*HP Envy 15 Owners Lounge! PART 2*

there could have many reasons to paint a metallic bottom black. Clearly HP needed more space to include the new features into the new models. By painting the bottom black they could almost disguise the fact the chassis is thicker than the previous models. With the machine on a table, the human eye will notice the bright aluminum portion of the chassis and the dark black bottom will not be as noticeable. This will give the impression the computer is very thin. Another possibility is the black bottom looks very similar to my E15 with the slice battery attached. They could have painted the bottom black so it still looks like a very thin computer with a battery attached to the bottom. These are only my opinions and observations. It is entirely possible the new E14/17 has a plastic bottom but my opinion is they will be metal.

@Serg,
I studied in the states at College for Creative Studies. I currently work as a freelance designer. Good luck with your studies and congrats on a very creative and rewarding career path!

 

@Serg

Just an FYI, the DM series actually does use metal for the top cover and keyboard/palmrest area. I had a DM3T and it was very cheaply put together but it was metal, essentially just thin plate aluminum that was stamped and formed, brushed and anodized ...

I also saw a similar video to the one you posted about the new (Ugh) Pavillions, and they are now using aluminum instead of plastic on the top surfaces...

 

Which batteries will the next generation 14, 15, and 17 have? Are there plans to go to a 9-cell standard instead of the 6?

 

It'd be nice if they offered the Radiance display on the 17". I'd be all over that.

 

Darn you Serg, now I want an HP Envy 15... the 14 just looks ugly there! Perhaps if they update the 15 all they'll do is fix the "bezel" issue, add a brighter screen and maybe back-lit keyboard. Without murdering its design.

Edit: Oh, it has the slice battery attached? Still looks terrible. I hope I don't need a slice battery..

 

A brighter screen have you used the Ultra bright screen on the 15? At 100% its like staring into the sun. Personally sans the Radiance display I think it has one of the best laptop screens available.

 

There is a guy in another threat that posted this information about the upcoming Envy 15 1200 CTO aka third generation.

==============================================================
Envy 15 - Gen 3 Envy 15t-1200 CTO:
--------------------------------------------------------------
CPU:
Intel Core i5/i7
GPU:
Discrete - ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5830
Discrete - ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730
Integrated - Intel GMA HD (Arrandale)
Switchable Graphics (Doubtful since Service Manual says it has a PM55 chipset. //edit 5/7 HP Service Manual
Chipset:
PM57 (PM57 doesn't exist AFAIK) //edit 5/6 HP Service Manual
SPS-PCA SYSTEM BOARD SF BROADWAY (ATI 58xx) PM55 //edit 5/7 HP Service Manual
SPS-PCA SYSTEM BOARD FF MADISON (ATI 5650 & 57xx) PM55 //edit 5/7 HP Service Manual
Notable I/O:
Backlit Chicklet Keyboard
2x USB 3.0 //edit 5/6 HP Service Manual
Envy 15 Service Manual: http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c02131229.pdf

this the link to that other threat

http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-...4-entire-envy-lineup-specs-13-14-15-17-a.html

Apparently this new generation will come to light 2 months after the release of the 14 and 17 lappies. or at least someone is speculating out there.

 

@Omateu

OK, Please give me specifics as to where in that service guide (or anything from HP) that says anything about a backlit keyboard?? That is the only 'new' piece of info that you have on your list and AFAIK it is pure wishful thinking and speculation by others (along with speculated release dates).

As far as i can tell it is the identical manual I posted a link to a month ago when it first was posted by HP.

 

Well. as you can read in my post above, I said that I just copied another person's statement from another thread, and posted it here for information purposes.

However given that an HP support page already exist for the Envy 15t 1200-CTO (3rd gen), I would not be surprised if HP came up with a backlit keyboard on the next generation envy 15. I think it would not be (fair) [per se] to the envy 15 model, considered a premium laptop, still being superior compared to the envy 14 not to have a backlit keyboard.

That lit keyboard its my only concern as a possible upgrade available in a possible near future to My own Envy 15, as everything else works just fine.

Again. I have no specific info for you. Just forwarding what I found somewhere else into this forum, since its for envy 15 owners. Good luck on your findings.

Ohh. I forgot. there is a post of mine a few pages back where I told you guys of the HP Envy product manager talking about the envy 15 having a backlit keyboard as per customer request. Some people speculate that he was refering to the 17 model but that is just speculations. As far as Im concerned he said clearly envy 15, so I have my own hopes.

 

To clarify, my point was to please not speculate on the unkown items, especially from non factual sources who, obviously, are speculating themselves.

I watched the same video and he only mentioned that envy 15 customers complained of no backlight so we incorperated it into the 14 and 17. Nothing was said about the new 15 at all.

If you think you can upgrade to a backlit keyboard on your current 15, good luck. I just don't know where you will find any additional power connectors inside the existing envy to plug the backlight into....they don't exist, and the existing carbon ribbon cable cannot handle the current needed for a backlight.

 

I would like know more detial!

 

Like I said here is my 0.02 cents

If you pay attention to the video, then you will clearly hear this guy mentioning envy 15 backlit keyboard at minute 1:27 to 1:35.

YouTube - HP Envy 14

Im not interested in creating any kind of discussion or anything of the like, and ill leave your message about as to where to power the keyboard from. Anyway it seems that you must have taken every little thing in your envy apart to know by hard all the detailes of how this thing is constructed.

on the other side of the coin, more than half the post in this forum are based on speculation.

 

That's a different video than I watched but it is the same room, they must have done several demos to different interviewers. Anyway on the others he only talks about the 14 & 17 having B/L keyboards, I believe he misspoke when he said the 15. You probably weren't around here when the same guy, Barry Farris from HP, was giving out completely wrong and or incorrect info (in writting) on the initial gen 2 models.

As far as knowing the inside of the envy 15, I have had my 1st 3 envy 15's opened up at least once, and this one 4 times now. So yes I know what I'm talking about.

You have obviously not read much of this forum, until recently there has been very little speculation here.

 

you mean this thread JJB, take a look at just the envy threads the 14 and 17 are filled with speculations, not to mention our dear little trusted sites don't have reliable info as well.

I do realize that HP is a company that needs desperately to hire more qualified professionals in the PR business, a closed launch like that and you have a enormous quantity of wrong info? better fire those that you have

 

Well I replaced my LCD Backplate today, always a chore taking off the plastic bezel. I also used some Scratch X 2.0 compound to polish off a couple of hairline scratches on the bezel while I was at it. Bezel looks brand new.

 

Oh, can you give me a guide on how to use Scratch X 2.0 on the bezel? I am looking for a good cloth and scratch remover to buff out some scratches on this pathetic bezel on my replacement. My last escapade with scratch removers and Envy 15 bezels turned out to be a total disaster (iDrops suck).

 

Hello all,

I have an HP Envy 15 1st Gen Core I7 w 4830 graphics card.

I have a question about the file areas on the hard drive. If I open up computer management from the control panel, and then open disk management, I see the following areas on my 500gb hard drive

199 MB healthy (no file system)
C: 453.66 GB healthy (NTFS)
D: Recovery 11.8 GB (NTFS)
103 MB healthy (no file system)

What are the 199mb and 103 mb files showing up in disk managment (they don't show up in "my computer", just in disk management) . . . from what I remember, perhaps they originally were "SYSTEM" and "HP Tools" but now they have no names, no file system

. . . the reason I ask is the 199mb and 103 mb areas are causing backup problems for me. Do you have these two areas on your computer? If so, what are they for and do they need to be backed up? Can the be deleted safely? Since mine no longer have names SYSTEM" and "HP Tools" are they corrupted and need to be replaced?

Thanks,
N123

 

^ Don't delete them, they are created by Windows for Pre-Boot error recovery.

 

With a clean win7 pro install I have only 1 partition of 101MB created by windows. IIRC the 199MB file was HP tools or something similar and the recovery partition is not needed once you make a set of recovery disks you can delete it and gain back the 12 GB of storage.

 

I just ordered some Scratch X 2.0 and I am going to see if I can get some good results. I also ordered some Megular's microfibers (As they were known to be better than your average microfibers) so once they arrive, let me see if this 20 dollar solution is better than getting a full replacement bezel.

 

let me know how you do with the scratch x. my scratches weren't deep or anything. and yes, use the finest microfiber cloth you can get. not sure what brand I have, got it at Target.

 

so mad at HP now. I sent my 1st gen envy15 last january for repair for the dead pixel. now it came back the dead pixel is still there..

 

Will do and the scratches on my current Envy are pretty hairline (not noticible under daytime natural light, visible hair-like under close room lighting). However, my old Envy had loads of scratches and iDrop Scratch Remover and some worn microfiber cloths made it loads worse... I hope this time with this solution could be a lot better.

 

i applied a very light coat, buffed very lightly, and did that 3 times to remove the fine scratches. I did all this while the bezel was removed (easier to handle)

 

Last January? The Envy line didn't exist back then...

Alright, I will be light with the buffing and try to apply very little of Scratch X on each buffing session, as Scratch X does have some micro-abrasives in the formula that could backfire the removal process like my iDrops fiasco.

 

well, the bezel certainly isn't automotive paint with a clearcoat, so yeah, be very gentle with the product.

 

january of this year..hehe.. sorry..

 

Anybody have any new info on the 14/17 and the updated 15?

 

Nice broad question there's separate threads for E14/E17.

 

Looks like the screen blanking issues have made it onto Engadget.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/hp-envy-15-said-to-be-suffering-from-blank-screen-issues-lousy/

 

Hey Guys:

Im sorry to keep bringing back the same thing over again, but I have a small "detail" to share.

Remember this Barry HP Envy division product manager ???. do you remember him talking about the different backlit keyboards ???. I discovered that said keyboard is standard on the already released envy 17. Im now waiting to see if it will be standard on the 14 as well. can you guess where am going ???. The assumption that "maybe" he didnt make a mistake when he said - upgrade - envy 15 - lit keyboard - customer request. Again, something to mess up your head anyway.

Or maybe it will be made available on the future 1200-CTO (3rd Gen) coming up (whenever that might be). :confused2:

 

you are imagining things, he only stated that per costumer request they implemented the backlit keyboard.

And besides the envy product manager couldn't organize a release that was not even in the same day world wide? he appears to be not a efficient manager

 

I'm curious to hear experiences other first-gen owners have had with the Envy's keyboard cable.

I've already had to send my machine in once to get the cable replaced. Apparently the ribbon/cable is situated in a way that it can get pinched and eventually non-functional.

Unbelievably, I'm starting to see the same symptoms again. For me, it begins with the left Ctrl & Shift keys becoming sporadically non-responsive -- for instance, I had to try 5 or 6 times to get that "&" to appear above -- then spreads to other keys.

External keyboard works fine. It can't possibly be a non-hardware issue, right?

If this is happening again to me even after they replaced the cable, then surely this can't be a problem isolated to my machine...

 

There's a few cables under there that possibly might be crossed and pinched in assembly. No problem on mine though, but I think mine is later than yours (ordered CTO on Thanksgiving).

 

Fortunately no such problems for me.

 

posted in the wrong thread and don't know how to delete.

 

Can anyone tell if this power adapter will work with my i5 Envy 15? Came with a 90w so hoping this will work, much cheaper than the one from the parts site listed in the forum.

HP 90W Smart Pin Dongle AC Adapter (KG298AA) (Amazon link: Amazon.com: HP 90W Smart Pin Dongle AC Adapter (KG298AA): Electronics)

Seriously confused! And appreciative of any help...

 

I have the same adapter, it works with my Gen1. TurboBoost is disabled with my i7-720QM, but that can be overridden with ThrottleStop.

 

Cheers, I should be good then! Thanks again...

 

For all you Gen 1 owners, do you feel that the current MS Store deal of 40% off ($1203.99 shipped) is a good purchase? The specs are below:
HP ENVY 15 (15-1067nr) Core i7-720QM Quad-CPU, 500GB HDD and 6GB RAM. It comes with the ODD and Slice.

Cheers.

 

Just posted 2 new Glossy 1080P color profiles on the gen 2 thread; HERE

 

Oks need to ask this question; I have option to buy Intel X18-M G2 160GB SSD for $346 (inc. taxes/shipping etc.); is that a good price or shall I look for better option ?

 

hey guys. last night i was using may 1st gen envy but instead of placing it on a table i put it on my lap. as i was typing. may envy tilted back and forth and i noticed a clicking sound if i tilt it back and forth.. does anybody here experience it with their envy? is it normal? im afraid somethings loose there..

 

Interesting that you chose gamma 2.4 - I use gamma 2.5 on all my laptops mostly to get higher text contrast at non-optimal angles. I'm now using a profile using native gamma, which is close to 7500K on the Gen1 glossy 1080p. Green and red channel match gamm 2.5 fairly closely, whereas blue channel is quite a bit stronger:

 

Here are what the curves on the 2 profiles I posted look like:

2.4 7500K: 2.2 6500K:

 

Looks like it's a slightly different panel - more pronounced toe in your curves. Or maybe there is a difference in the profiling process or software - I use Eye-One Photo and its i1Match software.

 

@larsv

The difference might also be that my above curves were both done at 100% brightness. The new spyder3 software is pretty impressive so far. I am now trying to figure out how to setup a cool new feature that is supposed to enable a digital brghtness control that will adjust all screen calibrations and the grey point balance to be the same (visually on screen) at any brightness settings so there should be no color shifting when you change screen brightness...

 

@JJB sounds like a cool feature but I wonder how much effort it's worth on a laptop - any decent desktop display will blow these panels out of the water.

For anyone with a Gen1 1080p glossy, Here's my 7500K gamma 2.5 profile for Gen1 1080p glossy panel (i1 Photo, i1Match software, full brightness):

http://www.chrome.se/files/E15-Gen1-1080p-G25-7500K-2010409.icc

 

hi guys,

got a quick question: is it worth doing a clean install on a gen 2 envy 15, if so, could any of you point me in the right direction as to obtain a legit copy of windows 7 and the process of installing it. Thanks.

 

I have the same noise when I tilt my envy. My noise is one of the sliders that hold the battery in place. Try holding the sliders with one hand and rock the computer back and forth to see if you still hear the noise. I am not sure if this was an issue with all of the envys or if it is an isolated issue with my particular envy. Either way, the loose slider is one of my few complaints about the envy.