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

yes, OS X must have some special software that allows it to get the mileage it gets. it only uses a 63 Whr battery if i remember correctly.

 

My biggest problems with the envy 15 is it gets a bit hot under load, to the point where you have trouble keeping it on your lap, the screen doesn't bend back all that far, and I only get about 3 hours of battery life. The extra buttons on the left side of the keyboard tend to mess with my typing from time to time as well.

The e14 addresses most of my issues with my e15. I like the fact that it is a little smaller(great for traveling), no extra side buttons, doesn't get as hot, and opens a bit wider from the pictures I have seen. The one thing we are all waiting on is the battery life issue. I'm considering going with a 25w or even 18w cpu if the performance hit isn't too terrible. The i7-640lm looks attactive as max clock is still close to the 3ghz range, and the onboard gpu being slower than the i5 35w model, would still fulfill my requirements of websurfing and video watching while on an airplane.

At this point I'm waiting on the price to potentially drop, but more than that waiting for someone to verify that you can indeed do a cpu swap and that the cpu isn't soldered to the mb.

I think i'll be joining the e14 owner ranks sooner than later.

 

I don't know if it makes a difference but I did a clean install and usually have under 40 processes running at any one time. I usually go into msconfig and the registry and make sure as little is running as possible. I get about 3 hours just web surfing. Screen at 40% brightness. Don't think it makes a difference but it has the matte display, not the glossy.

 

77.5 Whr in the MBP15. But they use some things that keep battery life up, like a 5400rpm hard-drive and yes OS X.

 

As we Europeans are stuck with the 2-3 pre-configured models HP seems fit, it seems we miss out on a spec with SSD.

As I really would like my E14 to feature a SSD, I’m planning to replace the shipped HDD. Is it possible to somehow get the original installation of Win7 transferred from the shipped HDD to a SSD?

Maybe burn out the recovery discs, swap the drives, and then use the recovery discs?
Of course if this works you lose the recovery partition. Which I really like. As I’m not the best at keeping track of my recovery discs

The Danish configurations briefly showed up on HP's site today. But they were taken down again. I had the link bookmarked though:
HP Envy 14-1000 notebook pc-serien Hjem og hjemmekontor

 

You would think they learned and had themselves more prepared this time. Here's to hoping!

Can't blame HP. Mayb Microsoft needs to step it up here...

 

Go here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-...-hp-laptop-out-box-guide-2-0-windows-7-a.html

it's got some stuff 'bout backing up your windows 7 activation (among other things)

 

If you want small and light, and money isn't factor, you might want to get a Z regardless of battery life. But I don't know if the Z is actually any better with regards to its battery-- this Notebookcheck.com review for instance has it very much in-line with what we're seeing from the early Envy 14 reports.

 

I agree with you. It seems like Envy 14 is so popular that it attracts a lot of people with different needs, like 1080p screen, 8 hrs battery life with just the stock battery, ice cold temperature under load, more powerful processor, cheaper price.

I was kind of worried about the build quality and temperature when the Envy 17 reviews came out, but the initial reviews on Envy 14 seems ok in those area and I'll probably wait until a in-depth review comes out before I pull the trigger (hopefully within the next 2 weeks).

But seriously guys and gals, HP finally did a good job on this one, so stop worrying and pull the trigger !!! (alright, I am talking to myself here ).

 

Most of us are satisfied with the reviews but are too stingy to pull the trigger just yet.

 

still...resisting....starting to...give out...

 

with a basic configuation like an icore 5-430M on the envy 14 you think with minimal settings you can pull off 3 hours?

how about the envy 15 envy second gen?

 

I ordered mind Jul. 1, around 9. Weird. I'll be calling HP...

 

Ya, its 2slots. My dv2610us is the same way. You push the ram stick down (towards the slot), and it ejects itself, and swings out, like an old-school Tape deck. then, you squeeze the two latches on the left/right, and it pops the ram out. Installing ram is a matter of inserting it back into the slot correctly, and then pressing down hard, kinda like the buttons on your pants/shirts, when you snap 'em together. It's kinda sketchy at first, but the plastic is pretty durable, at least in the dv2610us (dv2000/dv2500).

 

You guys seem to forget that Apple Computers where built for OSX and only OSX in mind. The hardware and software are optimized for each other. Their forth is the perfect harmony equaling good battery life. Now when u install Windows unto a Mac the battery life drops...wonder why? Mac's weren't built for windows. I agree Microsoft should make the next Windows with laptop's in mind.

 

Yea easily actually. It lasts almost 3 hours while playing a DVD so.....

 

Long live hp dv-series (the old school pavilion dv-series).

 

Since you bought Win 7 with the E14, you own the licence to the software. Just get a friend, or coworker who has install disks and use your licence to activate.
Or you could download the disks and use the licence.

It also removes that pesky bloat-ware

 

Hope this is possible, cuz HP's bioses don't allow for much customization.

 

Hmm, after reading the specs on the Intel i5-XXXUM processors, they just look like a down-clocked version of normal i5's. I wonder if there's any way to lower the voltage being fed to the processor, so we could take a normal i5 and essentially do the same thing.

 

@erathostenes,

Any way to confirm if the CPU is soldered or removable? Or is that asking too much?

Thanks again for your guidance!

 

Can anyone comment on the possibility of the E14 being able to accommodate 2 HDD's given one buys the proper parts? I only ask because I'm not too up-to-date on current laptop form factors, but dozens of pages ago someone mentioned a "hdd caddy" and using it to fit an SSD and HDD (perhaps both 1.8" form factor?) into the E14.

I know that nobody knows if the E14 can do this or not, but I'm mostly interested if this is something that other laptops can typically do. If others can, I can hope that the E14 will be able to as well

 

Yes, we're aware of that.

Moving along.

 

I think the complaint comes from advertised 7 hours. If they said 4 hours battery life then a lot of the people would've looked elsewhere long ago. And it would not be a big issue in the thread.

there's been what, one mini review? No official review? I don't want to jump on HP saying they built a great laptop yet after two users have mentioned they like what they see. No gaming tests which is good test for heat. We need more units to give it a full thumbs up on build quality. I'll admit even for me with the M11x, the majority of people and early reviews praised the build quality. I've had two, first one with superb build quality and this second one I'm returning with poor quality. So yeah I personally am waiting for more people to talk about the build quality as I'm afraid of issues that may not be noticeable with 2 days of owning the laptop.

 

this looks like gleat laptop

 

Im curious to see screenshots or a detailed listing of the mouse settings out of the box. Im also curious to see how Scrybe & iBUYPOWER's MAGIC Software work with the Envy 14's touch pad.

Im sure the Radiance screen will get a thorough review, considering the hype about the 350nit screen with 82% color gamut & wide viewing angle. It would be a neat option to be able to tweak your screen settings in a way that lends to more battery life. Sure, do graphic design, movie editing, CAD, etc. with the brilliant screen, but be able to control some aspects to enable more battery life while web browsing, and lighter activities that may not fully require 100% of the screens capabilities. Not talking about extremely unnecessary measures, just moderation. Any takers...?

More time will allow a closer look at the battery life, however I'm also curious about controlling some of the i5's feature set to gain battery as well.



Thanks to erathostenes, StefanHT, and future Envy 14 owners investigative efforts! :~}

 

Isn't the ibuypower magic software only for touchscreen laptops?

 

Well I received my Wenger SwissGear backpack today! I am pretty surprised they delivered it on the Saturday before the 4th. It looks pretty snazzy I hope the quality is just as good.

Now to wait for the laptop...

 

Meh. No need to be overcautious. We all know about HP's 21-day return policy. If the first one's a dud, I can always do a return/rebuy, no problemo.


This isn't some science project.

 

Which one did you order? I'm jumping on the Swiss Pegasus.

 

Yup, that about sums it up for me.

And for all the battery-minded out there, here's the Notebookcheck test of the Asus N82.

Idle (without WLAN, min brightness) - 6h 26min
Surfing with WLAN - 3h 45min
DVD - 2h 58min
Load (maximum brightness) - 1h 29min

I think I recall one of the lucky German owners saying they got about 2:40 with a DVD, and that's without breaking the battery in. So it looks like the 14 will be in this range. And that's not too shabby.

 

I do appreciate the no hassle return policy, but I don't exactly have the time and funds to have it tied somewhere for a test run on a machine. I'd like to know what I'm getting into first and if something does happen then sure I have a 21 day window. I'd rather know I waited to make sure things were good before jumping. =)

It's no science project - but then again I never spent $1000+ on some science project.

 

I ordered the one that was available to order with the Envy 14, the SwissGear 15.6" Granite backpack. I think it was around $37 after student discount.

 

hmm, how the heck did you do that? I have an Envy 15 with an i5 520m, sand I did a clean reinstall, and I cut down services and programs that I don't need, and I only got 2 and a half hours of battery max while web surfing. The i7 draws a lot more power, and you still got half an hour more battery life than me?

 

Let's go start a Backpacks for the Envy 14 thread!

 

This return policy is one-time, or for each notebook you receive from them? (i.e., if the first one sucks, return it; second one sucks, return it; keep going till you get a good one?)

Thx

 

Shameless bump, because I really wanna know about a good laptop bag. Especially one that will cradle my baby with care.

 

Please post in the backpack thread I'm gonna start posting in it pretty soon.

 

Buddy, I think you're missing completely the point. If HP were to tomorrow release a $250-350 off coupon for the first 3,000 users, you can sure as hell bet at least 1,000 of those uses will be used by frugally minded NBR members and lurkers, gap/seam/heating/battery life/WoWaholicism issues or none. We've seen 2-3 owners so far with no problems, so many of us are making the reasonable assumption that HP is doing something right at least part of the time. Even if we encounter problems, we're willing to take a risk as long as there's a more than just slight chance a second or third return/exchange will yield a winner. You can go ahead and keep waiting and waiting for more reviews. That's fine and cool.


Oh, and for some clarification, you normally exercise an extreme level of caution in detail-intensive science projects. But one small problem: This is just a notebook, not some mini rocket we're launching 2,000 feet into the air in front of hundreds of kids. Although you might be able to impress everyone and score a one night stand with the prom queen if the launch proves successful, I don't have similar expectations with a notebook purchase.

 

OOOooohhh! They have one of those!
Gee Whizz! This place has everything spiffy!

 

I just got the 14" link sleeve, or whatever its called. I just came in yesterday. Looks great, feels great, soft as crap on the inside and thick enough to protect without being bulky. I'm planning on just sliding that in my backpack in front of my books.

 

could it be a backpack/sleeve thread? my northface has a laptop sleeve, which i'd rather utilize rather than buying a (possibly uglier) laptop bag. a sleeve would fit right in there and offer some padded protective goodness.

soft as crap? uhm.....okay. does it stink too? roflcoptar

 

No, not a one time gig, hence my puzzlement with the paranoia.



People, grow a pair and lose the P.C. fear of the oh-so dangerous world. You're going to have to take risks wherever you go. How do you think I feel about taking on a mountain of debt and competing against Ivy League grads and geniuses in my school?

 

Didn't even know they had one haha, I'll go check it out.

 

Can you link us to the product web page? I'm thinking a sleeve is enough for me.

EDIT: Sorry... It was on HP's website.
http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/s...v1=sleeve&product_code=WU677AA#ABL&catLevel=2

 

LOL... Know what I haven't talked about in a long time? SC2. It's coming up quick. I think I'm gonna grab it without a notebook though, cuz some family emergencies came up...

 

I agree. Considering the first 2 initial showings, Im optimistic about seeing more of these positive critiques about the Envy 14 as they continue to roll out.

I'm not sure, but the Envy's more reserved big brother has touch screen capabilities, so I hope its a matter of time until the more Premium Envy line includes touch screen capability as well. Its only a matter of time... tick tock.

 

I agree. Considering the first 2 initial showings, Im optimistic about seeing more of these positive critiques about the Envy 14 as they continue to roll out.

I'm not sure, but the Envy's more reserved big brother has touch screen capabilities, so its only a matter of time until the more Premium Envy line includes touch screen capability as well. tick tock.

 

I give thanks to those who have posted impressions of their Envy 14, as it just got me to make an order for the following:

# • Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-450M Dual Core processor (2.40GHz, 3MB L3 Cache)with Turbo Boost up to 2.66 GHz
# • 4GB DDR3 System Memory (1 Dimm)
# • 160GB (Solid State Drive Flash Module)

 

But no one mentioned any coupons or BCB in this conversation until now. If a $300 coupon released, I never said I wouldn't jump on it. I would be greatly tempted. But at this point there is no major incentive except getting the laptop sooner. Until something comes out - a review or coupons, then I can wait =)

If I had more money than I do, then I would probably go for it right now too, but you're also assuming I can just take that risk of putting $1000 toward something and have it tied up for 3 weeks while it's built only to find out something major in that time since the order was placed. And even if nothing bad came out of it, I like to know my money is being wisely spent, not tossed around just because I can return things. If that was the case I would be going out to buy tons of crap from best buy just to play with it and return it knowing I have premier silver with no restocking fees. but that's just irresponsible on my part.