Envy 14 Quality Issues

Ok, thanks for the info. I'll probably keep it, maybe try bending it in to place a bit sometime. See if I can make it worse .

 

What's there is typically what most people appear to have and wont admit it and just live with it. Try running your finger around the entire edge and see if you notice nicks. You'll most likely find at least one side with nicks. You may also see discoloration where the metal may have been "shaved" off.

I don't know how they're putting these things together but it's really bad. There probably could also be bad fitting parts and the reason for all the gaps. Until they are aware and re-manufacture new parts then it may just continue. The 17" models also have similar issues. It also looks as if they assembled the unit but then they forgot to add a component and had to pop it open and damaging the case in the process. I could see a few of those going through but not as many as I've read/heard about.

I sent my second notebook back today because there's no way I can live with that screen and the gaps.

I didn't want to be without a system so I wound up with two charges. I ordered a second one and waited for the replacement to arrive. Well, that replacement ended up going back and still with the first one that will go back in a week or so.

 

i'm going to receive mine in a week so if there is something wrong with it is the only option is to exchange? or can i refund it? even if its open? i don't want to wait another 3 weeks for another one and i'd rather just get a vaio Z.

 

You can exchange or send it back for a refund.

 

I'm not reading much into it other than 82% of early adopters are not requesting an RMA.

 

It's been more than a week since having #3 and what you get depends on pure luck. HP STILL has quality issues. I'm on the fence on keeping it or giving up with the non-envious line entirely.

There is a very minor gap at the bottom, probably like every one made so far, but people don't notice it or just ignore it. I've seen review pics with minor gaps but no mention of it. My click pad is also not flush and slightly sunken on the right side. It doesn't interfere with normal (actually it's still a bad pad design overall) usage but I can feel the difference when my fingers slide about. Guess if I have an itchy finger I can use the lip to scratch it. What can we expect from the land of the not quite right?

Aside from the precision parts issue they're plagued with, I think they have a performance-value product. One thing keeping me from returning it is the sizable price discount I was given since ordering my first unit. There is no way I can get another product at that price. The other product I am considering is about $1,000 more than the original base price of this configuration.

One thing I want to point out is that I noticed the click pad and some keyboard keys imprinted on the screen of the last notebook I returned. I didn't investigate any further because I noticed it as I packed it up for shipping and really didn't care at the time. I'll have to keep an eye on this one to see if it's actually scraping the screen or just from my grubby paws. Anyone else notice this on theirs?

 

why did this thread die? were all of your problems fixed? did their quality assurance improve? i ordered one then decided to return it when it arrives because i ordered another with SSD. Let's see how quality goes for the first one when it arrives.

 

I passed the 21 day period on the last unit and guess I'm having to live with it although it is better than the first two, it's not what it should be. As far as a the performance...it's doing its job at a decent price.

Did you have quality issues on the first one you received?

Time to concentrate on my next Android toy...

 

damn....

I may just end up getting the macbook then. HP is just one giant f-ckup it seems. I still want an envy 14 so bad lol

 

To be 100% honest, I think there's more than a few people here skewing the results since the #1 hit on google when I type in "envy 14 problems" is a thread on NBR and "envy 14 issues" has NBR as the second link... I have a strange suspicion that the problems are less prevalent than the poll suggests.

On another note though, I've seen way more envy 14's in university than I thought I would, there's approximately half the number of envy 14s as there are macbook pros.

 

my single issue: Defective hdd that isn't defective enough to make me replace it just yet.

...'cause struggling with HP customer support sucks

 

lol thats the totally opposite for me. Everyone has macs, and I am the only one I've seen with an envy so far.

I get some comments on the look, screen and especially the slice battery.

 

I made another post about this
http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-envy-hdx/519413-major-issues-envy-14-line-quality.html

The line in appears to be loose and not properly isolated. The line in volume is incredible low even with a 20dB boost. If I wiggle the line in around I can get a bit of a volume increase, but that brings me to my other problem. I have major issues with electronic interference between the line in and line out. I can actually get ear splitting feedback when using a line in source (mp3 player, not a microphone) and the headphone out. This is with no sound waves in the air, only line in and line out digital sound. If I "wiggle" the line in I can actually control the electronic feedback.

I'm worried that many people don't test the line in on their PC until it's too late. I'm still within my 21 day period.

Anyone else have similar issues. I'm very close to biting the bullet for a MBP 15. Everything else on the E14 is great, but this is almost a deal breaker. I should be able to hook up an mp3 player or digital recorder to the line in and get a quality stream.


I've tested this with multiple cables and the internal microphone array disabled, so neither of those are the problem.

Does anyone

 

Has anybody had any luck RMA'ing an Envy because the screen has that "rainbow," or color distortion effect when viewed at high angles? Mine has been perfect otherwise. I've had it just over a week and I just noticed it today. Not saying it wasn't there before, I may have just not looked at the screen from that extreme an angle before. I saw a couple posts from some saying it disappears after a few days but I've obviously had mine for longer than that. I, like another poster, am able to manipulate the blob if I press on the rubber gasket around the edge of the screen. Has anyone even been able to find out for sure what causes the problem? I've seen some folks state that it is moisture and others are saying that it is layers of the screen touching. The only reason I want to know, besides the fact that I'm a nut for having answers, is that, if it is something that is not going to cause long term damage or ill effect to the computer or screen, then I don't really care that much. Its not like I regularly view the screen from 70 degrees seeing as its useless from that angle. I'd like not to have to go through the apparently lengthy and unreliable RMA procedure for a minor, inconsequential defect if it isn't actually bad for the computer.

 

These things are made from very soft metal - they pick up dents pretty easy.

 

I wouldn't call them soft. But this is an issue for all laptops. My wife's thinkpad with its supposedly awesome frame dented when dropped on a floor. Truth of the mater is, laptops are expensive pieces of hardware, they should be protected.

 

Are you referring to the pic shown? I got it with the 1st replacement and like you only noticed it one wk later. Needless to say I asked for another replacement as I couldn't accept such display quality at this price level (and also on top of other sub quality things).
Now 2nd replacement came and the display is good. But I discovered the right side speaker is not working after having it more than a wk! Now I'm working with HP for the 3rd replacement...