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

^ from what information is available to us thus far the z offers better battery (w/o slice) in a 3lb package.

 

The main decisive factor in the Vaio's favor isn't necessarily the specs, though the SSD might make it somewhat sexy. It's the thin and light form factor. I wanted an all-rounder machine with a beautiful display, which makes the Envy 14 a better option for my case.

 

The real appeal of the Sony Vaio is the size. 13.1" laptop that weighs in at 3lbs.4. That is netbook weight. It's incredible what the Envy 14 packs in but it's even more incredible that the Sony Z can pack as much hardware as it does in it's frame and still remain 3lbs. Both use very good screens, however, the Sony Z uses a matte screen unlike the glossy Envy screen. The Z might not be a more powerful machine but the size and weight is a definite appeal to some.

 

I hope not, I'm 6'5"
my eee 900HA was fine though, it didn't tilt back more than 135 degrees.
*crosses fingers anyways*

 

maybe i should write a Sony Z vs Envy 14 review then once I get Envy with pictures and some video with Crucial SSD in Envy...

I got a $100 hard drive to keep envy... I think I will prob keep Envy and will ask my dad if he wants Sony.

 

the Z is overpriced imo.

 

Damn, go to work for a day, come home and the thread increased 50+ pages.

Anyone got a confirmed shipping date for their unit yet?

 

only the germans (who already have theirs)
check the first page for links to unboxing and reviews

 

Very curious, the Z sold in the US has such limited options. I went over to the Japanese sonystyle site and you have the option of wimax, wwan, quad SSDs and like 6 different colors for the case. You can even customize the color of the inside to either silver or black. If it wern't such a pain in the to get one over here I might go that route.

So does anyone have a consensus on battery life? Are we looking at <4 hours?

I wonder how much the battery life would go up with a 25w processor, or 18w even? I called HP and asked if the bios would support the 25w and 18w processors and they didn't have any information on it. Has anyone pulled the trigger on swapping out a different CPU from what is offered from HP?

Thanks!

CCIE

 

Oh snap! Excellent, lemme take a look...

 

sony Z is nice but the envy 14 fits me fine for ~$500 less.

 

Ah, I see. If that is the case-and if I had the money-that would definitely be a tough decision.

 

Thank you to those who told us about the units. Congratulations. It seems this laptop is a definitive winner.

HP probably ain't gonna put any deals on this hotcake, guess I'll see if I can order tonight then.

 

wow, yeah, i just checked the site. if money wasn't an option i would definitely get my friend in japan to ship me one. they even have an english keyboard option!

 

:/ The japanes Vaio has a 500GB (4drives) SSD option. Pretty amazing...
In terms of battery life for the envy, Im afraid the real results won't come out until after 2-3 days of use...

 

is anyone going to make a video review ?

 

Don't say that!!!

 

so so far have we got some sort of consensus from those who have it how the heat and fan noise fares on the 14?

 

why are you guys comparing the Z and 14? Shouldn't you compare the Z to the 13?

 

I was hearing that there will be some sort of deal on the 4th. You should at least wait until then to see if it's true.

 

They're in a similar class. I mean I guess it's because the Envy 14 is between the common 13 and 15" notebooks. If you compare it to a 15" then it's lacking in power but has nice battery life. If you compare it to many 13" it's much more powerful and gets decent battery life although many 13" are getting very good battery but without the hardware.. you gotta compare somewhere.

 

To all HP ENVY14 owners: by the looks of it online, the envy14 looks like it's grey or silver. But I heard that it's actually bronze color. Is this true and can any owner confirm this? I would love to see a picture of it. Thanks!

 

I'm curious to see if the 5650 GPU can handle games at the display's native resolution (or close to it). The 5650 seems to run all games very well at 1366x768 with high details.

 

It seems somewhat Bronzish, anyhow you decide, here the Link to Unboxing ~I take no credit for these pictures, link taken from first post, pictures taken by erath

 

Maybe someone can start doing same gaming tests at 1600x900. An SC2 beta test would've been sweet. Too bad it's gone.

 

btw I had to ask how the "Switchable Graphics" works. I'm new to this technology and was wondering if someone could link me to an overview on how it works. Do you simply click a button to switch between CPU/GPU + restart the computer?

 

After alot of thinking I am kinda getting worried about the potential battery life on this laptop....;(

8 cell nd 4 hrs???! Wth is draining all that power.. Can't be ati card or processor as dm4t and dv6tse have way better battery life at smaller cells...


Eh...

Btw switaable graphics works where you can select between the two through software settings throfuh desktop settings very easy

 

One of the things about the Envy series that draws me to it is the fact that it's the same thickness at any point on the computer. It makes it fit really nicely in your backpack.

Has anyone else found this as an attraction, or do more people just not care/like the slight angle when typing on the keyboard?

 

I don't like it. I have a neat Targus notebook stand but it's a struggle to put it on. I'd have to do that every time I take it out.

 

well the regular 6-cell is a 55-Whr battery for the dv6t.

high capacity 6-cell is a 62-Whr battery.

 

The Radiance display is truly brilliant, so I'd be curious to see how much power it draws compared to a similarly bright screen on another laptop - say the dv6. If there is a big difference, it may explain the strange difference in battery life between the Envy and laptop with lower spec'd batteries. Although, I don't have much experience dealing with the power ratings of various screens, so if somebody knows more, feel free to comment it up.

 

Sorry double post

 

OK guys, there are a few things that people are stressing about that has me going Whaaaaa?

First, why are all you waiting for a supposed deal?
HP GIVES A 21 DAY PRICE MATCH GUARANTEE[/SIZE]

This means if they have a sale where you could have gotten it for cheaper, they will refund you the difference.

So...stop....torturing ...yourselves...and..... BUY IT!

Hell you don't even have to pay for the return shipping if you don't like it. What is there to think about?

Just trying to throw some sanity out there guys.

Lastly, I am getting a Zaio Z and an HP Envy 14 @ the middle of next week. I will test them both and let you know what I believe are the pros and cons of each. Right now, the Envy is heavier, has less battery life and may not have as nice of a screen. The Vaio Z also runs a raid array on their SSD and has a i5-540m option (which I ordered. Shame on HP for not offering one! )so it will probably be faster. The Envy is thinner and perhaps sexier. Also, it may be a little more readable in the 1600 X 900 mode (I got a HD 1080 display on the vaio.) It is also about $700 cheaper (maybe more with the warranty from Costco).
Basically, the one with the longer battery life will probably win (maybe ).
Like I said, I will report back.

Hope this helps!

 

Microcenter.com

$1700, i5-520m, 4GB, GT 330m, 1600x900 13.3", 128GB SSD, DVDRW, 5+ hrs useful battery life, 2hrs gaming

$1600, i5-520m, 4GB, HD 5650, 1600x900 14.5", 160GB SSD, DVDRW, 4 hrs useful battery life, 1.5hrs gaming?

To be picky, Vaio Z comes with Win 7 Pro which is $150 upgrade

 

Why would anyone get a 1080p display on a 13" screen? I mean damn.

 

Didn't know about the PM guarantee, but even then, I've heard cases where the CSR was too d0uch3y to offer more than $100, which is kind of lame.

 

Because they are stupid enough to believe they may be able to read it.

Nah, it was a free upgrade and supposedly it helps with some of the graphics in microsoft (they are smaller and take up less space) even if you have the font at 125%.

We will see how it goes and whether it is better (IMO) than the Envy.

 

Source? Hp csr are terrible and I'd just prefer to avoid them.

 

o god. i want one. just waiting on confirmations for pcsx2 capability. for those who own it, can you run some gaming tests this weekend, just to give us an idea of what the 450/520M+5650's are capable of in the ENVY? People in the 3820TG forum who have 450M have been able to OC and get much higher benchmark scores.

Thanks all. Have a good nite!

 

Ditto and +1,000,000. I don't care if they're not from India or have a masters degree in English language. I'm risk and hassle averse.

 

ugh, this is so annoying. I won't have the money to buy this until after the school year starts, Bill Me Later won't approve me or my parents (their credit standards must be very high, my Mother's credit is actually quite good), and I have no credit cards to use.
EffML..

Any of you fine folks with good credit feel like lending my your name, birthday and social?

 

Odd, I'm only 23 and was approved with bill me later. I have crazy good credit...but not much history (5 years) which matters more than anything.

 

That is the official HP policy. Call and ask. If they don't match you can send it back. They even pay for return shipping.

 

well that sucks. On the bright side, when you do order it will ship relatively quicker

 

I'm sorry to ask again but I couldn't find an answer. Is the video memory GDDR3 or DDR3?

 

didn't know there was a difference

from ATI: DDR3/GDDR3 memory interface
ATI Mobility Radeon? HD 5650 GPU Specifications

so both?

 

GDDR3 and DDR3 are the same thing. GDDR3 just indicates that it is for the graphic card. It is basically an industry misnomer.

 

Yeah, I think the tapered design of laptops is REALLY bad. thicker in the back than in the front is a turn off for me.

 

why would anyone willingly downgrade? i wish the NV14 had 1080p....

 

Either way, I usually get a book or my keyboard pad and give it an inclined position. Improves cooling and gives my wrists an ergonomic feel.