*HP ENVY 17 & 17 3D (2XXX series) Owners Lounge*

Hi KJ,

I got tired waiting for a nice coupon for the Envy 17 3D, instead I ordered the this one:

• HP Pavilion dv7t Quad Edition customizable Notebook PC
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• 2nd generation Intel(R) Quad Core(TM) i7-2720QM (2.2 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache) w/Turbo Boost up to 3.3 GHz
• 1GB Radeon(TM) HD 6770M GDDR5 Graphics (I have a Xbox360 anyway )[HDMI, VGA]
• 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 640GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• No Additional Office Software
• FREE Upgrade to Norton Internet Security(TM) 2011 - 15 Month Subscription (activation required)
• 9-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery (over-sized, Hopefully no more heat/battery issues) - Up to 9.5 hours of battery life +++
• 17.3" diagonal HD+ HP BrightView LED Display (1600 x 900) (@home I'll be using an external 25-27" 1080p monitor anyway)
• FREE Upgrade to Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner
• HP TrueVision HD Webcam with Integrated Digital Microphone and HP SimplePass Fingerprint Reader
• Intel 802.11b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth(R)

Price: $1,539.99 (30% coupon discounted price: $1,077.99)

 

May i ask you how you got this price ?
Where can we get discount ?

 

Hopefully you'll be getting yours today too; mine was hanging out in Newark yesterday and made it all the way to New Hampshire by 10am.

Here's a couple from my cell phone -- I can dig out my real camera if it's hard to see in this picture.

Interesting -- I'm curious to see what other owners report

 

Yeah that looks exactly like how a couple of the early envy 14 owners seams.

they didn't build it correctly.

'course it took people forever to get replacements so whatver.

The clickpad looks kinda like the 14's also (isn't set in there 100% perfectly)

If you want you can attempt to reseat it and that usually fixes it but I was never bothered enough to try that.

 

xearon, nice pic, came out clear. So that gap? Hmmmm, well its not that bad to be honest. Looks like maybe there is a piece of metal or some chip in there? I could possibly live with it, not that worried. If you want to wait a couple days ok, or you can just send it now. But you have 21 days, so wait and play with it a bit....

Now, if it was a dead/stuck pixel, my unit would be out the door ASAP, lol. A pixel that was constant on my screen would bother me to no end. Hope I didn't just jinx myself, haha, we'll see in a couple days.

KJ

 

Jose good to see you're back and alive! It was all too quite in here without you, lol.

Anyway, looks like you always had the brains in the group, since I see you have a nice set up there my friend, very nice. I think you will be happy...you even managed to hook up a 1080p screen, excellent! I'm jealous now, and at that price, wow. Love to hear how it performes.

KJ

 

In fairness I think I owe some of you guys an apology. News broke over the weekend of a major flaw with the 2011 15/17in MBP's. Overheating / Freezing of the system seems to be the issue.

Apparently there is no perfect solution.

 

sad but true.


Well I mean..unless you wanna go Sager 17 incher like Wingnut did after his Envy 14 had a horribly broken gpu.

The sager 17 inch tends to have enough space for adequate cooling. I mean it is kinda heavy and all.

 

Fixed. Sager's cooling is pretty darn rock solid.

@Paul get a Dell M6500 or M6600 (newer). It is a mobile workstation. Won't have the battery life of a MBP, but will be more powerful and runs hella cool. The warranty on it is second to none (3 years next business day on site tech standard).
Not to mention it has the true looks of something appropriate for a 30+ year old professional, not a 19 year old college student.

 

My laptop arrived via FedEx today (ordered 2/28), and will be unboxed tonight. My IT guy talked me out of buying an SSD. Instead I'll insert another 7200RPM drive, likely between 500GB to 1TB.

HP Envy 17 3D customizable Notebook PC
* • Genuine Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
* • No Additional Office Software
* • 2nd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2820QM (2.3 GHz, 8MB L3 Cache)
with Turbo Boost up to 3.4 GHz
* • 1GB Radeon(TM) HD 6850M GDDR5 Graphics [HDMI]
* • 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
* • 640GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
* • One 6-Cell and One 9-Cell Lithium Ion Battery
* • 17.3" diagonal Full HD HP 3D Ultra BrightView Infinity LED Display
(1920x1080)
* • Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner
* • HP TrueVision HD Webcam
* • Intel 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth(R)
* • Backlit Keyboard
* • Adobe(R) Photoshop(R) Elements 9 & Adobe Premiere(R) Elements 9
* • HP 3D Active Shutter Glasses
* • HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

 

Just picked up my Envy from FedEx. I can't see any flaws so far fingers crossed! I'm going through the registration at the moment so I haven't had time to really do anything. The screen is beautiful by far the best laptop screen I have seen so far.

 

Got mine today, and I have the same cosmetic...defects(?) as the above poster. The clickpad is higher towards the back. Is it something they'd even fix? Good news is that the clickpad works great with me, responsive and accurate. Even if they do fix it, it's a small issue, so I'm not quite sure it's worth it...then again given the price... Or is it "normal"? Hm...

 

It's normal. Most Envy 17's have the raised trackpad from what I have seen. I am unsure about the gap but seems maybe maybe not nromal.

 

Raised trackpad on mine too but I don't see this as a flaw? It looks fine and seems like it is supposed to be raised so slightly at the top.

I don't have any gaps though all the seems are uniform.

 

I feel the same way. I probably shouldn't even care, but given the price I paid, it'd be nice to have something that's 100% properly assembled re: uneven seam.

I'm debating doing an exchange (too bad prebuilt models aren't available) or just keeping it. The tech support guy I just spoke with said that they can almost definitely fix it if sent in under warranty, although I worry about it getting dinged up while in for repairs and would probably never bother.

Would it be completely unreasonable to ask for a $50 rebate and call it even?

Edit: Good to see the raised clickpad, at least, appears normal

 

you could try? Not sure if they would give it to you but you could try

 

The raised trackpad won't bother me. Glad to know you have no gapping there. I guess if the gaps are a bother to you guys....return..but I know all too well...the waiting game will start again....

KJ

 

Not sure if you guys feel comfortable with it, but I would probably just open up the case and see why there is a gap. Obviously something is out of alignment. Guess what I am saying is, I'd rather take it apart myself than have some HP tech bust it open and possibly dent it in some other places.
I'm only 2 days into waiting, but it is killing me ;-)

 

So I completely messed up my graphics driver. After uninstalling the default drivers through the device manager, I attempted to install the 11.2 drivers from the ATI site. They installed in about 2 seconds and said "Installation complete (errors occured during installation). View log file." I viewed the log file and no errors occured. After restarting, all my games run fine and the display looks good but there is no CCC or switchable graphics options anywhere. The driver version in the device manager seems to indicate that Windows Update installed generic drivers (8.800.8.1000) for both Intel Integrated and ATI 6850M devices. I tried going to the HP Recovery Manager and reinstalling the factory drivers but the issue still persists, no CCC or switchable graphics. I did a system restore and the CCC options and switchable graphics options are there when I right click the desktop but nothing opens. It seems like I'm stuck with a generic graphics driver. Any solutions?

 

Was thinking about doing this -- mildly intimidated by the 200-something screws involved.

And FYI, I received my envy just 13 days after ordering it

 

slotti, that is actually a great idea! I mean....if someone gets the gap, but feels comfortable opening it up and seeing what is blocking the case...then yeah. If someone does do that, it would be sooooooo soooo great if you could post a DIY fix for the gap issue, pics are a bonus with +reps! Lol.

KJ

 

mcchea

Try using Driver sweeper this time. Driver sweeper cleans out remnants of old drivers and registry entries....which sounds like your problem...

Phyxion.net - Driver Sweeper

Boot into Safe Mode (F8 on bootup)...run driver sweeper. You can then try to at least install the drivers from C:\SWSETUP folder from Safe Mode....if the install won't run there...reboot to Windows and Try again...

 

Well, I don't have mine yet (I am hoping for those 13 days as well ) and I am sure hoping it will arrive without a gap, but if it does, I will most definitely take it apart and do a little FYI. Had to do it once on my old Samsung Laptop (before they were even selling in the US), since I broke out the on/off switch. Was intimidated at first as well, but once you have it open, you are halfway there. My on/off switch got fixed with zap-a-gap and some good clear packing tape. Can't tell it was even touched once I had it back together.....But then again, I remember my mom almost having a heart attack when I took apart my dad's Hifi receiver 30 years ago, because I wanted to know what it looks like on the inside.

 

The most I've done to my 17 is pop off the drive cover.

I did however tear pretty deeply into an Envy 15 last year. The experience was a bit -- hair raising.

Lots and lots of tiny screws. Tiny screws everywhere. Thin and fragile layers that you feel like you might break at any moment. Ribbon wires with connections that can be destroyed with a single misstep.

If you rate yourself higher than a "competent hobbyist" then by all means go for it. HP's service manuals are good and if you keep track of what went where and take pictures and have little containers for your screws you can get through it without heavy sweating. But I would not recommend this to anyone who's extent of experience with delicate electronics is building their own desktop PC.

This is coming from the guy that will usually tell you to throw caution to the wind when it comes to monkeying with your computer.


Edit: If you do tear into your envy, will you please take many pictures of how the clickpad physically attaches to the chassis, measurements of the various screws and other support members that hold it in place, pictures of the ribbon wire (both ends), and as many other details as possible. I promise to find a way to make this worth your while. If you decide to tackle this and do not own a digital caliper, PM me your address and I will have a Mitutoyo shipped to you. I'm assuming you already own or can acquire quality tiny screwdrivers of various sizes and the other various tools required.

I'm as serious as a heart attack about this.

 

maybe they went the envy 14 route with the newer 17s (easy to take apart..to an extent anyway)


though *shrugs* not like they didn't "conveniently" forget to mention several important things in the manual. Mainly wires being taped down that are tiny and if you pull them too soon they're gonna tear

 

Would love for someone to post a review in the next few days. I'm pretty sure the Envy 17 is gonna be it for me. Was gonna get a 15, then they got discontinued, waited for SB, still no 15, who knows when the 14 is gonna get refreshed (and even then, it won't have great graphics, and no 1080p). So this looks like it'll be it.

I did configure a vanilla 17 and a 17 3D, and the 3D came out like $200 cheaper with the same options lol. (2720qm, 1tb hd, 1080p, blu-ray)

 

They use a "quiet" boot image to hide most of the behind the scenes bios checks. The "white" hp boot logo is on for about 5-10 seconds before the screen goes black for a few seconds followed by a "stuck" windows logo, followed by the moving windows load bar. I still haven't had a chance to update my bios. I'm not gonna make a big deal about it. I'm going to get use to it, it's just a few seconds... at work I can walk to the caf and buy a cup of coffee before my pc loads! lol

 

No go...still only installs a driver without CCC.

 

ya know, Mcchea. I didn't realize you were on an envy 17 when you asked me for stuff.


DON'T install the hp drivers link I gave you. That's for the wrong computer

I thought you were on an envy 14.

 

Well I pretty much already said multiple times how to repair the system using a windows 7 installation DVD. I suppose backing up the SWSETUP folder would have been a good thing in retrospect, but honestly I just used the HP Recovery Manager to create the five (5) DVD's necessary to restore the system to factory default. Once I had those DVD's, I went into the RAID bios and broke the stripe (which effectively erased the data and OS). I then booted off DVD #1 and it went through an automated restore after a couple questions. After loading the last DVD, the system went through a final reboot where it died on the "non-bootable" issue. Fix per my previous instructions and let it boot back up. HP Recovery program will take back over and finish your restore.

- The SSD + HDD raid issue is something I am hoping HP Nate can address behind the scenes. This is pure idiocrity on behalf of the installer on the production line.

- The boot issue using the recovery media is probably a software bug. HP probably OEM'd the app used to make the DVD's, so this will take some engineers to codefix the problem.​

Overall it wasn't too bad of a process, but I think the pc novice might get lost along the way.

 

Oh this is going to be annoying. Now that the volume controls are on the function keys, I can either use them without having to hit fn first, OR I can have the use of f5 without having to hit fn first. Small nit, but definitely not ideal.

 

I finally fixed it. I ended up having to change the InstallManager.cfg in the C:\SwSetup\Drivers\ATI_VGA1\Config folder. I changed the last line in the file: WorkaroundInstall and change "False" to "True" and it finally installed correctly.

 

that's good to hear.

 

I got my Envy today too. The clickpad is a little flushed at some part which I thought was normal so I didn't care much and probably won't. So far I don't see any flaws yet.

 

Not ideal, but taken from the viewpoint of the other implementations on the market, it isn't that terribly bad.

I've had Dell's with a dedicated hardware button for volume, and that can be really nice.

Most laptops require you to pres the Fn key to mess around with your volume, or backlight or other type stuff. In a perfect world I'd want dedicated hardware keys for everything, but there is only so much real estate for fancy buttons and the people making much more than me yearly are probably running studies and finding that most consumers are cool with the current situation.

I'm also probably the worst possible person to talk about computer audio with, because I always always always run an external dac/amp chain (even when traveling) for about a thousand reasons that are outside the scope of this thread, regardless of what Dr. Dre has to say about it.

I did change the BIOS settings on my Envy 17 to have the upper row work as F1-F12 as god intended and it made me happy. I'll bang on the fn key or use windows mobility center if I need to mess around with that other stuff well before I'll sacrifice the ability to mash the f5 key on my favorite internet forum. I don't find it that hard to change my work patterns to manage these types of things.

 

I will take pictures, no worries. And as for the Mitutoyo, gee what ever happened to the good old manual ones . I still have one laying around somewhere (it is metric, but it will do).
BUT, this whole endeavor might take a bit longer. How do you spell:

T-H-E-S-E
I-D-I-O-T-S

When I ordered on Saturday, they told me I would get a confirmation email by no later than 10pm EST today. Well, all I got was a cancelation email. They canceled my order. Turns out, they tried to call my home phone (found a message on the VM) to confirm the order. I told the guy when I ordered to make a note to not call me on my home phone, but my cell. I did not even want to give him my home phone, but he said they would need it for billing confirmation (which is pretty stupid in the first place).
So now I have another dealy and they better still honor my rebate, otherwise I will have to get this one out and use it for some other things but the intended.

 

BTW, confirmed that the Envy 17 3D SB does have a UEFI bios which is probably why it loads slower than the older ones I'm used too.

 

Yeah, keep in mind I am coming from an archaic laptop, a 6 year old pavilion! What was nice though, was that it had dedicated touchscreen buttons for volume and mute. I guess this is just how things evolved! I'll be changing it to normal fn key functionality as well.

Another thing that's getting hard to get used to is this multitouch touchpad! It's fine to use normally, but this two-finger scrolling sometimes ends up magnifying or shrinking the screen by mistake. I guess I just need to develop new muscle memory for it. Besides that it's really not bad, either I just don't realize how bad this touch pad really is, or they've drastically improved it from some of the horror stories I've heard!

 

The "Fn" keys may bother me slightly simply because I've been using shortcut keys since my Gateway 2000 I had when I was 2. It won't be entirely difficult though. I feel like the Envy 17 3D SB is like a sexier and more powerful version of my MacBook Pro where additional functions are stored on the "Fn" keys. Still, I agree that it is a bit odd.

 

FYI You guys if the FN function keys bother you check the BIOS. It should have an option so that you don't have to press FN to use the F1-F12 keys. Or at least the previous generation of Envy 17's did (Pre-SB).

 

Oh, that's pretty bad, but yeah, not really that big a deal. My VAIO literally takes ~1 sec to get to loading the OS after you press the power on button. I hope this can be improved with a BIOS update or something.

What do you mean with "quiet" boot image though? Some special/customised (by HP) Windows 7? Reckon a clean install could change that?

 

Is there any bloatware that you guys recommend to be uninstalled for Envy 17 3D?
And which driver is needed to be updated? Cause I tried downloading everything from the Support and Drivers on Hp.com and it messed up the computer LOL. Sorry or at least let me know where to find what version my drivers is?

And I worked on the Envy 17 3D from 5pm-11.30pm yesterday and it didn't even get warm. I might try to play some games today to further test it out.

 

What audio editing/CD burning programs are pre-installed with the Envy?

 

I miss dedicated media buttons too. A small group of them in the upper right corner would have been a welcome addition. I hate having to press FN+F# to control those things. I also need my F# keys to work the way they were intended. It's a minor annoyance.

I'm still getting use to it myself. I like to rest a finger from my left hand on the left button while moving the mouse with a finger on my right hand. The cursor likes to jump all over the place when I do that though. I haven't had much problems with pinching, but then again I have an iPhone so I am used to that.

Yes, on the SB Envy you can toggle the function of the F# keys in the bios. One of the first things I did when I powered mine on.

 

Cyberlink Blu Ray suite.

As far as bloatware...I don't think that there was very much at all. I understand that some machines will ship with Norton on it. For me, that would be the first to go. I was pretty surprised when my first Envy showed up and Windows 7 did NOT have Service Pak 1 on it.

 

my envy 17 3D SB is still in production. i ordered it on March 10. still playing the waiting game.

 

So whats a recommended course of action when you first get it? I mean as far as uninstalling or installing certain things to make it run at its full potential?

 

Newer UEFI bios's are fairly slow to boot compared to older ones we've become accustomed too. Generally speaking, an internal BIOS will still control the initial power on of the laptop but eventually hands control over to the newer UEFI sub-routines to finish initializing the hardware and prepare it for OS control. As UEFI evolves it will probably get better. I worked on some IBM blades with a UEFI bios that took over 5 minutes to load!

UEFI just started to appear openly last year, so going forward almost all computers will use it.

When the BIOS starts to boot the laptop, it displays a black & white HP logo. It hides the status messages of the bios boot. I think you can turn this logo off, but this is basically to not confuse people who don't understand what the bios is doing since most don't need to see those diagnostic messages. The windows install would not matter to the bios start-up routine.

 

Yeah, it also ships with outdated Adobe Reader, Flash, Shockwave, and Java. Need to update those in order to avoid severe security flaws.

Very little bloatware otherwise. Very easy to clean up.

I'm starting to warm up to MSE for cheap AV, however I'm a long time Kaspersky customer so it's my preferred AV of choice right now.

 

I have been using Vipre by Sunbelt for about 2 years by now, and I love it. If you check the system resources, it is hardly there. I used to have Norton 360 before and was wondering why my system became so slow over time, till I checked system resources and found out that Norton took 20% of them!!! Admitted, is was an old computer but still.

Hmm pavilion = archaic...wonder what my old Dell Inspiron 8200 from 2001 would classify as ....and yes, it had the dedicated volume buttons, even some cutomizable start buttons....the good old days