 14 trackpad driver for it, makes it that much smoother.

 

Do you know if the custom driver works ok on the 13?

I've searched the forum and I can't find anyone that has tested them on the 13.

 

It should be fine. Someone used it on his envy 17, and when testing this on my other HP G60 (keep in mind this does NOT have a clickpad, it's just the old 2 buttons + separate surface), it brought up two finger scrolling, clicking, and other options that would never work on such a pad.

 

Of all the laptops I've ever owned (a whole load as I'm admin here..and tablets), I simply cannot let the Envy 13 go. I've now owned the thing longer than any other machine and I feel that it's a combination of fantastic battery life, quality screen and fantastic keyboard for typing.

The trackpad has never bothered me at all... heck, I completed Plants Vz Zombies so it can't be that bad

....On the other hand, I ordered an Envy 14 last week with a radiance screen, UK keyboard on the way and a 256Gb Crucial SSD. Yep, Moving on, BUT, only if I like the feel of it, otherwise, I'm staying with my 13 that has no issues at all.

P.s. It goes well with the Intel 1.8" sata SSD drive and 5Gb ram

 

Yeah I'm like that with my Dell Studio XPS purely because of the stunning RGBLED full HD screen and great design. I'm hoping the E13 will be in a similar league.

It's the screen you spend all your time staring at and in my view that's why it's the most important part of a laptop.

 

And the initial sticker shock.

 

I pretty much run my Envy withe the brightness all the way down and it really was the brightest display that day in PC World.

 

I like the Envy. The display is great. I think the thing that killed it is the price HP was asking for it. They wanted as much as Sony was charging for a basic Z. The dedicated GPU (HD 4330) is anemic for any real graphic work. Plus, the GMA X4500 IGPU is kind-of useless so you wind up using the dedicated GPU quite a bit and draining the battery.

As a travel notebook at $800, it's not a bad deal. I think I would prefer an X220 with IPS panel, and I5 sec. gen. CPU and HD 3000 IGPU. But, even if I caught a sale, it would cost a couple of hundred more. Still, I'd rather travel with the Lenovo.

Bronsky

 

Yeah I was seriously considering the X220 but there were a number of reasons I ended up with the Envy.

Primarily because the X220 isn't available yet and also the price difference for a similar spec (apart from CPU obviously).

 

Well the E13 arrived a few days ago and all I can say is what a superb little laptop. The 13" 1600x900 screen is absolutely stunning and the machine flies with 5GB RAM and the Intel 160GB Gen2 SSD. The slice doesn't add too much weight either but provides all day battery life.

One of the best, if not the best laptops I've ever used and all for an absolute steal of a price.

 

@) Fantastic machine!