HP ENVY Touchsmart 14 (2013)

Anybody know if HP is gonna refresh its site later in the day. Most of the sites have said HP planned on released it on the 26th of june. im on eastern time so maybe it will appear later in the day?

 

I too thought it was going to come out today. I have not heard anything different. I talked to a HP sales person via chat and of course she had no clue of a release. Hopefully it does get released soon. I am thinking after the good coupons that expire on the 29th of course, hope I'm wrong.

 

Actually i think their seemed to have been a bit of confusion. The Hp pavilion touchsmart 14 was released yesterday. Apparently the ENVY touchsmart 14 is going to be released some later in the summer. unless someone can tell me otherwise?

 

What month is this slated to come out in the US? Very interested but there's been no more talk since late May when it was announced.

 

From what i have read it was supposed to have been released the 26th of june. The high end display model was to be released in august.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

Other regions of Hp websites. i believe this to be chinese, are already showing the envy touchsmart 14 online. Frustrating that the US site still dosent even show it.
HP ENVY TouchSmart 14-k000 Sleekbook | HP®

 

The envy 14 sleekbook has been on the hp site for a while but still no options to purchase. i purchased the envy 15 j000 but the FHD display is very low quality and the keyboard flex is horrible.
http://www8.hp.com/us/en/products/laptops/product-detail.html?oid=5375376#!tab=models

 

It is showing core i5 to run that 3200 x x1800 resolution. Surely they must pair an i7 with it. Also no SSD hybrid drive shown, dealbreaker for me.

 

Totally agree with the 15-j000 statement. Considering the 14 inch version in the same category/design of this years 15" and 17" model, I would be highly cautious about buying the 14, as one would expect the same raft of issues and build quality to go with it,

 

Amazon.com : HP 14" i5 4200 8GB 750GB Notebooks : Electronics
Also saw it on the Sams Club website, for $749.

Amazon listing (sold by Beach Camera) says 7.5hr battery life.

This is not touchscreen though, and crappy 1366 resolution.

Any news on this laptop?

 

HP ENVY TouchSmart 14t-k000 Ultrabook | HP® Official Store

Can customize it with i7-4500U, 2GB GT 740m, 8BG RAM, Backlit Keyboard for $1225. Good or bad?

I know HP generally gets a bad rep for build quality. Is the Envy line any better by any chance? I am looking for a 14" laptop and this looks really good to me. I wish it had FHD screen but I am ok with 900p if it's a good screen. Anybody know if it's a good type of screen used?

 

You can apply a 15 percent coupon thats floating around.

 

With ssd caches does the Operating system already come installed on the ssd?

 

If any of you hear about when the 3200x1800 screen is going to be released, let me know

 

Looks like the 3200 x 1800 is coming out next week at COMEX in Singapore. Not sure what that means for US availability...

Preview: HP

HP Envy 14 TouchSmart - First Notebook with QHD Display to Debut - COMEX 2013 - HardwareZone.com.sg

 

I guess this high-res thing is just never going to happen, even our business HP rep says getting new information on this is impossible.

 

HP is replacing the first gen envy 14 in my sig with this because of a screw up on their end:
----- envy touchsmart 14-k100 with - 4th generation i5-4200U | GT 740M Graphics | (1600 x 900) | 8GB DDR3 |500GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive | blacklit keboard

I'm sure this is an awesome deal (new laptop for a 3 year old laptop!) but does anyone own any of these things?
I can't find anything except stock images from HP when I search for it.

Can anyone comment on the build quality of the touchsmart 14-k100?
Does it have aluminum backing?
Is the trackpad flush with the chassis like the old envies?

Either way, i'm pretty excited for this thing to get here

 

I was told by the rep that 14t-k100 is same as k000 except comes with Windows 8.1 instead of 8.0. So you could look at a k000 review to get some ideas.

Noone could tell me anything about the high-res screen. Went through three different reps.

I have mine on order so I will be able to tell you in a couple weeks about it (k100)

I'm kinda worried the screen will be too dissapointing and I'll have to send it back. But otherwise I should be able to have a great system with the specs I want. 4500u 16gb 256ssd+1tb HDD, decently slim case (although heavy)

This page Some wierd non-english review siteî has some photos of a similar model (non high-res ones or anything though)

 

Well to update this from last month, my original date of 10/30 passed and I called and complained. They gave me a new est date of 11/14. Well here we are and still no word so I called and complained again. This time they offered me 50$ (~5%) refund and assure me that the email with the tracking number should hit my inbox within 24-48 hours. So I figure I will give it till Tuesday at least before I call and complain again. It will be well over a month since my order date that I will have the laptop. I guess the horror stories are true about OEMs besides Apple. I've always bought equipment 3rd party from Newegg and other retailers who have great service and parts and clear availability on their sites that is almost always accurate. The parts that will go into this laptop have been setting on my kitchen table for almost 2 weeks. So I am pretty disappointed in HP that they are giving me the run-around and made what should be an enjoyable experience into misery. I know nobody will likely read this or care but I figured I had to post it somewhere!

May your luck be better than mine....

 

What are the thoughts on this QHD one at Microsoft store? It checks off a lot of boxes.

Buy HP ENVY TouchSmart 14-k110nr Sleekbook - Microsoft Store

 

W T F HP so mad right now.. can't even say.

After some checking, this laptop has only been on the MS website since Monday (11/18) But, as far as I know, is the first 14" QHD+ available. Now I have to decide: send my k100 with 4500u, 1tb, Nvida Gfx, and wireless AC back to HP and get this instead? or Keep my current one and try and buy the screen for the k110nr somewhere?


BAHHHHHHHHHHHH

If they had the 4500u CPU + GFX instead of 4200u it would be a nobrainer...

 

Oops didn't mean to rub salt into any wounds Jazzman.

Yeah it seems like the Envy 14 is a much more customizable chassis than HP is allowing it to be right now when you look at the manuals they have on their website of all the parts that can go with it. I guess at the $999 price point at microsoft store HP made a few compromises with this unit. The hard drive seems fairly pedestrian, as it doesn't seem to even have the cache that the ones on HP's website have. WiFi seems to be their standard non-AC but I guess that is not a huge concern yet.

Maybe with these ENVY's if you like the frame you can always switch out the parts that bug you later.

I'd like to see the screen in person and see what ISP and 3200X1800 is like in person. And see if it is worth the compromises and the extra money. As I have have an older mac with a lower res matte screen I don't have much basis to compare. But I don't feel like heading to the malls in my area with a microsoft store but I might call have to if I continue to consider this one.

 

There is no mention of the 24gb cache drive on MS site you linked, but if you look at the full spec on HP's web site, it is included. HP ENVY TouchSmart 14-k110nr Ultrabook Product Specifications | HP® Support

I would bet it is in there even if MS doesn't mention it. Since the manuals are the same I am thinking it would be a straight across swap of the screen units (with bezel, antennas, etc) Very very tempting since my 14t-k000 gets here monday and I actually have the cash right now even! If my girlfriend can get her .edu address squared away and I can buy the k110nr for $900, I think I may do it. Then I can compare the 1600x900 TN to the 3200x1800 IPS in person! (before I get rid of one)

 

I then went on to order the 727492-001 which I am pretty convinced is the 3200x1800 QHD+ IPS screen as it is the only part # available for the k110nr screen. Total cost for the screen upgrade was 344.91.

 

Thanks for that link. The MS Store doesn't do a great job providing specs. $900 would be very tempting since a similarly spec'd k100 with a 1600 X 900 screen is $894 (not accounting for any potential discounts) on HPs website.

Edit: I see your chat about the screen upgrade... best of both worlds you get your discreet graphics and the QHD. For me and my web browsing, hulu watching, and MS Office stuff I don't know if the graphics are worth it, eventhough I romanticize the thought.

 

It sucks they release this great screen but only in a single model with lower end spec. The bonus of the k100 is you can spec it with all the internal goodies: 4500u, 740gt Graphics, 802.11AC. I think I made the right choice (provided the new screen is the correct one) and I will literally have the exact laptop I want - great screen, 16gb Memory, 256gb SSD w/1TB HDD, etc.

But: the cost is not cheap to do this:
Laptop: 1062
Memory/SSD from Newegg: 360
Screen: 344
Total:
1766USD

 

Hi Jazzman,

Thanks for pointing me to this site. I'm very interested in the 14t-k100 (and after reading this thread possibly the 14-k110nr). Can anybody who has experience with these models comment on the display (either the 1600x900 or the higher one). Are the colors vibrant or washed out? How is the contrast ratio? I've had almost no luck finding reviews about the 14t-k100 so any insight is appreciated.

Thanks,

ZLEX

 

Here the only other external review I've found that isn't already in this thread, its from India and has the 1366x768 screen:
HP ENVY TouchSmart 14 Review - Thinkdigit Reviews

Here is a chinese review with decent photos, including thermals, and some other specs/info:
Google Translate

Another review (Korean) with some good pictures - Page 4 has pics of the washout of hte screen, page 7 has good pictures of the insides - model k008tx w/1600x900
Google Translate

Here is the service manual, says a lot about the parts used and types, how to take it apart, etc. Its for all 14t-kXXX and 14-kXXX models
http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c03960968.pdf

 

Thanks for the links, Jazzman. The first one reported that the 1366x768 screen was sharp but had poor contrast. Since the 1600x900 uses the same technology, I'd imagine it would be the same, which is unfortunate. Maybe the 3200x1800 screen will be better but I don't know when we'll start seeing reviews of that model...

 

Hey, Jazzman, did your Envy arrive today? How do you like it?

 

Hey yes it did come today. It's OK, I like it a lot. There is some disappointment though... mainly in the display and build quality - there is some flex around certain areas of the keyboard (asw/capsloc area and klio area mostly..) more than I expected but not a deal breaker. The travel of the keys is definitely not as nice as I expected either, but I'll get used to it. My old laptop is a Asus U36SD and the envy is almost exactly the same size, 1cm wider but the same width and depth (21mm-ish) even though the screen is .7" bigger. It is a bit heavier but I can live with that. The rigidity of the unit is really nice, very little flex or wobblyness. definitely more sturdy feeling than my old laptop, love all the aluminum on this model. Keyboard backlight is very nice and handy in darker rooms. Had to tweak some of the touchpad settings, but it's doing OK overall. It has no buttons where my old laptop did so I will have to train my brain to use this new type. The touchpad is a little mushy as far as the "click" pad aspect of it, its more like smushing the pad than a clear "click" in most places. However just tapping the pad does register a click and I will get used to that very quickly. Double finger tap for right-click works excellent as does two finger scrolling and windows 8 gestures. The biggest disappointment is the screen. While the 1600x900 resolution is nice, the screen is clearly not a great quality panel, it washes out pretty quickly and has what I would call a "sparkle" effect, I think this is due to the added layer of the touchscreen and the distance between the actual screen and the glass, which is much more than my old laptop. Both have glossy screens but my old laptop did not have this sparkle effect. I am hoping the 3200x1800 screen I have on order will be much better. The other bad thing is that there is some chunks of dust/dirt betweeen the screen and glass. REALLY annoying, however again I'm not going to raise a stink over it since I'm replacing the screen.
Anything you want to know I will do my best to answer... I'm about to open it up to put in a 256gb SSD and 16gb RAM.

 

Thanks for the insight. I was afraid the display wouldn't be very good. Is the 3200x1800 one you ordered the same as the one in the 14-k110nr at
Buy HP ENVY TouchSmart 14-k110nr Sleekbook - Microsoft Store
? I'd be curious what you think of that one. The model's a bit more expensive but might be worth it for the higher specs and if the display is nicer.

 

The only thing that is better about the k110nr is the display, all other specs are worse than my CTO k100 model. The liars at HP parts store (why oh why would I ever have believed them) said that the screen would ship immediately and now shows 12/3 shipping date on their website. Le sigh!!! So Unfortunately I can't comment on the QHD+ screen yet. It is ordered though! So I suppose eventually I'll get it.

Here is comparisons of the 1600x900 screen (right) vs 1440x900 Macbook air (2012 model) screen:


Untitled by Jesse T., on Flickr


Untitled by Jesse T., on Flickr


Untitled by Jesse T., on Flickr


Untitled by Jesse T., on Flickr

 

That's really disappointing about the screen. Maybe there's an Acer in my future...

 

Well the order of the screen got pushed back twice and then pushed back to Feb 3rd. SO I called and cancelled it. They did order me the screen only instead and promised me it would ship out right away. We'll see if they are still lying to me. (I give it 10% chance of shipping this month). The parts department at HP is just as f&#@ed up as the sales department, if not worse, imho. IF you are interested the part for the screen only from k110nr is 727511-001.

 

So I ordered the HP Envy Touchsmart 14 from the Microsoft Store with the 3200 x 1800 resolution (the 14-k110nr). Unfortunately it has the exact same screen as the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro and the Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus, both of which have problems displaying the color yellow. If you check out the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro forum you'll see 116 pages of complaints from users about the yellow color production of this panel. Re: Yoga 2 Pro 13 Yellow Color Issues - Lenovo Community

So anyway, I bought the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro because Lenovo swore that they had "fixed" the yellow display issue with a bios and energy management update. When it arrived, I checked that those were up to date and settings correct and the screen still displayed yellow with a greenish tint. This is because the screen is RGBW instead of just RGB. I wasn't happy with the end result - the yellows were just too green. I returned the Lenovo and I ordered this HP model as a replacement but now that is has arrived I see that it has the exact same issue. The yellow color has the exact same greenish tint as the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro. Going to send this one back and order a Dell Inspiron 7000 with a lower resolution but hopefully a nice display. I just think these 3200x1800 displays aren't ready for mainstream yet.

 

Doubt they're the same exact screen since one's a 13.3 inch and the other's a 14 inch.

 

On the Lenovo the screen went all the way to the edges, on the Envy there was about 3/4" black framing around the screen so they could be the same. Not sure there's anyway to find out for sure but functionally they looked exactly the same.

Either way, they both use the RGBW technology instead of RGB and therefore yellows look green.

 

No, they can't. One is a 13.3 inch screen, the other is a 14 inch screen. The bezels around them makes no difference - they're different panels.

I find it hard to believe that even after the bios update there are still issues with the yellows looking green on the Yoga 2 Pro - especially since according to one review: "The display has the same very wide color gamut that achieves 97% of sRGB and 75% of Adobe RGB as measured by our Datacolor Spyder 4 Pro monitor calibrator (after the display firmware update)." Are a lot of people still reporting issues?

 

If you read through the Lenovo thread, the solution that Lenovo supplied was on page 66 of the thread but it goes on for another 50 pages of people complaining that the fix isn't really a fix. Some people chimed in that they were happy with the yellows produced and didn't really notice it. I checked that everything was up to date and had tech support confirm the same, made sure I was in the correct power mode and I wasn't happy with the end result of the yellow color. People do note the the Samsung that has actually the same display as the Lenovo and they did a better job of "correcting" the yellow problem with their power management (at the expense of battery life).

If you read this person's Amazon review of the Lenovo he discusses how he ended up correcting the colors to his satisfaction (using third-party software): Amazon.com: CM's review of Lenovo - IdeaPad Yoga 2 Pro Ultrabook Conv... Note that these tweaks are still necessary after all the Lenovo provided updates.

The HP Envy 3200x1800 out of the box looked to my eyes the exact same green-mustard yellow. I called HP to see if they had a power management update, bios update or settings that could improve it (since Samsung is evidence that it CAN be improved via settings) but the tech support people had no idea what I was talking about and kept asking me to send the machine back. Perhaps I could have tweaked it myself using software but I'm not interested in having to do that.

I think some people just won't care. Given that 10% of men are colorblind and probably a more men than women buy these computers, that's probably 20-30% of the market who definitely won't care. Interestingly the guy who reviewed the Lenovo for Gizmodo (and said the yellow color issue was "fixed" in his review) admits in the comments that he is colorblind.

If I wasn't planning to use the computer for light photo editing I might not care either. But I just figured I'd rather have a RGB 1980x1080 display that looks great. I'm posting here just so that people know about this issue. Otherwise I liked Envy 14 and I would have been happy to buy it with a RGB 1980x1020 resolution if it existed.

 

I went to the MS store today to check out the QHD+ Touchsmart because they have it on sale for $799 minus another 10% discount (via text promotion or student discount) and I can't believe how heavy this machine is compared to the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro. The big advantage this HP has is upgradability compared to the Yoga 2's soldered ram. Not having tablet mode also kinda bothers me. It is cheaper than the Yoga I got for $899. I'm still debating on going with the HP. The color on both panels are about the same in my opinion.

 

[Nevermind - deleted]

 

So you concur with what acloudman said about the HP having issues with yellows looking green as well?

 

Yeah I've noticed most people aren't nearly as big of PQ snobs as I am.

I totally agree about these resolutions though - they're totally overkill in my opinion and frankly as long as it's at least 1080p I don't care how many pixels it has. I just was a nice one with accurate colors that's relatively (84% or higher) evenly backlit - that doesn't break the bank.

 

Picked up the QHD+ Core i5 model with WWAN for $695+tax at the Microsoft Store today and I have the Yoga 2 Pro right next to it. The yellow/orange/gold aren't good and IMO it's worse than the Yoga right now.

 

Damn, that's disappointing to hear. Thanks for reporting back.

 

Gents,
We just started a thread at HP support forum. It's all about the mustard yellow issue with Envy 14. HP must hear from us, or the problem will never get fixed.
Come post your experience here
Mustard Green instead of Yellow on ENVY 14-k110nr - HP Support Forum - 3351971

 

It's good to see someone's taking action but since it's a MS Store only model, I wouldn't hold my breath for a fix.

 

Still waiting for my QHD+ screen to get here for my maxed out CTO k100 :-/

 

Hey Jazzman,

I'm about to get this one from the MS Store:

Buy HP ENVY TouchSmart 14-k110nr Sleekbook - Microsoft Store

I see you have modded with SSD and RAM and I have a couple of qs if I may:

How did you clone or restored the HDD to the SSD?

The added memory, where did you get it, which brand/type and how much did it cost?

Did you upgrade the battery as well?

Thanks for your input