HP Envy 14: Availabilty, etc.

either way, I don't care, I would go with cheapest option anyway as long as battery claims of at least 5 hours will be true

 

I agree. The guy's statements sounded like he could've been talking about the 17 and not the 14. I'm more inclined to believe the 14 won't have that option.

 

Dunno why there was speculation that the Envy 14 would have a blu-ray drive as an option. It won't according to this video here.

 

Does the envy 14 has edge
To edge glass screen ? And what is edge to edge glass screen ?

 

Right. My thing is that I have my M11x and Sager NP8662 15" with GTX 260m. I was hoping with the larger 14" chassis they could at least fit a GTX 260m in there or something comparable from ATI. That way I could ditch both the M11x and Sager and go with one machine. I love my Sager, but it's just a little too big to lug around on a regular basis. The M11x works great for that, but I'd rather get down to one machine if I can.

What are the full dimensions and weight of the Envy 14? I've heard generalizations but nothing concrete.

Edit: Nevermind, found this:

http://www.mobiletechreview.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Number=36969

Dimensions:
•(inches) 14.01 x 9.33 x 1.09 (front) / 1.11 (back)
•5.25lbs

It's about as wide as my Sager, but definitely shorter (by ~1.3in) and thinner (by ~1in), and about two pounds lighter.

 

It's the thickness that makes the difference..
But the thing about the envy is people want better battery life and more mobility, and as you go higher in the GPU food chain you lose points in both areas. I wouldn't want my laptop to be 2 inches thick and 3-4 kg heavy.
And if the 5650 can play crysis on high with an fps of ~30 (according to benchmarks on other laptops), I don't see how it's going to fail you in any game in the next year or so...

 

Yes it does. E2E screen is just a layer of glass in front of the screen. If you've seen or played with a Macbook you'll know what I mean. It gives the laptop a more finished look but adds a bit of weight.

 

will the mini display port on the envy 14 be able to carry sound (via hdmi)?

 

yes as its the latest mini display port version like on the MBP

 

I'm not feeling the mini display port. Apple uses that and charges $30 for the converter cables. Amazon has cheaper cables but they all have horrible reviews.

 

Well it has HDMI too so you can use that. For VGA though you probably will need a converter. I'm just glad it has 2 types of video output though. I can't stand laptops with only one type of display out ports. One of the reasons I didn't jump on the Envy 15.

 

Definitely. Just go HDMI with a VGA converter if necessary.

 

wow the slice battery seems pretty cool how does it work? Is it software controlled or?

 

There is some very good information in this thread regarding marketing, branding, and the costs and benefits associated with when to buy a new laptop.

I have to say though, I am amazed at the sheer volume of speculation and different opinions in this thread.

I've read through most of it and from what I can gather a lot of the confusion is caused by some folks basing their opinions and speculation on what they think should be in the system rather than official or solid, verified information.

This problem seems to be greatly compounded by what appears to be exaggerated and even at times inaccurate marketing on the part of HP. Battery life claims seem to be the laptop equivalent of MPG claims in the automotive market.

It's great to see all the enthusiasm though. The Envy 14 does seem to be a very promising laptop. But honestly, in my book, until the unit is actually released we won't know at the 100% level what it will actually have.

I've been waiting to buy a laptop for quite some time, so I'm looking forward to it.

 

I really like the look of the Envy 14, completely ignoring the components. Edge-to-edge glass display, backlit keyboard and slotload dvd player with the aluminum-magnesium chassis. Dayum, I'm excited, especially at this price-point!

 

Well, considering it says starting at $999, that probably means an i3, 2GB, 160GB HDD, no bluetooth. Throw in an i5, 4GB, 320GB 7200RPM, bluetooth, you're looking at probably $1300. And go with SSD you're looking at a $1600 14" laptop.

 

Actually according to HP reps in videos the $999 model comes with i5 processor and bluetooth is likely included with the wireless card as in all the other Envy laptops.

 

I believe 4GB is standard. 320GB 7200 is as well.

 

And throw in those $300 - $450 coupons they have all the time or the occasional 25% Bing cashback and now you're down to a $1100-$1200 laptop. Anyone who buys it without a coupon or Bing isn't a very smart shopper.

 

I figure the SSD version should cost $1,350 out the door after discounts. Great price.

 

There's an SSD version? Thought we'd have to ghetto-rig that.

 

Hey guys,

I've been reading and rereading this forum daily in anticipation of the Envy 14, and I have some questions!

1. Do you think the Envy 14 will have a i7 620M option?
-If not (and, considering HP doesn't seem to offer ANY laptops with the i7 620M) does anyone think it would be possible to drop one of these bad-boys into the Envy 14 after-market? I found some hope on the Envy 15 forums-- the forum's "preamble" states that the CPU was upgradeable after-market! (Shocking, considering the trend of soldering CPUs to the motherboard is rising)
-furthermore: if a 620M can be plopped into the Envy 14 after-market, I wonder what the chances are for "switchable graphics?"

2. If an Envy 14 was purchased WITHOUT a SSD, would a user have any problems installing a SSD after-market? TRIM support, HDD caddy issues etc?

As you can tell, I am a cheap-, and I intend on using my knowledge of computers to upgrade my Envy 14 after-market! But, I would hate to screw myself over by buying a base Envy 14 and then realize I couldn't upgrade it to the beast that I desperately want it to be!

Bonus question!

Anyone else hear about the Envy 15 3rd Generation!? It's supposed to come out two months after the Envy 14. Which, if you buy your Envy 14 after giving reviewers time to review, would be just about enough time to negate the HP return policy if you wanted the refreshed 15! Haha. Imagine that...

 

No one is quite sure of an i7 620 option yet, though HP has repeatedly stated that there will be an i7 720 option [though I find that hard to believe]. The spec sheet simply mention i3/i5/i7 processors.

There are SSD options available when configuring the Envy 14, so there should be no problem with aftermarket upgrades with your own SSD. Especially when the Hard Drive in an Envy 14 is soooo easy to replace. It's literally like a panel and a few screws away.

Not much is known about the Envy 15 3rd generation, except there were some documents floating around that mentioned a 5730 GPU and an HP rep working for BB that said it will feature switchable graphics.

 

It's almost crazy that they would give an option for a i7 720QM or 820QM when the i7 620M uses 32nm architecture. If we're talking heat and battery life, the i7 620M seems like a winner.

Oh yeah! Any word on replacing the DVD drive with a HDD?

 

Now the slot load dvd seems a bit challenging to replace.

 

For me it seems that the i5 540 m is the sweet spot. Only 5% slower or less in most cases than the 620 with out the extra power consumption.

 

Yeah, the price of the i5 540M is nice too; I've never found any concise evidence to prove that the extra 1MB of L3 cache will make a difference in the i7 620M also.

As far as the slot-loading drive goes, I've torn apart plenty o' MacBooks, and you could probably replace it with a HDD (if you can get your paws on a caddy-- which is harder than one would think). The downside is, you'd have the residual opening for the DVD tray tempting you to jam a disk in there...

 

What about the Lenovo Y460? It seems to be missing some niceties, but similar to the Envy 14. Price for this config is $1049:

14" 1366x768 HD LED (1600x900 on Envy 14)
i5-520m (non configurable)
ATi Mobility Radeon HD 5650 GPU 1GB (user switchable not Optimus it seems)
DVD-RW (not slot load)
500GB 5400RPM
13.6x9.3x0.75 inches ~ 5 lbs

It does seem the Envy 14 is superior, but depends on pricing in the end, depending on configuration.

 

Oh, and I thought I might mention this little something I stumbled upon because I've been taking advantage of all the bits of information you've all found here as well.

Momentus XT | 7200 RPM | Seagate

Some tests (mostly Seagate's) say it can run at SSD speeds-- at 1/4 of the price! Booyah.

Amazon.com: Seagate Momentus XT 500 GB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s 32 MB Cache 2.5 Inch…

 

I wonder how that will really turn out. I would like one for a storage drive (next to my SSD for OS/Apps). Wonder if it's faster as storage drive as well...

 

I'm planning on getting an aftermarket caddy and installing a second HDD. Hopefully it isn't too much trouble...

 

That's my plan as well, but I'm going to wait until someone can confirm that the optical drive can be replaced. The Seagate hybrid drive should perform MUCH faster than a 7200 RPM and on par with a SSD as an external through the Envy 14's eSATA.

 

1. No. The 17 jumps from the I5-540M to the I7-QM. I think the 14 will do the same. If offered I will get it. If not, the I5-540M will be fine.

2. No. But unless you already have your own, the cheepest solution is probably the factory SSD when you figure in the lower base price for the SSD and the discounts that will likely be available upon release.

LOL I have no idea about the 15, but I would not be surprised if it followed the 14 release to have it available for the fall school season.

Bronsky

 

If they refresh the 15, it'll probably come with an optical drive and an LED backlit keyboard. The former's addition will only add to the weight.

Guess that leaves me with no choice but to get the 14.

 

Seagate's Momentus XT Reviewed, Finally a Good Hybrid HDD - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News

 

In the article, it states: "Both ENVY notebooks feature powerful Intel processors and ATI Mobility Radeon high-definition (HD) 5830 discrete graphics for gaming, videos and 3-D images."

...Does that mean the 14 will have a 5830 as well? Cuz that would be awesomeeeeee!

EDIT: Nm, as I scroll lower, I see 5650. Damn you article

 

SSD question guys: Planning on getting an Intel X-25M 80gb or 160gb SSD after I get my envy 14. I'm planning on having about 40gb worth of programs on there and nothing else. Will having a half full 80gb SSD make the SSD's speed degrade over time? is it better to get a 160gb?

 

Personally, I would get the 160GB. Better for future proofing. Plus with SSD's once you go over 80% filled performance can degrade. So save some photos or have a few videos and a game or two, and that'll easily put you over the 60GB threshold.

 

Half full, no.

But 40GB is next to nothing on a modern machine, my current laptop with 1 game, CS5 and windows uses up 32GB

This would work fine in a dual HDD scenario, but given its as yet unconfirmed whether or not you can place a caddy in the drive slot, I'd hold off.

 

Performance degradation would be unnoticable on the X25 at 50% capacity. I have a 40GB "V" series in my 1410T that averages 20GB of data and benchmarks are identical to new. The intel controller is incredible. I do agree that I would buy the 160 if I could afford it but would not worry about the 80GB if you decide that you don't need any more capacity.

Bronsky

 

The resolution is too low for my taste and I am not concerned with price so no go for me. If the resolution is acceptable to you then it seems fine.

 

What site sells those?

Also, do SSDs increase gaming performance? FPS, load times, ect? I've been looking for a good link on that, and can't find much.

 

So, lets say when the ENVY 14 comes out, it starts at a base price of $1000. That'd prolly have an i5-430m+5650+whatever-else. Lets say theres the BCB 25% and coupons or whatever else discounts when it releases in US... What would be roughly the price range for a system with these specs: 14.5in "Radiance" screen; I5-540M; HD 5650; 4GB DDR; ___gb HDD? Or will it actually be those specs that are close to $1k after coupons/discounts/BCB? Also, please factor in shipping+tax to Rosemead, CA.

Thanks!

 

I thought the Envy 14 offered an i3, which would probably be in the base price. If you can ever get the 25% BCB then that would be a definite buy either way, even if well equipped it cost $1500 or ~$1075 with BCB.

 

it comes with an i5 standard.

 

can you link me to where you got this info on 80% capacity - performance degradation thing?

 

This looks very impressive, but how do you transfer data between discs?

 

Use an external to copy partitions.

 

I don't have links on hand. Just from loosely following SSD's over the last year or so. Will see what I can find.

You don't. It's automatic. The built in "SSD" (just NAND memory) is just a read cache. The end user doesn't even deal with it other than see the performance benefits.

 

i just find it hard to believe that 80% thing is true when TRIM is enabled

if u could post where you read it (when you find it) i'd appreciate it... otherwise im going to assume the 80% capacity / degradation is not true whatsoever