HP Envy 17 - coming to the US in May 2010

I use trackpad? When taking notes and stuff, there's no point in bringing an external mouse.

 

I only use my BT mouse when my computer is on my desk at the office. When I am traveling, my 1410T is in a sleeve in my briefcase or suitcase. On most short trips I don't even bring a charger. The trackpad works fine for me on the road.

Bronsky

 

I wrote an entire technical book, including all the program examples, on my MBP 17 without ever touching a mouse. Most of this was done while commuting on a train or traveling on a plane where a mouse is impractical. When I program at my desktop I use a mouse. I prefer the mouse but adapt to the trackpad.

That said, I detested the trackpad on the Envy 15, which was otherwise superior to my aging MBP in nearly all repects. After a typical coding session of several hours, I would have cramps on my hand and fingers. Perhaps with adjustments and more usage I could have adapted but after three weeks of frustration I wasn't willing to risk this on a $2500 machine, so I returned it.

I will buy a tricked out Envy 17 with the hope that its trackpad is at least servicable.

 

wow! just...wow! that really sucks.

I have grown accustomed to using my wacom when working in creative suite, but other than that I use the trackpad. I much prefer the MBP trackpad, but after some serious tweaking and trial and error with the settings I'm doing great with the Envy trackpad. The momentum option seems to help a great deal, particularly because there is so much screen real estate with the 1080p display, also I installed scrybe, which allows for complex gestures mapped to open certain applications.

 

indeed.

people that have dismissed trackpads have done so because they decided against making the transition in the very beginning or they've never used a good trackpad (neither of which would surprise me. there are some absolutely terrible trackpads on retail store computers out there).

 

so I assume we'll see some reviews this week?

 

Oh man I can only hope. I am really considering the Envy 17 after the epic facepalm from my G73.

 

What happened to your G73?

 

I'm not sure if everyone has seen this, but here's a zip of very large pictures of the Envy17: http://www.hp.com/united-states/personal_again/images/archive/envy17.zip

 

shame they didnt put an expresscard slot on this. I have a lot fo expresscards that would be useless if i got this

 

@Meever

Yes, please tell us what went wrong with your G73.

 

Headaches. After a few hours of work it crashed. When I rebooted the OS partition was currupt.

Naturally I tried using the recovery disks that I spent like an hour making..... turns out the recovery disk program screwed up and made two copies of disk 2 and no disk 3.

After a fresh install on a new hard drive things were going okay (except some driver issues. The web can driver keeps saying its unrecognized or something..... so I gave up on it. Not like I ever use he thin anyways.)

Now I can't install steam and I'm getting all sorts of strange administration permission errors. God. Damn. It.

I know I'm a minority but I'd rather not deal with this crap. And Asus and its worthless customer service didn't do a damn thing to help. I'm returning the g73 and getting something from an American company that has contact information that doesn't autometically discrimination your call to India.

 

^who is that company?

 

Why don't you buy a desktop then, or it sounds like you just need a xbox or playstation. Computers were designed for far greater things than playing video games.

 

arguably video games spurred the development of high-powered consumer-level computers and these days, console systems are computers. Until recently, you could install linux on a ps3, for example.

 

^which no one did. And now Sony is getting the finger for taking the feature out.

Computers are suppose to be flexible. Especially premium models. If you paid good money for a laptop odds are it should be able to perform admirably in all fields.

 

*looks at sig*


you need another laptop?

in the 90s, maybe. I can dig that. then again, I was a kid then, so that's all that mattered to me. lol. Falcon 3.0, X-Wing, Tie Figter, Wing Commander Armada, Return to Zork, Doom. In fact, I think I have the install CD's and floppy disks somewhere.

not sure about the 2000s, as my priorities changed in life.

kreidel's point still stands, though. if most of your need is for gaming and you sit by a power socket most of the time...it may be time to buy a desktop. that's what I have...and it made the need I thought I had for a gpu-heavy laptop kinda pointless.

 

This

10 chars.

 

seriously. I think some people are never satisfied. Insatiable. that laptop in his sig has to scream. damn near anything else would be a step down.

but what do I know. maybe he demands 70fps out of Metro 2033 or 90fps out of GTAIV. so let's spend another $1,800.00 just to get it. oh well...I don't begrudge him. it's his money.

I do find it ironic that he made a now locked thread attacking Mac owners for spending their money on whatever things lead them to Apple computers, when he's spending hundreds (maybe even thousands) more than he had to to buy an Alienware (to get that last bit of framerate to play videogames). and even now he's not satisfied, as he thinks he still needs something else. If it weren't so important, he could have bought a less expensive computer with the same size screen but a weaker gpu and paid $1,000 less. took that money and bought a sweet desktop gaming rig.

as a former gamer, I understand the desires...but the irony is clear. people can and will spend their money on what they enjoy...sometimes I think people forget that everyone has different priorities. he was willing to pay $1,000 over what others may regard as "enough" to get a few more frames out of his favorite games. Apple users are willing to pay $1000 over what others may regard as "enough" (like 5x more battery life or something). so why begrudge anyone, you know? you don't.

 

Any word if Best Buy will carry the Envy 17?

 

is there a reason you you'd want Best Buy to carry it? a fan of their Black Tie warranty program?

because I'd think you'd be able to get it for less from HP direct. especially with all those random coupons they offer during the year.

 

Yes, I like to use my BB card so I can finally reach that silver member status or whatever where you get 45 days no questions asked returns. Plus if it's defective, I can take it right back to the store for an exchange rather than have to deal with HP.

 

Some sales reps at HP will give you as much as 28% discount. Let me know when time comes

 

You're right. If you look into the history of modern computer technology, gaming and the desire for entertainment is seen as one of the prime catalysts for the evolution of new, innovative software and hardware. There was even some BBC or History Channel documentary that focused on the relationship between gaming and computer advancement. One of first blimps on the radar for computers being used for entertainment purposes occurred when a bunch of MIT-grad government employees got bored with their warehouse-sized vacuum tube calculators- they decided to tinker with their federally funded project, and create a game similar to Battleship (or something similar). I think this story ended with the defense department finding value in the "game"'s applicability, and sponsored further research into similar innovations (which basically awarded the nerds for having fun- awesome). There's frequent historical events like this where people innovate out of the need for entertainment, and as a byproduct, advance knowledge and technology along the way. Considering this, it's logical to think that gaming (and digital forms of entertainment) come hand-in-hand with advancement in computer technology.

Of course, this doesn't mean that all computers are made for gaming, or that every user bought a computer with the intention of gaming. However, it's presumptuous for some to believe that computers are above its simple usage as an entertainment device. I have my reservations on purchasing a $1000+ computer JUST for gaming, but some people have different values and flexible budgets in regards to gratifying their entertainment needs via computers. Whatever the case, whether computers are used as consumption or creation devices, the technology will advance due to the creative people who want a new way of doing things (and this could quite possibly be motivated by entertainment needs). All I know is that in my case as a dual consumer and creator, the advancements are always welcome (so long as it's affordable, of course).


Anyway, enough of that topic.


Shoot, we have less than three more days left until the ENVY 17 is supposedly being released! I hope retailers outside of HP's online store starts taking orders on the 19th (Costco, anyone?).

 

Question:
How long was the delay between envy13/15 gen1 being available in u.s. and it becoming available in canada? I can't seem to find any info on this.. and I really want the envy14 so I'm wondering how long to expect to wait for the envy14 to come to Canada.. (I know it won't be exact cause god knows the gen2's aren't even in Canada yet but still)

 

fair enough.

just keep in mind that HP regularly has $300-$400 sales and offer 14-21 days no-questions returns. not to mention being able to haggle with phone salespersons to the tune of 20%-30% off.

and I can't think of any problems that would happen on day 40 that weren't evident by day 14. I understand your interest with Best Buy...but is it worth a $300-$500 premium over a direct-from-HP laptop that you can configure to your specifications?

$0.02.

 

I want one to be available to be at BB so I can just stroll in and pick one up instead of waiting. (I'm talking E 14 though).

Even though I'm not going to buy the E 17, I'm anxious to see how good the screen is. It be a shame if that happens to be the area of neglect.

 

Here is some advice, dont wait get from US if u can, I was tentatively waiting since January. Also cant believe that HP Canada STILL doesnt have 2nd gen envy 15. Anyhoo, while we might get the 14 and 17 they will still be significantly overpriced compares to a Dell which is almost exact price in US and Canada.

 

Best Buy *almost never* buys (and sells) laptops with the highest quality display available for a laptop model.

If HP offers a 1600x900 display for the Envy 17, you can bet your life that's the one Best Buy will buy in bunches. that may give the wrong impression of display quality if the 1920x1080 display produces better color and clarity.

we'll see...but unless Best Buy is stocking the displays you're specifically interested in, I'd only go to Best Buy to observe the build quality, keyboard and touchpad.

that's just me, though.

 

That time might come in a few weeks so I'll definitely drop you a PM.

Yeah good point, the savings may be compelling enough to forgo the convenience of picking it up locally. I still want to be able to test it out at BB before committing to a purchase.

 

I think the best deal for when I purchased my Envy15 came from Costco online. Not only did they have full customization options just like the HP online store, but their pricing was only $50 more than HP store (this was only after I applied the edu discount at the HP store). What was immensely advantageous for the Costco purchase was the 90 day no-hassles return policy on electronic devices. Unfortunately, it looks like Costco took down the Envy13 and 15 from their online roster recently, but who knows if they're just doing that to reflect the down trend of the 13/15 in favor of the upcoming models. I hope Costco puts up the new Envys when they come out.

 

Agreed on the 17, as to the 14, the default options are near the penultimate machine already.


The entry price for the envy 14 will probably come with the dedicated gpu and the 1600x900 screen - with the entry i5.

It's.. almost perfect.

 

You guys are complaining that the gen2 envy never arrived?

In Brazil the gen2 with a i7 720qm costs U$ 4000

 

main reason i'm thinking about a new comp is that i cant get any battery life atleast the envy 17 will have more then 50 minutes. most likely 2-3 hours with the larger battery probly 3-5 with both batteries. Plus i got a local buyer that would buy my laptop for a fair price. Also I'd end up with more money back cause the amount i'd sell the m17x would be far more then what a nicely specced envy 17 will run. That leaves me with extra money to buy a 54" panasonic plasma that can stream HD video from my laptop through the wireless N network meaning the site i'm a member of which has every single blu ray ever to come out ripped in 1080p thats just waitting for me to torrent would be accessible with the touch of a button, the savings of never buying a movie again would eventually pay everything off. So it could be smart to get an envy 17 + a 54" plasma rather then just have a laptop that is mega powerful but has no portability. I also like the 5870 card and it should still be able to play every game at good settings even though its not as fast as the dual gtx 280's. I don't just keep buying new computers impulsively. I had a p4 3.8ghz 1 gig ram geforce 256mb 6800 gt 120GB Dell dimension 8400 desktop for like 6 or 7 years before I got the alienware. Just makes sense to have a laptop that atleast has some battery life and a plasma tv rather then just a laptop with 50 min battery life right? Still not even sure I'm gonna do it. I'll most likely wait for hands on reviews first. Not just doing this on a whim there is a method to my madness

 

That is beyond insane so I wont try to compete who has it worse in Envy land. Do remember that Canada is part of NAFTA, share physical borders and speak same language (same documentation except for the French part)

 

You could sell your AW buy an Envy 17 and still have some left over Lucky man.

 

Quick question, you mention 14 day return policy, I thought it was 21 days?

I need to return my Envy 15 (pre-configured) to HP, isn't that also 21 days? Can someone confirm so I don't get screwed and stuck with this thing.

Thx

 

It's 21 days. I returned my first Envy 15 on the last possible day.

 

I think he might have been referring to BB's return policy, which i tink is 14 days standard but gets increased with points and membership.

HP is definitely 21 days, but just have a look on the envy forums and the HP website to be sure.

 

Thx guys, I was referring to HP's return policy.

 

Hi Guys,

I've got 2 quick questions:

1)Does anyone know if the Envy 17 will come with a Windows DVD for the purpose of reinstalling the OS?

2)Will the dual HDs be raid possible?

Thanks.

 

It looks like HP finally took off the "3D" mention in their promo. That answers at least one question regarding the lcd panel..

 

lol me too. At first they were like "we're sorry, you only have 21 days to return your laptop" and I'm like "it was delivered at 11am and it's 8am now, it's only been 20 days and 21 hours." And they're like "let me transfer you to my manager" then the manager was like "ok you win."

1- the Envy 15 didn't come with a DVD, but it also didn't have a DVD drive.
2- the HM55 chipset does not support intel matrix storage technology. You can still raid via software though.

 

Few questions regarding the ENVY 17....

Question 1 - Why Radeon? Any idea if this may ship with a nVidia card (at some point?)

Question 2 - What is up with the arrow keys on the keyboard? Considering this "may" be a gaming rig/replacement (and I know they use external keyboards/monitors) but I mean that looks even painful for working in excel.

Question 3 - What happened to the HDX line and what replaced them?

Other than that cant wait until I can get one in Canada.

Regards,
Zylawy

 

Thanks for your reply Koshinn. I see in your sig that you are currently choosing between laptops. Do you think you will pull the trigger on the Envy 17 when it is released in less than 2 days?

 

1) ATI cards are superior at the moment, in pretty much every aspect. Faster, cooler, cheaper... with Dx 11.

2) I don't know why they did that! I'm leaning toward a 15 or 14 partly because of this.

 

Answer 1. Because Ati gpus are friggen awesome and nvidia is a pile of gimmicky crap. Closest thing to the 5850 uses twice as much power for like a 10% performance gain.

Answer 2. What game uses arrow keys these days anyways?

Answer 3. Discontinued I guess.

 

If you order from HP direct you have the option of adding a $19 windows recovery disc to your order.

 

It depends on the price for the upgrades I want on the Envy17. The biggest difference I'm seeing right now between the Envy17 and 8740w is that the 8740w either has 2 HDDs or 1 HD + 1 optical, while the Envy17 has 2HDDs+1 optical. The other differences, like the superior gfx card on the 8740w, the superior build quality on the 8740w, the better touchpad on the Envy17, the 3 simultaneous monitor output on the Envy17, etc are all less important to me at the moment.

It mostly depends on price right now, but I'm leaning towards the 8740w with an i5... if they ever release a backlit keyboard and DC2 monitor.

 

Does this recovery disk just contain the pure Win 7 OS (same as Win 7 OEM )or does it contain the recovery image of the OS with all the HP bloatware? Can anyone confirm? Thanks.