Good News for all Envy Canada Buyers

i ordered an envy 14 1050ca from direct dial and i know a lot of individuals have been complaining about the low res but turns out that the screeen included is 1600*900. Ill attach the proof, the display is crazy bright and destroys the 13 macbook pro its replacing.

 

are u sure? how can that be if they didnt post it on their website?

 

what other proof would you like, i checked the screen resolution and it says 1600*900

 

wow so hp doesn't even know what res their laptops run at..

 

If this is true I'd go back to considering the Envy 14, even if it ships with the lower res screen.

So HP.ca, Amazon.ca, And Futureshop all have the wrong specs (I guess it all leads back to HP), interesting.

Futureshop is showing that the Envy 14 is available at stores in my area. I may stop by tomorrow and have a look to see if they have one on display.

 

Wow, if the display actually is 1600x900 for the Canadian model, then this changes things considerably!

Some Canadian vendors are selling the Envy 14 (WQ785UA#ABC) for less than $1500 CAD...combined with standard 6gb ram, 430m cpu, and 640gb HDD, the possible radiance display, little to no shipping costs, and the possibility of getting the laptop *right now* then its no longer such a ripoff for us canadians.

Went to the local bestbuy that had stock but they didnt have a display unit nor were they willing to bring one out. Gonna send emails to a couple of local shops that have the Envy 14 to see if they're willing to verify the display resolution...

 

1500 is still a pretty big rip off IMO, considering i got mine here for 900

 

I don't see the Envy 14 listed on Best Buy's Canadain site - which Best Buy did you go to (if you are in the GTA).

I went to a Futreshop today in Mississauga but I was told they don't put the Envy models on display because they cost a lot!? I was told that people who want one will ask for it - very odd but in any case I was told that location did not have it in stock. I'm curious if that was because I was asking what their return policy was. I also asked about the display and the sales person was sure that it was the 1366x768 display - not sure if he is only going by the specs listed or if he actually played with one (doubt if though).

I may try a couple of other Futureshops to see if I can find one in stock, I may buy it to see what it's like. I may return it either way as I found a place that quoted me $1700 with tax. Either that or just go with the EliteBook 8440w.

 

@jb22 bestbuy.ca envy 14

i think we can price match it down to about $1450 at fs or bestbuy and return it within 14 days but it'd be nice if others good confirm radiance display considering all canadian retailers and hp themselves say it's 1366x768

 

Okay, just called a local Best Buy and have one on hold. I'm going to go pick it up and let you guys know what the deal is. Fingers crossed buy I'm doubting it will be good news.

 

Well, I decided not to waste any time with the Envy 14. Before heading out today I looked over the specs for the Envy 14 (Canadian specs) and my alternate choice, the EliteBook 8440w and I can no longer justify the Envy. As much as I like the Envy's styling and what it could be if we had the same options as the US in it's Canadian offering it just doesn't make sense for my needs.

 

Thanks for the update....I also wanted to know the resolution.

 

k i just stopped by futureshop and the res is 1600x900

 

Did they have it on display - no Best Buys or Futureshops in my area have any on display.

 

yeah it was on display at the dixie and dundas store in Mississauga

 

Even with the 1600X900 resolution, 1700 + tax = 1900 which is overpriced as F***. The CPU is only i5-430M and only thing upgraded is 6gig ram. OMG GREAT. also it only offers 5400rpm HDD which sucks.

 

I agree. That's why I'm going with the 8440w (I think):

Intel® Core™ i7-620M Processor (2.66 GHz, 4 MB L3 cache)
Windows 7 Pro 64-bit
4GB 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (8GB Max)
320 GB 7200 rpm SATA II
DVD+/-RW SuperMulti DL LightScribe
14.0" LED-backlit HD+ anti-glare (1600 x 900)
NVIDIA Quadro FX 380M graphics with 512 MB DDR3
3 USB 2.0
1 eSATA/USB 2.0 Combo port
1 external VGA monitor
1 DisplayPort
1 1394a
1 stereo microphone in
1 stereo headphone/line-out
1 AC power
1 RJ-11
1 RJ-45
1 docking connector
1 secondary battery connector
1 Express Card/54
1 Smart Card Reader
1 Secure Digital
2 MP webcam
Intel Centrino® Ultimate-N 6300 (3x3) 802.11a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 2.1

All this for $1793.22 with tax (Canadian) compared to the Envy 14 at $1938 (w/ tax) from FS or Best Buy. That being said I have a quote for an Envy 14 (Canadian specs) for $1723.33 with tax and shipping from the same supplier I would get the 8440w. I figure that the 3 year warranty on the 8440w plus hopefully less crapware installed and good build quality make it the smarter buy.

I have read that the 8440w may not be great for multimedia playback, which I find odd so I just need to look into that. At this point I just keep going back and forth between the Envy 14 and 8440w. Major pros and cons to both. I just need to buy one and not look back I guess.

 

Hey, guys. Another Canadian here disappointed with the huge markup on the Envy 14's inferior Canadian configuration.

Considering ordering from this ebay listing but I am still unsure how much customs/duty is going to come back to bite me. Then there's the whole warranty/returns thing...

Would love to hear from someone who's ordered the envy 14 off ebay from Canada/overseas.

I'm currently using a Lenovo y460 (i5 520m, 5650switchable, 14" 1366x768 was on sale for $940 CAD before tax) but the 1366x768 screen isn't the greatest. Too bad the rest of the world gets the shaft from HP.

Also vented my frustration on the HP Canada facebook page. Probably won't accomplish anything, but at least it helps inform HP and others that there are Candians who are aware they're getting screwed.

 

The graphic card isnt that good tho...

 

I know it's an entry level Quadro card but I don't game. I will be using my laptop to process RAW photos in Lightroom with some After Effects, Premiere Pro and 3DS Max work.

Seems like the 8440w is geared more for my needs.

 

On the bright side, you won't have to explain to your colleagues why your expensive laptop has a paisley design on it!

 

Hey guys,

I've been calling around a tone lately. So far best buys in the York Region (aurora, richmond hill, markham) aren't giving any details on the screen resolution.

Along with two 5 min chats with different sales reps at HP Canada, no one seems to want to say anything about the laptops true screen resolution. One of the reps even suggested that the envy's may not even be from Canada (which I thought was a load of BS)

Interestingly enough, I got in touch with Canada Boarder Services. I spoke to two representatives (just to confirm things) and they said that Laptops are a NO DUTY item.

Therefore, if it is possible to purchase the laptops in the US and have them either shipped to (option 1) a US location for pickup, or (option 2) shipped directly into Canada, you would only incur state tax plus HST (+$5 s&h fee from Canada post with option 2)

From my rudimentary calculations, either method leaves you with ~$175 in your pocket, plus the 1600x900 screen (and any other customizations you want).

EDIT: Savings is more around $144 see my post below.

 

Thanks for the information, so are you going to be ordering from the US and then shipped into Canada?

Also how did you get the number $175?

 

Interesting.

I am in contact with a Canadian company who has sales teams in the US to see if I can get a custom order Envy 14. I will post what the results are once I hear.

 

Mind telling me what company it is as I am thinking of ordering an Envy 14 in a few days, but really want the better screen and faster Hard Drive.

 

I haven't been able to connect with HP USA's toll free number, there is a recording saying they are experiencing technical difficulties and to try back later.

If I can't find a decent 3rd party store that offers shipment to Canada for a decent amount, I most likely will be picking it up in the US at the UPS store in Buffalo.

As for the calculation (I'll work through it more rigorously here):

1,249.99 is the Envy 14 with the i5-540 upgrade (everything else is base)

After entering the zip code for the ups store in Buffalo,

1,249.99 + $100 (NY State tax) = 1,349.99

The convert to $CDN at a 1.09 exchange rate and add HST ,

1,349.99*1.09*1.13 = 1,662.78

So if you compare that to the 1,806.87 after tax price of the envy 14 here in Canada. you get a difference of 144.09

Okay so not 175, but still I think its worth it.

 

That's a pretty good analysis pdot, but you can easily get an Envy 14 in Canada for far less than $1806.87 after tax. That being said, you won't get the i5-540 CPU, but we do get 6gb RAM ($100 upgrade on HP.com) + 640gb 5400RPM hd (which will be at least as fast as the base 320gb 7200RPM hd due to increased HD density, but with 2x capacity). So the value added is more or less the same.

$1472.61 free shipping
beDirecT.ca
$1446 + shipping
WQ785UA#ABC - Canada : Hp Envy 14-1050ca Notebook Core I5-430m 26ghz 6gb/640gb Dvd+/-rw Gigabit Wlan14.5 Inch Tft Windows 7 Home Premium [french] - Product Details

PM these prices at Future Shop, Best Buy, or NCIX to get them cheaper/possibility of local pickup (no shipping costs then.)

So best case scenario, where you are within driving distance of a FS/BB that has the Envy 14 in stock and you succesfully PM means you can get an Envy 14 for as little as $1699 - (10% of ($1699-$1472.61)) = $1472.61 before tax.

Tax rates vary in Canada, but no matter where you live it's going to cost you less than $1700 CAD! For Ontario resident like myself, my total is $1664.05. Using the numbers supplied by pdot, That's less than a $2 difference between buying an Envy 14 from the US and buying an Envy 14 in Canada. And you WILL get the Envy 14 weeks if not at least a month faster than buying + importing from US.

Of course, if you're a special case where you have a friend in the US/sneak laptop into Canada/blah blah blah then sure that's cheaper...but through ordinary channels, things look quite reasonable for Canadians.

 

I agree, after reading your post it actually isn't all that bad.

So hopefully a BB/FS will throw down a pricematch on one of those sites.

A major selling point for me and reason I was looking to the US models was partly because of the 1600x900 screen as well.

If what people are saying is true, and there are some envy's out there with 1600x900 resolutions, I'm sold.

And FS/BB have their 14-day return policies, so its just a matter of trying this out.

Looks like I may hit up one of the big box store tonight. I'll post how everything goes.

Thanks.

 

Well why dont you buy from WQ785UA#ABC - Canada : Hp Envy 14-1050ca Notebook Core I5-430m 26ghz 6gb/640gb Dvd+/-rw Gigabit Wlan14.5 Inch Tft Windows 7 Home Premium [french] - Product Details its in Canada, and someone on this forum confirmed that the screen is the same as the one sold in US even tho it does not say in the description.....

 

Exactly what I was just about to post, based on $1446 CAD before tax from directdial.

I'm guessing that as the 430M is no longer available on HP.com, the 450M will start appearing in the pre-built systems after a while also.

The only unknown here is screen res. I don't think anyone has reported actually seeing a 1366x768 yet, even though every Canadian Envy 14 is listed as this. It's also been mentioned that 1600x900 has been seen in Canada.

I may wait to see if the 450M start appearing up here in pre-built systems. I would prefer to the 160GB SSD from HP.com as its a good deal, but will probably end up buying after market instead.

 

Check the 1st post the person got it from directdial and he got 1600x900 even tho it does not say in the description.

 

If it's 1600x900 does that mean it's a Radiance display? On Futureshop and Bestbuy etc... it lists it as Brightview if memory serves but then again it does show the lower res too.

I don't think it's worth the mark-up. $1600 for an inferior screen (maybe), no apparent Slice battery option and a crap HDD. I'd have to buy an aftermarket SSD which would bump up the price a lot and I'm still stuck with a 1 year limited warranty. I think I'm going to settle with the Dell Studio XPS 16. Better hardware for cheaper and WAY better warranty with less build quality issues on arrival. I like the portability of a 14" but I'm a big enough guy, I can handle a 16" and I think I'd enjoy the size better anyway. I was so excited about the Envy 14 when it was announced, too. Luckily I was prepared for this disappointment.

 

there's only one type of 1600x900 display for the envy.

it's the radiance.


there are two other 1366x768 displays (apparently).


this is just going by the maintenance manual which sometimes has goofs (wrong TDP for the i3, etc)

 

Hopefully I will hear back tomorrow if I can get a custom configured Envy 14 via the HP Business Partner I'm in contact with. I've requested the following:

Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
Intel Core i5-520m
8 GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
160 GB Solid State Hard Drive
1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650
14.5” HD+ HP Radiance Infinity LED Display 1600x900

This comes to $1884.99 (US) on HP.com. I've requested detailed info on what happens if I get a DOA item or if the unit has physical defects as some have reported on this forum.

Even if I can get a custom Envy, it's hard to not just for for the EliteBook 8440w since it would cost less.

 

Not an unfair assessment. I suppose things could be worse (but it would probably involve pirates and weird diseases).

The most glaring issue is the 2.26ghz i5 430 CPU. Considering the 430 isn't even available in the States, you would think they would equip it with at least the 450.

I'm sure for most purposes there is little practical difference in the performance of a 430, 450 and even a 520. I have a desktop that is superior to any mobile cpu, so maximum performance is not really that big of a concern. The value proposition is just a little underwhelming when my Lenovo Y460 has a 520 and identical specs (sans radiance display and 6gb ram) and cost over $500 less.

Another thing to consider about the Canadian HP Envy, is that every description I've seen indicates that it's a "French localization." That means it will almost assuredly come equipped with a BILINGUAL keyboard. I ordered a US keyboard for my Y460 for $30, but I don't know how easy or cheap it will be to get a US replacement keyboard for the Envy. If that's not the sort of thing that bothers you consider yourself lucky. For most, it's yet another frustration for the Canadian laptop buyer. Don't get me started.

Today I went to my local BB (Eglinton+Laird) to see if the Envy 14 was on display and it was not. Didn't try the futureshop. Would really just like to see if the screen is all it's cracked up to be.

 

Futureshop at Eglinton & Laird have them, but didn't have one on display as of 2 days ago. Salesman said he could unbox one, but I didn't want to bother. He mentioned it should be on display some time this week.

 

you can buy other keyboards from the hp part store.


....and holy crap it's $114 for the us version.

Daaaamn HP

edit: $114 for any version of the keyboard

 

Expletive.

My y460 us keyboard was $32 from ebay.

Sigh... got a link?

 

HP Parts Store - HP Computer Parts - HP Printer Parts - Compaq Parts

should work


edit: I'm guessing it's that expensive since it's backlit and the replacement part includes a keyboard cable AND the backlit cable too

 

I can't seem to locate the replacement keyboard. Is it possible for you to link to it directly?

To avoid the keyboard issue entirely, I would consider driving across the border and grabbing a US model from a brick and mortar store if they were available. Unfortunately, I haven't found any physical stores in the States that stock it.

 

oh.

that didn't work did it.

it was a direct link earlier.

umm


search by part number 608375-001

 

That seems to work. The product is listed as "SPS-KEYBOARD PT BL US" at $114.

Add that to the "Canada tax" if you wish to purchase your computer locally and don't want to use a bilingual keyboard.

 

If any Canadian Envy 14 enthusiasts are interested, I'm offering to sell my pre-BCB Envy 14 that arrived yesterday, rather than simply returning it to HP. Link in sig.

 

Update:

So, as a good and educated consumer, I attempted to get the Envy14 price matched with some of the $1450 CAD prices rolling out of the online stores that some people linked in this thread. And why not right? I would save ~$25 and that badboy would be at my house the very same night. Heh, me and my stupid ideas...

I've officially had it with BB/FS. Reps at both stores, in person did not honor the Price Match Guarantee, along with 3 different reps from both FS and BB online.

The get you on the caveat that the computers listed on other online retail stores are:

1. Not in there list of "authorized" competitors. Thereby you must first purchase the product (full price), they will then proceed to do a "thorough" comparison of the non-authorized competitor to deem if they are worthy of a price match. There are no guarantees that the price match will go through.

2. "French Localization" listed on many of the online stores selling the ENvy14 for less makes the computer a different product listed than what they have in their system. Thus, no price match.

3. The price is below their cost, and they wont compete with people like that since they have no overhead or retail outlet.

Reason 1 (occurred in BB in Richmond Hill, and in 1 telephone conversation) made me furious, so I escalated it to a manager (both on the phone and in-store) since there is no mention whatsoever of a list of competitors, or any other crap they said in the fine print of the Price Match policy. Sure enough (as if it was scripted) both managers said this was true.

Reason 2 makes more sense, however, one thing I haven't been able to do yet is call HP and verify that they are sending out different versions of the Envy14. Based on the website, the Envy's are non-configurable and there is only 1 model available. If this is in fact true, these big box a-holes are playing on customer's ignorance and not telling the truth.

Reason 3 is utter BULL$hi+. I was told this at the BB and FS in Newmarket. After arguing, and again escalating to managers, they agreed to sell the laptop at cost to me, but wouldn't match the price and take off 10% of the difference.

So that a grand total of 9 different people spouting out 3 versions of a NO. If you by any chance get a price match, count it as a sign from the heavens and gtfo of there with the laptop asap!

I'm just really tired of all this crap Canadians have to go through to get this thing at a similar price the US. I'm starting to get turned off from the Envy, this whole experience is just making me sick.

 

call here and lodge a complaint (604) 435-8223 FS headquarters

tell them their price gaurantee is false advertising

 

So I got an interesting response from HP regarding the screen on the Canadian model of the Envy 14:

So HP isn't sure what they are selling in Canada? Oh well, for now it seems that it is the higher res screen, makes me wonder if the gen 2 Envy 15 also has the higher res screen?

Any way, I'm still waiting to here back regarding a BTO Envy 14, hopefully I'll hear something either way tomorrow.

 

I like how their response was essentially restating your problem.

Bravo, HP.

That FS/BB pricematching story is ridiculous. How much did they tell you their cost was?

 

I'm about to make some Canadians much happier





Oh crap, I just realized the most important part of the tech specs is partially cut off, but I'm going to say it right now, the one and only Envy 14 model available in Canada MOST DEFINITELY has a 1600x900 resolution!

 

French fail. 430m fail. Bilingual keyboard fail.

 

Thanks for the pictures, can you please comment on how different is the keyboard or take a picture please?

Also, where did you buy it from and for how much?