HP Envy 17 - coming to the US in May 2010

Highly doubtful to be true. I would bet 2-3 weeks, not 2-3 months for release of the envy 17
especially since some people are reporting they can buy it in some countries via sales line numbers.

 

switchable graphics for the 15? Sigh. Must resist urge to return current system in shipping process...

it will depend if the same value ssd upgrade and $450 coupon is available..

 

True, but North American sales aren't available for it and no matter how hard you try tell to ask HP NA about it, they won't tell you if it is available anytime soon. Maybe HP AU is jumping the gun with this one or people are just pre-ordering really early like people buy SC 2 and we still don't truly know the launch date yet.

Hey may not be telling every correct but then again, he has no power to sell at Best Buy, so I don't see how lying to me can influence any benefits to him in a form of a commission. =

 

Woah, woah, what's that I hear? Switchable graphics? Oh goodness, please let this be true! I actually might not have to end up buying an expensive MBP. This is good news, though it is just rumor.

 

Note that in some current i3/5/7 laptops, if you opt for a discrete GPU, the IGP is flat out disabled. It's not switchable, it's disabled. Why do you think the makers opted for that kind of setup on some machines? It simplifies system configuration and might well improve the reliability of the BIOS and OS setups.

Current Intel IGPs can already play full-res HD video and lend hardware acceleration to media players and Adobe products (Flash, CS-5, etc) at a lower power consumption rate than a discrete GPU.

So beyond high-FPS gaming, be sure that you really need switchable graphics before spending $$$ on it. It's an expensive enough option that the money might be better spent on a faster cpu, more ram, bigger hdd or battery.

 

Yep, almost 2 weeks ago I called HP Australia and they were ready to take my credit card info and ship the Envy 17-1001tx or 1002tx. I doubt they will ship to any US address, however.

 

It'd be killer if they popped an odd in the 15 refesh too, but thats just a pipe dream I guess

 

I was an HP rep when I was in college. They sent me to best buy, fry's, etc. I would take what the hp rep said about the envy 17 with a grain of salt.

 

This is the only thing holding me back, I'd purchase an Envy 15 today if backlit keyboard was on it. Sucks waiting. I hope the 17 comes out next week like supposedly is expect and Envy 15 refresh right after that. That or may just spring for the 17 is they have some good coupon deals, I would just much prefer the lighter 15, the 17 looks like its pretty chunky for an aluminum computer. It weights about the same as my 4 year old solid HP dv8305 w/ 17" widescreen.

 

Yea it's weird how light they made the Envy 15, but how heavy the 17 is (at least compared to the MBP 17). I wonder what's making up for the extra weight?

 

10% is probably screen...
dvd drive 2

 

And don't forget the envy 17 actually has a respectable GPU which also comes with a big heatsink and hence substantial more weight.

 

As long as they include E2E screen, dual SSD's, switchable graphics, battery slice, I'll be happy!

 

Yeah but the Envy 17 isnt any lighter (or smaller?) than the Elitebook 8740w so i'm really not impressed. I was looking at the envy 17 as a thin and light 17incher ala the MBP 17. If those specs are correct i'd rather get the elitebook 17incher. At least then I can go the full lhog and get the Ati 5870, 16 GB Ram and Dreamcolour 2 display!

 

Does anyone know if the envy 17 is going to have the same terrible opening angle restrictions that the envy 15 has? I hope not but assume it probably will? I was just remembering that for the couple days I had my envy 15 that it would only open to about 120 degrees, meaning if you put it on a medium height table, you can't even open the screen far enough to see it properly...

 

Yeh I just get the feeling like other HP's its going to feel real heavy for its weight specs, my feels like a solid chunky brick and weighs about the same as the Envy 17. The Macbook Pro 17 feels so much lighter even though the difference is about pound.

Now the Envy 15, you can option for the more powerful gpu etc, and it's still light as hell and feels it. I can tell a difference between it and the Macbook Pro 15.

 

If this is true, then i have found my new laptop.

 

I actually prefer if they didn't. I rarely use an optical drive (while mobile), and prefer to have a SSD & HDD combo to get the speed and storage. Also, i think that if i want to use an optical disc drive, it is more cost effective for me to buy an external case, and put my drive of choice in there. It makes upgrading to Blu-ray a snap, especially considering that i dont need it right now. (My PS3 suffices)

 

If it has switchable graphics, the only problem with the Envy 17 is weight. They need to trim it down to MBP weight within .3 of a pound. At least below 7 pounds.

 

Hah! A thin and light 17" notebook. IMO, anything bigger than 15" is a desktop replacement, at which point thin and light no longer matters.

 

my 17 inch macbook pro weighs 6.5 pounds.
if they took out the dvd drive they could get it down to 6.1 or so.

 

I'm Anti-Apple, but I'm not blind and against logic...

True that while choosing a 17" laptop, no matter what you should be willing to sacrifice some portability. That said, it's nice that the MBP 17" is so small / thin / light for it's size. It's much nicer then having another 17" system that's twice the weight and volume.

Honestly weight is only part of the picture. Those bitc-hing about the Envy 17 are getting a little ahead of yourselves. If it maintains a 1.00" thinkness and small depth and width relative to the screen it will still be really nice, even if it weighs 0.8 lbs more then the MBP. Don't forget the GPU is literally 3X as powerful and it supports swappable and quad core CPU's. It's also been clear that the Envy 15 screen is better then the MBP 15 screen (not just available resolution) I look at the whole package when buying a laptop, not nit-pick on a particular feature that some seem to do .... Sure, I have a couple features / things that are a "MUST HAVE" when buying a laptop, like upgradability (CPU, 2x 1.8" hard disks inthe case of the Envy) and a quality screen (this is why I no longer buy Lenovo; garbage screens) Some choose "backlit keyboard" as their "MUST HAVE" which is a little crazy, IMO, but these are just opinions and none are invalid here.

Ironically the best available display in a laptop is still Lenovo, if you buy an X201 and swap in an AFFS display from the Tablet. But I shouldn't have to void warranty and do my own custom work just to get a decent display

The Envy 15 is, from what I hear, very very solid in that you can pick it up by a corner and the system doesnt flex. If the 17" is so heavy, that tells me they took it another step up and it's even more solid with strong "apparent" build quality. E2E glass screen that you've all been crying for also adds weight, ladies.

 

aany ideas on pricing for the 17

Also I don't see a 15 refresh any soon, its already good for what it is nothing to change.

 

I *really* hope that upgrading to the 5830 does not mean losing switchable graphics. Sadly, i wouldn't put it past HP to do this.

 

So, would it be better if they didn't refresh at all? It seems like so many people on these forums do not realize the decisions the HP engineers and product managers make on these products are made MUCH more informed and based on many more variables then seen here in a fanboy forum.

If the refreshed again 5830 resulted in non-switchable, it would be the result of HP NOT doing something rather then intentionally doing it. That's because they'd just keep selling the 5830 configs with he same motherboard. The 5730 or whatever config would have a new design motherboard with the QM57, PM57, whatever chipset to support switchable. This would make sense as HP needs to make sure they use up stock of their PM55 motherboards.

If this hasn't already been made clear, the Envy was released Late-Mid last year. That is when the PM55 chipset became available, the first and high performance variant of the Capella platform. The PM55 chipset doesn't support integrated graphics so HP has no option to include switchable graphics in the Envy. Also the CPU's meant for the PM55 were the quad cores only which all have NO integrated graphics.

The Envy refresh also came, I believe, before the release of the chipsets that even supported the integrated & switchable graphics. Also, the Refresh was a minor thing for HP, they only did it because the 5830 was a direct swap for them on the mobo, and the addition of USB 3.0 was a minor addition. The availability of the i5 CPU's also gave them the chance to solve heat and battery (well, help battery life) issues and reduce the starting price.

The change to switchable graphics is a more substantial change which will require a different chipset and more redesign of the motherboard.

 

So you are saying that the HD 5730 would be the new Envy 15's flagship graphics card as the HD 5830 are tied to the departing PM55 Chipset. That sucks cause in that case, they killed the Envy's trump card.

 

I'm trying to understand the benefits of switchable graphics. If I understand correctly, the only benefit is longer battery life. In other words, the folks who are saying they want switchable graphics are saying that they want the Envy to last longer on battery?

With the slice battery in, I get 5-8 hours total battery life with screen at maximum brightness and using graphics intensive applications at high performance setting. If I switch to low brightness and low performance setting I believe it would last much longer, but I haven't had an opportunity to try. Wouldn't that be comparable to having a switchable graphics card? I would rather be able make the decision myself as to when I need better performance and when I need the battery to last a long time. I understand the MacBook Pro switchable graphics control in OSX makes strange choices as to which applications get the more powerful GPU and which get the integrated graphics card.

 

not everyone wants to buy and lug around an extra 40 lbs of battery.

 

I wasn't suggesting that it would be worse for them to not refresh at all... I was implying that i wouldn't be surprised if "upgrading" to a 5830 killed switchable graphics, interestingly enough, for all the reasons that you mentioned.

What i was getting at with my statement is that all too often, the websites dont articulate well enough the difference, and additionally the CSRs simply dont know enough to be able to differentiate between two seemingly innocuous variations of a single platform. This is why, when you call up HP tech support or the CSRs, and ask if the current Envy 15 supports integrated and discrete graphics switching, they will unflinchingly declare that yes they do. That is why, if such an Envy 15 comes out with switchable graphics, i will be hesitant to believe that "upgrading" to a 5830, will be simply that. IMO, that wouldn't be an upgrade. That would be a Gen2 Envy, while the Gen3 Envy would have less powerful graphics, but significantly increased battery life.

I'd be disappointed but buy it nonetheless because it would still be the best platform w/ switchable graphics as a whole. (FHD Screen, Chicklet+Backlit Keyboard, thin metal casing) In general, im disappointed with the entire laptop indistry in not putting together a switchable gfx lappie w/ Core i5 and a Tier 1 discrete GPU from the get-go. I mean, isnt the point of having switchable graphics to balance an advanced power-hungry discrete GPU with a wimpy low-power IGP?

BTW, this "fanboy" has multiple degrees in [CS,CSE,EE] and having been nearly 10 years of product design experience, fully understands the design decisions that PMs and PEs make. If i didn't, I'd have no basis for the second part of my original statement. =)

 

Yea basically that is what people want, more battery life. If there were switchable graphics. it would be possible to get 4.5-6 hours without the slice. Which is very good and you don't have to carry around the "heavy" slice battery. Also, think of the battery life with switchable graphics AND the slice battery. We are talking upwards of 10 hours here. That's impressive.
I mean the 5-8 hours your getting with slice isn't bad, it's actually quite good. So if your happy with that then by all means keep it. It's just that we are greedy and want thin, light, powerful, and long battery life without the slice.

Also I am thinking that the switchable graphics option will only come with the 5730, I just have this feeling. I hope I am wrong.

I am also concerned with how far the hinge tilts back. I hope they change that. I don't want to have 120 degree max. That was just bad design IMO in the first place.

 

You have all those degrees and your still using that machine in your sig? I think it's time for a raise

 

Sadly, I think your right L3vi...

If we were to assume that HP needed ATI's help to implement the PCB to support switchable graphics (as opposed to the framebuffer copy via the PCI-X bus method ala Nvidia Optimus), then it would also be fair to say that this is something that ATI has been working the details of for a while.

Consider the fact that the two most powerful ATI GPUs currently in the market of switchable graphics laptops are the 5650 and 5730 (both Madison cores with different clock speeds), which started coming to market about a month ago. (Lenovo Y460) It makes sense that ATI would target the Tier II segment of the GPU market for the first wave of switchable graphics PCBs, so that they could get the largest market penetration. (While i recognize this logic, i dont have to like it. Gimme Tier I GPUs please!)

Then consider the fact that the 5730 and 5830 are based on different configurations of the 5xxx series architecture. Madison (5730) vs. Broadway (5830). That would likely require a different PCB due to things like a different pinout count/arrangement & power requirements. Now we could say that HP supporting multiple PCBs for a single lappie isnt too far fetched, coz they already do. (clarksfield i7 vs arrandale i5/7 in the Envy 15) However, as okashira pointed out, they probably dont want to have too many of their older PCBs kicking around, so this is unlikely.

Seeing that the Envy was originally targeted as a Macbook Pro killer, and since the Macbook is basically the benchmark for the balance of power & performance, it makes sense that HP would only support the 5730 for switchable graphics. With a switchable 5730, and all of the other things that it is rumored to have at this point, it would end up being slightly more powerful that the MBP, with slightly less battery power.

 

Good one L3vi. =)

Truth is that I haven't desired a laptop for my main computer until recently. The old 600m still runs WinXP Pro smoothly, and the only thing on it that is broken are the volume +/- buttons. Mind you, i've repartitioned and formatted the 80gb drive on there about once every other year, the motherboard & battery were replaced 2 years into its life, but otherwise it is basically the same as when i bought it something like 6 years ago. My popz has been asking me about a laptop w/ a serial out port, so i figure that i will give it to him since serial ports are generally hard to find on lappies nowadayz.

 

What the heck is a serial port? By nowadays you must mean post-millennium

 

The RAID capability is tied to the PM55 Chipset, which does not support intel HD integrated graphics.

Whatever chipset they use will support the 5830. It is more of a question as to what other functionality will be supported by the selected chipset (Switchable Graphics, RAID, USB 3.0, etc...) As for whether the 5830 will be available in a switchable graphics configuration, well that is the debate of the moment.

They could get rid of RAID for all I care. RAID prevents Win7 from enabling TRIM functionality on SSDs, and I plan on having a SSD + HDD combo for the best of both worlds.

 

Same to me, I have MS degrees in SWE, CS, Finance. My laptopI really owe is 7-year-old one. As a Software developer for finacial industry , since starting working, every company has given me a desktop for working at work and a laptop for working at home or anywhere outside the company. So, I dont need to buy any for myself. When it broke, the company took care for the repair. Never paid for it. ^^

That should be applicable to you too. Rigth? So why are looking for one to buy now ? Just curious.

 

no, I didn't say that at all

 

But if you think about wouldn't be awkward to offer both the 5730 and 5830 options and then HP would have to mention, "oh yea if you pick 5830 you will see substantial decrease in battery life." I don't think that would give a good impression. So maybe the new 15 will be under another line titled "Envy Lite" or something where they emphasize the mobility.

This thread has become more about the Envy 15 than the 17, lol. Any news on the 17? Has anybody in Australia received it yet?

 

All good points and I'm sure HP is considering. We just have to wait and see.

 

rule of thumb: as soon as someone starts enumerating their college degrees as justification for the posts they make, discount all of their posts.

 

Well... If you look at the overall product that you get now vs. 1-2 years ago, the bump in power & performance due to a range of certain technologies is significantly more than normal. Alot of these are not new at all, but finding all of them in a mobile package is. Here is a list of what i am talking about.

DirectX 11
- ATI 5xxx series only
- one reason why the MBP can suck it
Switchable Graphics
- Intel GMA HD has H.264 hardware decode (supports 1080p)
- tho inherently flawed, Apple's system is the best dynamic solution
HDMI Audio
- 8.1 bitstreaming on both Intel GMA HD & ATI Mobility Radeon 5730
LED Displays
- Dell's Studio XPS 16 RGBLED is the best
Multicore CPUs with diverse power management
- GPUs need to catch up on this point
Wireless N
Gigabit Ethernet
USB3.0
Solid State Drives
- TRIM capability (Win7 only)


Now normally i try to time new computer product purchases with advances in GPU technology as I find that a computer's maximum possible lifetime is limited by the graphical output of the system as a whole. This is because video games and multimedia are the only things that push the advancement of computing power for the general user. But if you look at the breadth of all of the things that are in laptops now, the difference between a laptop and a desktop in terms of capability is smaller than it has been before, while a laptop is portable. Add to that Windows 7 being (somewhat) recently released, and you have a recipe for a computer that will stay current for much longer than you would get out of a similar purchase at any point previously.

If it wasn't for the notion of replacing my desktop altogether with my laptop, my Dell 600m would be lookin just fine. =)

 

Apparently the Envy 17 is on the product wiki, but doesn't reveal anything we didn't know, except the price, which is stated at $2000. That's a bit steep, but still cheaper than the MBP and considering the specs, I say it's fairly priced. Most likely that price isn't even legit, probably just stipulated. Someone made a pros and cons list for it but I doubt the person owns the laptop. Either way still looking good.

HP Envy 17 - ProductWiki unbiased product reviews

Random: Btw, a while ago I heard someone on the forum refer to the Envy as a "cheap man's Macbook". I was thinking more like a "smart man's Macbook"

 

I have to agree. combine the 32nm mobile nelahelm architecture, 3rd gen SSD's (Intel g2's), in RAID no less, 40nm broadway graphics (darn recent in desktop terms, bleeding edge and pretty impressive in mobile terms) and you have a lopsided jump in overall system performance. I also even plan on the envy replacing my HTPC with the broadway graphics and HDMI audio. I was not even in the market for a lappy. The only other draw i can see in any foreseeable future is a laptop with an OLED display.

 

more like a Macbook for a man that doesn't want to spend money on a pretty apple and a bad linux distro

 

The thinking man's macbook

 

Well, folks, today's the day.............or is it?

 

Under Cons it's written that it has no internal optical drive (like the Envy 13 and 15). So more space--->better cooling maybe

 

well the envy page on the australian website is down. in anticipation of the 17 perhaps??? i just really hope they update the 15 as well.

 

me too

 

Why is the 17 around $2k mark? I assume it will be possible to get it with the exact same specs as 15 (+ slightly better GPU, not interested in i7 ATM as its still a poor mobile CPU) only with a larger screen, wouldn't that make it just a few $100's more? Given that the 15 was as low as $1099 does anyone think the days will come when 17 will be $1299?