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

thank you so much! and i asked a question earlier but u missed it how secure are the hinges?

 

ty erathostenes!

 

Hey all, been lurking for a while, decided to drop in. Ordered my Envy with the i7 720QM (yeah, I live dangerously) and slice. Will post battery times with and without the slice when it arrives this week. Looking forward to sterilizing myself with this badboy

 

Very secure..! Nothing to complain about at all.. Part of the overall build quality, I am very satisfied so far..

I really like the whole concept. See my pictures of the back removed..

 

Erathostenes, have you tried playing with the Quick Web feature? I want to know whats the boot time for that.

 

question whats the difference between intel wirless card and the broadcomm, is one better than the other? and in what way. And are you sure the US version isnt intel wireless cause its stated on the hp site.

 

thx man! what picture viewing program are you using?

 

Can you shed more light on the backlit kb? It seemed like the light was very uneven with some keys brighter than the others. Is there a border around the keys themselves? Like on the Sony laptops, there is a border and the letter imprint lights up itself and is pretty bright. How does the Envy's compare?

 

Exactly, you started whining instantly after not reading anything while I have read every single post in this thread!

I am sick of people repeating the same stupid thing about the picture of the uncalibrated battery meter, erath has not said yet how long the battery lasts under normal use and instead of asking him everyone just started whining and making assumptions. How hard is it to just ask him? He is here right now...

 

if i cant it direct from hp I'll for sure check this guy out

forfiet the 50 off but wont have to pay the 84 in taxes....he would actually be 30 cheaper!

 

I have a question about the CPUs. Higher bus speeds are in the i3-370, and the i5-450. I like the higher clock speed in the i5-520, but Im afraid that the speed will be bottlenecked because of the comparatively small bus size.
Could anyone give me some irl experience with these processors, and advise me on what to buy?
I will pick the i5-450 if the clock speed isn't bottlenecked because another $100 for an extra 266MHz is outrageous

I don't really know if Ill be using the VM features of the i5-520, is it worth the extra 100?

 

DO you guys know how many antenna they have? I am thinking about switching it to a intel 6300 or 6200

 

I think you will be fine with the i5-450m I also wanted the 520 until I saw that the dual clock speeds were the same and 100 dollar for a single core turbo boost of 266 mhz is crazy as well. Most programs now use dual cores anyway and in the future that is more likely. I doubt you will use VM or the AES encryption of the 520. Besides the 450 is a newer quarter release and hopefully more updated. The 370 is a great deal but I chose the 450 cause I just wanted the turbo boost, its helpful sometime and its only 50 more.

 

People on this forum go on and on about bus sizes. It doesn't make any difference in real world scenarios. It's not going to bottleneck you.

The only extra feature that is useful to most people when comparing between the i3 and i5 processors is Turbo Boost.

 

Still wondering about the differences between broadcomm and intel wireless cards... And are you sure the US version wont have the intel card cause its like directly stated on the site, but then again hp misinforms though this seems pretty straightforward on the site.

 

sorry sir, but i think you are getting too emotionally-invested in this. if you look at my post history, i am merely stating things. you, on the other hand...

thank you so much. your single letter convinced an entire corporation

well, i'm glad you weren't holding your breath waiting for those manuals

 

Thank you! Just because the i5-450m is a "newer" CPU doesn't mean a thing. It's a faster clocked 400 series CPU is all, nothing new or different about it. Bus speed absolutely will not be the bottleneck. If they found a way to open it up, then they did it probably because it made sense for the manufacturing process, because they could, not necessarily for better performance. That being said, I think you'll probably know if you need the VT-d or AES features of the CPU or not. You can run the software with the other chips, you just don't get the added benefits from those chipset instructions. If you don't do a lot of VM's then I wouldn't worry about it.

 

So is the extra battery for $200 the slice or what?

 

Thank you very much for the youtube video!

 

Wow! This is great! With that 100 i saved, I was able to get the 6GB ram, and the 500gb HDD.

 

There has been some conflicting reports from HP CSR... but this is what it shows under spec when you click help me decide. It describes the 6 cell as a "slim fit" which would imply the slice.

 

Exactly what I was thinking...I hope the US version is an Intel because IMO and from few experience I think the Intel wireless card is better that the broadcom wireless card

 

BTW to you people who are deciding between the 370 and 450...
i remember reading that not only do you get a slight turbo boost for the 450, but the integrated graphics are better....if that matters to you..
it won me over, that's for sure. it's only $50 more.

 

Good, I see you are actually reading the posts in the thread now instead of merely looking at the pictures, please continue.

 

the i3 370M's maximum IGP turbo is 667mhz and the i5 450M is 766mhz. The difference is small.

 

In erastothenes' video (thanks by the way), the vent at the back concerns me a bit since it is obstructed by the screen. I wonder if it might melt the plastic or warp the metal if it gets too hot?

 

What metal do you think they're using, mercury? If it was plastic I may be worried, however.

 

ohh thanks for the details. well...i'm getting the 450 anyway. my friend got a 13.3 MBP a while back...i'd rather say i have an i5 to his face than an i3. =].
$20 for the turbo boost and igp
$30 for bragging rights
xD

 

the graphics wont be better.

 

Well... He still wins on battery life big time, as well as size. :/

The price, i5, and 5650 are the only things that are keeping me on the Envy 14. The battery life is a turn off...

 

Not to knock on anyone, but there's a grain of truth within Nexus's not-so-subtle sarcasm. It's a bit arrogant to jump to the conclusion that a your e-mails to a billion dollar corporation elicited any real action. Prices change all the time. I learned a long time ago that Santa doesn't always read my letters.

 

I can pretty much 100% guarantee you that it's the slice. First of all, the battery is NOT external, it's internal, so you wouldn't have the bulge. Secondly it says "PLUS" 6-cell, so it's an add-on, and not an "additional" battery like it says for the additonal 8-cell.

 

Well.


Steam fleeced me as I fleeced steam this summer.

Least I'll have stuff to play on the envy.

Code:

Borderlands DLC
Borderlands
And Yet It Moves
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat
Thief: Deadly Shadows
Introversion Complete Pack - Summer 2010
Freedom Pack
Beat Hazard
Winterbottom
Bioshock (NA)
Shatter
Altitude
Dogfighter
Monkey Island Complete Pack
Left 4 Dead 2
Zeno Clash
Birth of America (gift)
Flotilla
Overlord Complete Pack
Trine
Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck's Revenge Pre-Order
The Deus Ex Collection
Mass Effect 2
Mirror's Edge
Dead Space
Oblivion Game of the Year Deluxe



So.... $200ish

 

i think 14.5 is a very good sweet spot for me. as for battery life, i don't think i'll be taking my laptop to class for notes....i prefer the pencil and notebook! i just need neater handwriting. lol. the envy 14 has a better value, and i'm too lazy to learn osx.

 

I left out the higher res screen too, that's definitely a plus the Envy 14 has, compared to the MBP 13.

 

Yup I agree with you... thought that was what I had conveyed in my post

 

agreed. initially i was waiting for a pc laptop to copy the giant, marvelous trackpad of the mbp's...i think the e14 is the closest so far.

 

Same here. I'm not a fan of the 13.3" size, so an extra 1.2" in diagonal real estate is a nice bonus. But for me, the ideal notebook would have been a refreshed Envy 15 with the Radiance screen, edge-to-edge glass, and a backlit keyboard. Only problem is I'm not entirely sure we'll be seeing either of the first two if/when the Envy 15 gets refreshed.

 

I believe Apple's glass touchpad is copyrighted, but I may be wrong. Someone please correct me if that's the case. If it's so, it may be some time before a PC maker comes out with something better.


I'll probably be content with the Envy 14 as long as I can two-finger scroll and use the neat Scrybe gestures. 3-point tap+hook gesture instantly brings up Facebook. >B

I can always find a workaround for right-click. Even Apple has yet to perfect two-finger right-click tapping which I could only get to work successfuly 2/3 times.

 

I was joking when I said that, hence the smiley, but as I said in a later post I am sure I am not the only one who complained. Every complaint is a drop in the bucket, it adds up.

 

And certainly not the only plus I hope? I went to the Apple store today (was with my sis-she was shopping for clothes and I decided to check out the MBP) and I must say, I was impressed. I held myself together, and resisted the urge to buy one there on the spot. I kept telling myself that the Envy 14 will be a million times better in every aspect. Yet for some reason, I had to go home and create a list of why I shouldn't buy a MBP. I won't post them just yet, but does anyone else have some good reasons why Envy 14>MBP 13''? Besides the obvious-price, screen, graphics, etc.

 

ATTENTION ALL POSTERS:

PASSMARK IS NOT LEGITIMATE. I REPEAT, NOT LEGITIMATE.

They show the 430m is faster than the 520m which is IMPOSSIBLE IN EVERY WAY.

Just FYI. People keep talking about how the 450m is possibly faster than the 520m, and I don't want people disappointed when that doesn't pan out. HP will have to appease so many customers with money if the upgrade wasn't truly an upgrade.

 

i think you're right about the copyright, but pc makers should come up with ideas to make something better in the future....hopefully =P.

i sort of gave up hope on the multi-finger gestures, but if it works or if i can find a way to get it to work, i'd be very happy =]. maybe see if that circular scrolling thing works...i saw it on one of synpatics' videos, but idk if it'll work on the e14. hopefully it will through drivers.

 

Windows 7 >>>>> OSX

reason enough.

 

Well a MBP can run Windows 7 and still get better battery life than the Envy 14.

However, I really don't see myself buying a MBP. I'd go pick up a UL30Vt and build a new desktop instead.

 

Watching HD youtube on battery should theoretically be smoother, ehh?

 

Bro, don't feel guilty for allowing your eyes to wander. I was in a similar situation not too long ago. Let me give you experience and the breakdown of what you're comparing.


I used a Macbook Pro for a month before selling it off to my sister. I enjoyed that notebook a lot. OSX had a unique way of handling things, but in short, I ended up realizing that I'm a Windows kid at heart. I also faced the reality that I would be using bootcamped Windows 90% of the time while in school for my software, so I was forced in the end to sell it as I wanted a slightly bigger screen and also to be able to run Windows natively. I must say that at 4.5 pounds, that Macbook Pro was one nice machine. The touchpad was slick and a joy to use. Inertial scrolling was and is pure awesomess. Only problem with the touchpad besides the right-click two-finger tap not being perfect was that the touchpad software gets 90% gimped when you go into boot-camp mode.

So if you like and plan to use OSX more than 70% of the time, love the lower weight of the 13.3" Macbook Pro compared to the 14.5" Envy, and don't need the higher i5/i7 and ATI 5650 specs, go ahead and scoop up a Macbook Pro. But if you plan to game and you're like me in that you want a slightly bigger screen and an even better display, get the Envy. The Macbook Pro's TN display is nice, but the Envy's is sure to be better.


In sum:

Macbook Pro
+Best touchpad around
+1" thick/4.5LBS
+Shiny silver
+Pretty good screen
+8-10 hr battery life
+OSX - Only if you enjoy it or need it

Envy 14
+Best screen around
+1.1" thick/5.25LBS (14.5" screen)
+Moderately good gaming specs
+Battery is replaceable
+Win7(native) - If you prefer it or need it


While one's heavier than the other, both look as though they could easily slip into a backpack for school.


One reason I'm buying this besides my slight worry about my Asus's remaining life is to supplement a shrunken down social life once school starts. I don't plan to have too much free time on my hands, so it'll be nice to be able to jam through the occasional 11pm round of SC or some FPS game Valve releases in the near future.

 

The Envy 15 slot load and backlit keyboard with a similar cooling system as the E14 would have been the absolute perfect laptop for me..but I <3 the envy 14 so I am ok with it =)

I feel ashamed of myself I am reinstalling WoW on my desktop right now sigh

 

I'd love to get an Envy 14 and stick an i7-660UM in there (2 cores, 1.33GHz, 2.4GHz max turbo). With almost half the TDP of the i3/i5/i7 options, I think you could easily hit 7 hours doing light web browsing.

 

YouTube - How do you kill, that which has no life?