HP Envy 17 - coming to the US in May 2010

I know, I got two envy 15's and I returned both, one with $300 off coupon and another with $450 off coupon, very cheap price, and very cheap quality. I'm not saying every envy 15 is cheap, maybe because of my bad luck, but I don't want to drop into that hole again.

 

Have you seen the bottom shot in the Envy 17 Service Guide? There are 7 vents. What you'd need is a slice of Swiss cheese.

 

It just seems so shady of them to be talking ALL about the battery life and specs on the 14 but leaving the 17 comparatively in the dark.
I need to buy a laptop before the end of June(when I start traveling again) and I'm close to settling on the envy 17, but I'm concerned about the battery life being under 2hrs. From what I can tell, it looks like it has the same 6 cell standard battery as the envy 15(which gets 2-3 hrs normal use), only it's got a more power hungry gpu and (possibly) no switchable graphics. Based on that, it looks like the envy 17 would get around 1.5 hrs w/ the standard battery and 2.5-3 hrs with the "big butt" 9cell extended battery. Please someone tell me that i'm wrong...

 

as long as it can get 4-5 hours with the extra battery i'll be happy. I go to school 4.5 hours 4 days a week.

 

Does HP have a history of making last minute revisions with the previous ENVY models before the official release?

 

Your wrong.

 

Hmmm.. yea see telling me that I'm wrong doesn't actually mean that I am wrong so I guess the correct phrasing would be someone(hp?) please "show" me that I'm wrong.

 

now you got it.

we just don't know it'll be little while to the launch so expect some reviews this or the next week

 

I definitely get the feeling you're right. if the battery life was better than most in the segment, you can bet your sweet HP would be talking about that fact. It's obviously not the case. and it's not shady...it's just not a point of emphasis for that product...even if it is for some of us. 80% of the posters in this thread don't give a damn about battery life. reading between the lines, it's clear that this laptop is less than ideal for those of us who want screen size AND portable power. but we'll see.

I maintain that it will have been a missed opportunity if the laptop doesn't get at least 4 hours of battery life (real-world time, not manufacturer claimed time).

no.

 

actually hp did with the launch of the envy 15, dropping the e2e screen in favor of that magnificent bezel.

But as you can see the change was not great, just one that led to numerous angry costumers with scratched bezels, but not a great change anyway

 

You know if they had an e2e screen, I'd probably still have my Envy15 right now.

 

I really hate the Envy 15 Bezel. If the new Envy 15 has the same mounting system and has E2E, I would buy the spare part in a heartbeat and upgrade.

 

The bezel was probably the #1 reason I returned my Envy. The side keys were #2. Even though you can disable them, they're still very annoying. The shifted esc and f# keys were a big reason too. And finally, the heat kinda got to me, but it wasn't that bad if you had an external monitor and keyboard.

 

Replacing it (and I did once on my original Envy) is around $70-$80 USD! At least if I was to do it again (I might depending on the E2E as a future option), I will definitely keep the static tape that came with it on it for as long as I can when installing it on my current Envy.

PS: I would not mind at ALL if the bezel came with the matte finish of the bracket covering part of it to the rest of it and not sucking it with weaksauce glossy acrylic...

 

is the additional 9 cell battery that the envy 17 can be added on with, does that connect to the envy 17 in addition to the 6 cell or do you have to remove the 6 cell to put on the 9 cell. I'm hoping you can have both on it so maybe just maybe you can get 4 hours of time on it.

 

we expect it to be a replacement at this point. not an add-on.

 

Koshinn, you should look at the MSI GX740. It has eSATA, and other specs that are equal or better than the ASUS.

linky:
MSI GX740-079US - XOTIC PC - MSI Gaming Laptop

 

I agree with you 100%, and another reason why I'm looking forward to the 17 since it fixed the keyboard (and hopefully the bezel as well); heat issues remain to be seen.

About the f-key shortcuts- why did HP only allow us to enable/disable them through bios? I didn't outright hate the f-key shortcuts, but having to restart my computer just to turn them off for productive work, and then back on, was a huge hassle. IMO it's much more intuitive to allow on-the-fly enabling/disabling inside Windows without having to jump through hoops. I wish they fixed software quirks like this for the new line.

 

and if you consider buying the msi, don't go the xotic pc way, they overcharge you for some features, and the base price is higher sometimes, I bought my MSI from newegg, and shaved of 200

 

I've been thinking about the E2E thing. I've come to the point where I really have no understanding WHY you would want this on the laptop.

1.) It adds another layer of glass in front of the LCD. This will only ADD glare (now it's possible for reflections off both surfaces) reduce transmittance of the LCD and generally reduce actual display quality - you're adding another imperfect layer of glass in front of it!

2.) It adds weight. Go to the mac forums and you'll even see their users wondering about it.

3.) It adds thickness to the system and screen. I hope I don't need to explain this one.

So basically.... you would have kept your Envy for a feature that has these drawbacks, for something that makes it look "nicer" when the screen is off with it open? Personally, when my Envy is open - the screen is on. And i've gotten two comments from non-tech people about the display quality (total strangers) not to mention my own assessment (it's really good.)

 

I agree that it does look not so great when compared to right now with the bezel but the thing is, I rather have the weight, thickness and glare over knowing for a fact that the bezel I got now is a total piece of s**t to even keep it cosmetically in good shape.

Also, I called HP for over an hour or so (with no avail) regarding a "Version 1.2" of the Envy Bezel available as a spare part over at HP PartSurfer (in-stock and cost the same as the original bezel). I might get it as a backup or something for my current Envy once my paycheck rolls in.

 

Yes, but not because it makes the Envy look "nicer."

Since you own an Envy, here's some advice: Never wipe the bezel with anything but a VERY clean microfiber cloth, and even then, I wouldn't risk it and just go with compressed air. If you use anything else, you'll scratch it.

Yes, it's THAT easy to scratch.

I've had $200 laptops with better bezels than the Envy15.

 

To tell you the truth, even the best Oakley microfiber cloth (I have a pair of Oakley eyeglasses that has very delicate plastic) scratches it. It is that bad. If I get a replacement bezel, I am for sure to keep the plastic wrapping on it and never to take it off lol.

 

maybe you should try some car paint on your extra bezel and see if that works better?

 

You mean that Armor All stuff?

 

yeah, the stuff that makes your car less easy to scratch

 

Hmmm... Well I could try it out if I plan on getting another spare bezel in the future and trying it on the one I have on this laptop. I am surprised you never tried it with yours if you were going to RMA it. Also, you need a cloth to wipe the stuff on the bezel and you will already get scratches applying it. *Sigh*

 

holy christ. I assume this is something they've resolved, yes?

 

I didn't care enough to try, and if I did, I might void the warranty or something.

ajreynol - they fixed it by removing the bezel and making the Envy17 and 14 both edge-to-edge.

 

Can anyone with more xp, please explain how much SSDs can be fitted in the 17"? Because from everything which I've read, I realized only that the HM55 chipset is total s**t, if it comes without switchable graphics.

 

The HP Envy 17 is so enticing, it makes me want to just buy a 17 inch laptop even though I don't need one, lol. Maybe if I save up enough I can get both an Envy 14 and an Envy 17. I will be the most envious man in the world.

 

wow, and I detail my own vehicles with boutique products so I have some expensive microfibers. Every time I keep leaning towards then envy I see someone else mention something that makes me hold off, and now I'd have to deal with a bezel that just scratches up no matter what?? Ridiculous for what is a great computer and also $$$.

 

Yes I returned my Envy 15 for the same exact reason! It's mind boggling why HP would completely kill the premium feel of their laptop with cheap piece of crap glossy bezel.

 

It's a weight thing. They save a pound or two. I hope HP decide to go with the E2E glass with the Envy 15 refresh(if there is one)

 

Yeh that really sucks to hear, I'm going MB Pro for right now on a nice used one by me, until they release or announced the updated Envy 15 which hopefully will have the few changes majority of us want. I can't believe the bezel is that bad and cheap for such a high end laptop. My 4 year old HP has a nice graphite type bezel that they could easily color match to the Envy. Not a single mark on my bezel after 4 years of very hard use.

I just talked to someone else locally as well about their Envy for sale and he said the same thing, even with a microfiber the bezel scratches up, I did not know of this issue untill now

And nobody makes a like a screen protector type cover for it from what I hear, right?

 

Selectively deleting information and posts is morally wrong and a no-no in a "public," forum. Indeed, t's not publicly owned but it is a publically accessable and serachable forum; ANYmanipulation is... poor ethics to say the least.

 

Nope, people sent in requests for Zaggs to make an invisishield for the envy 15 but that still won't protect the Bezel. I know some people have resorted to using anti-static tape on the bezel

 

Hi Folks
Does anyone know if this Envy 17 can be purchased with a WUXGA screen? I am desperately trying to get something like the MACBOOK PRO 17 and this is the closest.
Thanks

 

outrageous.

not sure about all the damn letters...but if you mean 1920x1080, then yes. the Envy 17 will offer that as an option. (note: it's easier to talk in pixel resolution than XGU/WXGA/whatever)

 

I guess I will have to go with anti-static after I get a spare one some point and do a swap. I do use that rule of not touching it or spitting it but it gets really annoying really fast that you have dust on it and you know crap is going to happen. I just wish they made the bezel with a matte finish. That solves everything.

About the V1.2 of the bezel, it appears HP is changing the part number for the Envy 15 Bezel and the V1.2 is not but to enhance the change. The actual bezel is sadly the same product.

The reason I would go for an E2E is that is what HP want to do to fix the problem. They won't change the bezel design at all so we have to conform to the alternative option.

 

No, WUXGA means 1920x1200. Full HD is 1920x1080. I am looking specifically for a 17" wuxga ENVY like the MACBook Pro. Noone seems to make this.
DOug

 

I personally don't see HP going back to the 16x10 screens. 16x9 appears to be here to stay. I actually like the 16x9 over the x10 because it lines up nicely with watching blurays and movies!

 

In the HP lineup take a look at the 8740w if you have deep pockets. Provided you don't require the (possibly mythical) Dreamcolor2 display or a backlit keyboard, you can get WUXGA now. There is an 8740w thread in the Owner's Lounge section.

HP EliteBook 8740w Mobile Workstation specifications - HP Small & Medium Business products

 

I love my 15.4" wuxga (1920x1200) dell. I hate to lose the extra resolution to go to Full HD.

MacBook Pro makes a 17" antiglare wuxga, and I love the form factor; thin, clean. While you can apparently run windows exclusively on the MBP, I would rather have the same form factor in a PC based system. This envy seems to be the closest in form.

 

What about the form factor of the Envy vs. the Elitebook? I'm looking for the smallest (Like the MBP)!

 

I really wish the Envy 17 had a docking station option. Then I would consider it as a desktop replacement. I know the elitebooks have them but they are so expensive.

 

That's right, noone seems to make that because no one does anymore. Trust me, I've looked. My 5 year old 17'' inspiron with 1920x1200 screen is closer to the mbp in form factor than anything they are making today with that resolution. The dell m6500 is the thinnest 1920x1200 pc laptop being made right now (that I have seen).

PC makers have decided to make laptop screens with lower resolutions, and then somehow say that it's a feature we should be excited about becuase it's "HD". (apparently in laptops, "HD" means a lower resolution than you got 5 years ago)

 

lower resolution but changed aspect ratio. that means you can watch 1080p video from blu-ray either with black bars across your screen or stretched (horrible). A 1080p 17" will show 1080p video at 17", while a 17" 1920x1200 monitor will show 1080p video at a significantly smaller size.

It is a feature to be excited about if you like watching HD video on your laptop.

 

To save you the trouble of following the links, here are the specs from the HP Service Guides and the MBP page.

8740w: 15.6 x 11.2 x 1.4 in
Envy 17: 16.38 x 10.83 x 1.25-1.52 in
MBP17: 15.47 in x 10.51 in x 0.98 in

Keep in mind that the Envy 17 is a three spindle machine with a 17.3 in screen.

 

You should also include the weights of each. As we could clearly see the MBP is the clear winner here for size. It also offers a 16:10 display which some people prefer more than the 1080p display.

Lets hope the Envy 17 has an equivalent battery life to the MBP17. If not, I predict an early demise of the SKU.