Envy 17-3000 3D new owner questions.

Product Specs: HP ENVY 17-3000 3D Edition Notebook PC series specifications - HP Home & Home Office Products

This unit comes with an 80 GB mSATA + 750 GB SATA
Q - Is the OS loaded on the mSATA?
Q - How is the mSATA utilized if not for the OS?
Q - Would the mSata be of any use if I installed a 160GB SSD and the 750GB HDD?
Q - Is the mSATA a II or a III gen?

PS; I will be receiving my unit soon, HP.ca is giving me this as a replacement for my failing HDX 18.

 

not sure about your msata questions, maybe theres some info on that inside the *HP ENVY 17 & 17 3D (3XXX series) Owners Lounge*, but i am pretty sure the OS is on the 80gb ssd.

what really interests me is your ps...

was the hdx still under warranty?

 

"was the hdx still under warranty?"

1 year past warranty..........

 

so is hp giving you this envy 17 as a free replacement because the hdx is failing? or did you pay the full price for the envy?

 

My HDX 18-1374CA is 1 year out of warranty
FREE ENVY 17-3000 3D as a replacement.

IMO the ENVY is a downgrade from the 18.4" HDX...................

 

WOW

how is this possible?
if this really works (in the EU, as well), i will help my envy 17 3d - whose warranty will end soon - bake itself internally a bit more efficiently, until it fails, and eventually ill get a new envy 17 3d as a replacement!

envy 17 3d will definitely be an upgrade from the hdx when it comes with intels ivy bridge cpus, new chipsets and "real" amd 7000m gpus, which should happen in april.

 

Right off the bat your going about this all wrong, you are trying to "GET"something for free.
I did the OCA scan on the HP site, the tecks in Houston TX requested this unit for a FREE servicing, and they ended up replacing the mobo, fan, 9 months out of warranty.
I was still having problems with it.
As a result, the tecks recommended an escalation to a replacement, being fully aware that this unit is 1 year out of warranty.
AND,,,
Its been across Canada 4x for servicing,
Its been to Houston TX 1x for servicing,
If this notebook could collect Airmiles,
It could take a trip to somewhere exotic.

IMHO the HDX 18 is superior in this manner:
- 18.4" screen has 16.3 Square Inches greater viewing surface than 17.3", is actually 16"Wx9"H,,,,(yes, it's actually 16x9).
- Finger print reader, no explanation needed here, I run windows from the User Account, both accounts are pass word protected.
- Replaceable battery and optional 9 cell oversize extended life battery. Oversize battery lifts the back end to provide better cooling and air circulation.
- Tray loading ROM tray allows for an emergency release with a paper clip, you don't have to take apart the bottom of the notebook.
- PCI express card slot accepts mSATA cards, you are not limited to only an mSATA slot internally.
- 1394 port
- RTC battery is a plain button cell, non propriety item.

By far the best feature is the 18.4" screen. I had hopes that HP would keep this line and develop it into the 3D line of notebooks.

I might sell the Envy 17-3000 3D and pick up a 18.4" Sager or Alienware

 

i didnt really mean all that that seriously ;-)
i just wondered that they would give you a free upgrade by replacing the hdx with a completely new notebook line, actually totally unrelated to the hdx.

i agree with your points on these superior features of the hdx.
if a 18'' & 3D display wasnt obviously a must for you, hp elitebook 87#0w notebooks would be worth taking a look at.

 

HP has no 18.4" notebooks available as a replacement.
The Envy 17-3000 is the closest to a replacement as it gets.
The issue was the HD Screen, BR Drive and 2x HDD's in the notebook configuration.
The DV7 series was a close contender with the finger print reader (I will miss this feature), but with no duel HDD's, HD Screen and no blue ray, I rejected it as a possibility.
They are letting me keep the 2 500GB 7200RPM HDD's from the HDX, as I might sell the Envy, I will try the Windows Striped Volume RAID config and see if there is any improvements in I/O speeds (if the OS on the mSATA).

I WILL miss the 18.4" screen!
I MIGHT purchase a 18.4" Seger or Alienware, whatever I purchase it has to look professional and not like a toy (Alienware) as I use this in my retail store, my customers have access to the CAD program.

 

unit comes with an 80 GB mSATA + 750 GB SATA
My Envy 17 3D had this configuration

Q - Is the OS loaded on the mSATA?
Yes

Q - How is the mSATA utilized if not for the OS?
OS is initially installed on it

Q - Would the mSata be of any use if I installed a 160GB SSD and the 750GB HDD?
Depends on how you use the 160GB SSD and how you use the 80GB mSSD

Q - Is the mSATA a II or a III gen?
SATA II, Runcore the only only one I know who makes a SATA III at the moment in this form factor

 

Uhh I think you're confused. As a former owner of the HDX it was a pos....

The only thing it had going for it was the 18.4 inches of glorious hd screen. That's really about it. Everything else was just a disaster.

The Envy is the perfect size for me and outclasses the HDX in everyway...

 

Dv7 does support dual HDDs. I am getting ready to buy a new 17" and have been back and forth between the DV7(Tqe) and the Envy 17 3D. If the DV7 had a backlit keyboard (lots of night work here), as well as the better display, I'd probably get it anyway. Right now the Envy is in the lead.