*HP ENVY 14 (1XXX series) Owners Lounge, Part 1*

HP Envy 14
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-450M Dual Core processor (2.40GHz, 3MB L3 Cache)with Turbo Boost up to 2.66 GHz
• 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 500GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5650 switchable graphics - For Dual Core Processors
• 14.5" diagonal HD+ HP Radiance Infinity LED Display (1600x900)
• SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
• HP TrueVision HD Webcam + Dual Digital Integrated Microphones
• Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
• Corel(R) PaintShop Photo(TM) Pro X3 + Corel(R) VideoStudio(R) Pro X3
• Full-size island-style backlit keyboard
• 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
• Microsoft(R) Office Starter 2010
• $1! SAVE NOW!! Norton Internet Security(TM) 2010 - 15 Month Subscription (activation required)
• FREE Upgrade to Computrace LoJack for Laptops, Four Years from One Year
• HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

got the 450 cause it was 100 dollars cheaper, same dual core clock speed, slightly lower single core turbo boost spead. And it is the 2nd quarter i5, so there have been updates to it. Lojack, just cause I'm a student.

$1228.49 with HPA, without tax

 

Can anyone give me an estimate of the length of time between the release date of other Envys and the release date of an applicable coupon for them? (ex: Envy A released x/x, coupon that works for Envy A released x/x)

I'd like to know because I'm hoping to buy a 14 as soon as possible.

 

yeah I wanted to get a coupon too, but i heard from a dude that asked a hp rep that these things were so popular that it would be a while until coupons are released. And by then the build time would be delayed so much you maybe not get the laptop shipped to you until a month after you order it. So if you have to go to college soon like myself. Just order it now.

 

If you guys aren't in a hurry ( I need mine before July 21st) I suggest waiting until after the 4th of July sale. I bet you they'll drop the i3 (and bring back i5 on the other envys) and give out some coupons. Probably also get the price down to what was originally predicted.
They're just capitalizing on the long wait & expectations to sell a lot of envy 14 at a max. price before settling it down.

 

whats wrong with the amazon setup? the processor is at least i5 and has 6 gigs of ram, only bad thing is the screen (if it isnt radiance)

 

I doubt they will lower the base price, as before the radience screen was almost thought of as an upgrade option, now that it is base, the 100 more is worth it. and dont lie, you all know you were going to upgrade to that screen anyway and would be more than willing to pay 150 for it

 

fyi, HP has a 21 day price guarantee...probably doesnt include coupons though.

 

wowoowowowoow are you KIDDING ME, look at the amazon specs, it says battery life up to 3.75 hours....I think i'm going to cancel my order, cause whatever a company states as the battery life is always less. So if its less than 3 hours...down from 7 hours.....thats so maddening

 

They probably left the 5650 on when they tested it, at least I hope so.

 

amazon usually tests it out the box. and since switchable graphics is pretty new into the pc world, they didnt do it.

 

ya companies always lie about the battery life but 7 to 3.75 hours is outrageous

 

As much as I love the Envy 14, I just don't know if I can justify buying it.

The DV6t with with i5-430m, Radeon 5650, 4 GB RAM (2 DIMM), 500 GB 7200 RPM HD is ~$830.

The Envy 14 with i5-430m, Radeon 5650, 4 GB RAM (1 DIMM), 500 GB 7200 RPM HD is ~$1070.

So essentially I would be paying $240 more for a better screen and better aesthetics and .2 lbs lightness

Ahhhhhhhhhh, it's just... not... rational...

 

so wait they left on 5650 then? I thought the switchable graphics was an auto thing, or do you have to literally turn it on and off

 

the envy 14 does not have Optimus (since it's a Nvidia technology I guess lol). I'm pretty sure ATI has a similar technology but it isn't on the envy 14 =/

looking at the new macbook pros though I kinda like to be able to manually turn it on or off.

p.s. 3 hours of 5650 is pretty good right? so I guess that could actually convert to 7 hours of integrated.

 

amazon says 3.75 btw.

 

yeah ati is manual.

right on desktop or go to catalyst control center and hit a button.

 

on amazon under the specs it says up to 3.75 then in the product description it says, Count on up to 4.25 hours of power with the standard battery

 

HP dm4 with similar cpu and integrated graphics hits 5h/6h mark on energy saving browsing... and that's on 6cell battery.
Ok the envy has a 8cell battery but radiance screen eats a lot more of juice than the standart 1336* screen of the dm4. So expect it to be 5 to 7 hours on integrated, I don't think HP is inflating numbers at all there.

 

We have no idea how amazon tested. Did they keep the 5650 on? Did they turn the screen brightness up to 100%? Were they watching a movie, playing a game, or lightly browsing? They didn't mention any of that. Lets not overreact.

You can expect about 5-6 hours 70% brightness with light use on the integrated. Probably 2 hours if you're watching a movie or playing a game.

 

And better sound. And bluetooth. And backlit Keyboard. And HD camera.
And...a smaller screen with, in theory, 2 more hours on battery. They're not meant for the same purpose. The Envy 14 has the same power but is geared towards portability. The Dv6t isn't.

 

Your ENVY 14 series
Operating system Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit edit
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-370M Dual Core processor (2.40GHz, 3MB L3 Cache) edit
Memory 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm) edit
Hard drive 256GB (Solid State Drive Flash Module) edit
Graphics card 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5650 switchable graphics - For Dual Core Processors edit
Display 14.5" diagonal HD+ HP Radiance Infinity LED Display (1600x900) edit
Primary optical drive SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support edit
Personalization HP TrueVision HD Webcam + Dual Digital Integrated Microphones edit
Networking Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth edit
Included Software Bundle Corel(R) PaintShop Photo(TM) Pro X3 + Corel(R) VideoStudio(R) Pro X3 edit
Keyboard Full-size island-style backlit keyboard edit
Primary battery One 8 Cell Lithium Ion (standard) +One 6-Cell Extended-Life Lithium-Ion Polymer Battery (over-sized) edit
Office software NEW! Microsoft(R) Office Home and Student 2010 edit
Your additional options:
Click edit to modify. NOTE: These items are in stock and will ship immediately.
HP Care Pack Services HP 2-year Care Pack House Call Service for HP HDX, HP TouchSmart, or HP ENVY Laptop PC edit

Hey Guys, I am looking to purchasing the Envy 14 with these specs. Couple of questions. 1) What do you all think of this configuration? 2) Is the upgrade from 160 GB SSD to 256 really worthwhile? Total price is about $2,059.58 with 10% student discount. I will be using basic computer software and maybe games like SC2. I looking to reduce heat and also to increase speed and performance. Thoughts, please. Thanks.

 

So now that activity has died down post-Envy 14 release, are we all just waiting for another BCB/coupon promotion? What's another notebook to look over so we can restart the months of torture?

 

That stuff is nice but I don't really care about it. Re: better sound - I always use headphones anyway and I think Beats Audio (made by the same company that sells Monster cables!) is crap.

The strongest selling point is the screen in my opinion. The Envy 14 is the only 5 lb laptop with a premium screen in this price range.

 

I would pay $25 more for the lowest i5. Otherwise it should perform great for you.

 

Thats the position I'm in. I think I will wait for 25% to come back on, maybe wait for a few reviews, and then decide whether or not I want to pull the trigger.

 

ATi's "Optimus" tech isn't available yet. It'll be here in a few months.

 

Like he said, Upgrade to the lowest i5. And I wouldn't get 6GB, that's too much if you're doing only light gaming and basic software. 4GB will be plenty enough for good performance and you can save money towards your SSD.

 

if I'm going to pay 2000,I will go for Sony Z

 

Get the 520m instead of the 370 if you don't plan on upgrading cpu in a year or so.
Don't get the slice battery yet, we arn't even sure if it is actually the slice or just an oversized hp battery like on the picture.
200$ aswell is way too much for that, when an envy 15 battery only costs 125$... price will go down.

 

If you actually read the specs low i5 is not worth even $25 upgrade price

 

Now what is the big difference between the 4GB DDR3 (2dimm) vs 4GB DDR3 (1 Dimm). Basically is there any need for the minor upgrade?

 

I read a post and got to thinking, "what the hell is Beats Audio, and why should I care?"

Apparently, the built-in speakers of the Envy line aren't better by any means. I guess it's the 3.5mm headphone jack that gets the love. However, I have yet to find a review or comparison or anything that clearly states, "the audio-out of a Beats equipped laptop is better than a standard laptop."

Can anyone point me to a comprehensive review of Beats Audio? Don't bother with Wikipedia; the article there focuses on the $400.00 Beats Audio headphones and has only one sentence that mentions HP's partnership with Beats Audio.

 

It's slice,this is Envy series

 

Hey, just registered but managed to read through this entire thread because I've been waiting for this laptop forever. I'm waiting on some coupons like the rest of you before I order it.

Probably gonna go with the i5-520m
Not sure about the hard drive. SSD is very tempting, but also very pricey. I'm considering buying either the 750GB or 1TB WD Scorpio blue hard drives to put in here, as the 750gb drive off newegg is about the same price as the 640gb upgrade Newegg.com - Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD7500BPVT 750GB 5400 RPM 8MB Cache 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Notebook Hard Drive -Bare Drive . However, the 1TB Drive is not standard height, it's 12.5mm. Does anyone know if it will fit? Newegg.com - Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD10TPVT 1TB 5200 RPM 8MB Cache 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Notebook Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Thanks

 

The big difference-- and it is a big difference-- is that you can fill that empty RAM slot in the future. If you have 2X2GB sticks of RAM, you have to eventually discard one stick to upgrade.

Spend the extra $20.00 to free up that slot. You won't regret it.

 

So, the build date is showing as July 7 on my config. If I order today and a new coupon comes out between now and then, could I cancel my order without pain or suffering and reorder with the coupon? Would the same thing work on HP's 21 day return policy, making waiting for a coupon more or less mum if I want to have this thing by August anyway?

 

Am ready to pull the trigger on the base model for $989 (with EPP). One lingering question for those of you who have experience with the 2nd gen Envy's. Do you think the heat issues are significant or is this like the heat issues on MBP and people are just making a big deal of them?

(Just looking for an honest opinion from those who know. It is my one overwhelming concern. If it's just an issue with aluminum bodies like the MBP, that is something I can live with. If it is something that will limit the lifespan of the device, I will have to think about it.)

 

Hp has 0 pain for return process, just don't open the box

 

No one knows. No one has or will receive their Envy 14 for several more weeks. Might as well wait on placing your order until a review comes out and a coupon or two to sweeten the deal.

 

Ok, just barely caught up.

Wow, Radiance screen is standard, I'm overjoyed. My config in my sig [excepting the processor, I am sad the 540 is not offered] comes around to

$1389 with no discounts. I'm think I'm going to wait a little to see if any discounts come around the corner. Pretty anxious to get my hands on this thing.

 

The only thing you need to know is that it's made by the same company that makes Monster Cables. Beats By Dre headphones are regularly ridiculed as overpriced crap by people who have an interest in headphones. I have no expectation that Beats computer speakers or headphone jacks are any different.

They are great marketers though.

 

There isn't any. The reviews of the envy 15 will tell you the sound is better than average but not extraordinary.

The upgrade to a 1-stick 4GB RAM really depends on you. If you're not going to add more RAM in the future it's useless to upgrade, even for 25$.
Processor thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/hardware-components-aftermarket-upgrades/495109-turbo-boost-worth-comparing-i3-370m-vs-i5-450m.html

 

Totally get that as it relates to the 14, but was wondering from those who have the 15 or 17. I have only read about these heat concerns and sometimes you tend to see an issue begin to grow hyperbollically because of the internet.

 

If anyone is interested, the output on the ENVY 15 is designed for high impedance headphones, which are usually high end headphones.

 

Not a big deal for Envy 15 with core i5 if you turn on fan always on option
If you disable it, it runs pretty hot.(but still cooler than MBP newest version)

 

Ok...so could someone explain to me why the i3-470M is better than the i5-430M? Just curious.

 

cost-to-performance ratio

 

i3-370m has a base 2.4ghz

i5-430m's base is 2.26ghz.

both have the same # of threads.

turbo mode can bump up the i5-430m to 2.53 but that's only on one core so *shrugs*

i3-370m is pretty much an i5-450m just without turbo mode

 

Thank you to all who've posted! I have been lurking around for a few months reading everything!

If this hasn't been resolved yet--- The BCB is 10%--- I guess it can be combined with the military discount. (Which is the same as the edu)

Here's what I got EARLY this am:

HP Envy 14
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-520M Dual Core processor (2.40GHz, 3MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.93GHz
• 4GB DDR3 System Memory (1 Dimm)
• 320GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5650 switchable graphics - For Dual Core Processors
• 14.5" diagonal HD+ HP Radiance Infinity LED Display (1600x900)
• SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
• HP TrueVision HD Webcam + Dual Digital Integrated Microphones
• Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
• Corel(R) PaintShop Photo(TM) Pro X3 + Corel(R) VideoStudio(R) Pro X3
• Full-size island-style backlit keyboard
• 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
• Microsoft(R) Office Starter 2010
• $1! SAVE NOW!! Norton Internet Security(TM) 2010 - 15 Month Subscription (activation required)
• HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

Price w/ mil dis came to 1170+ 82 (tax:confused2 = 1252.00
Pending bcb =117...... Grand total = 1135

Not bad since I had been considering the vaio z.....

However I don't think BCB will go back up to 25% for this as they stated on their page that Father's Day would be the last real good sale.

Anyways --- Can't wait for it to get here

 

Thats not true actually/.. The germans are expected to recieve their units middle of this week.. So its rather some days, not weeks..