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    NOW AVAILABLE - ENVY 14 Spectre

    Discussion in 'HP' started by justinkw1, Nov 23, 2011.

  1. a7medo778

    a7medo778 Notebook Consultant

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    been looking at some win8 videos and i was thinking

    what if they added the touchsmart tech in it and stuck a " windows 8 compatible " sticker on it
     
    a7medo778, Jan 5, 2012
    #51
  2. Thors.Hammer

    Thors.Hammer Notebook Enthusiast

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    I don't know what it is, but I want it.

    :D
     
    Thors.Hammer, Jan 5, 2012
    #52
  3. Eclipse251

    Eclipse251 Notebook Guru

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    They definately know how to advertise.
     
    Eclipse251, Jan 5, 2012
    #53
  4. Fat Dragon

    Fat Dragon Just this guy, you know?

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    As a VPN-free internet user in China, the YouTube video is just a Could Not Connect error for me. Any chance anybody could summarize what we learn from it, or is it purely marketing? Do we see the notebook itself or get any information on specs or capabilities?
     
    Fat Dragon, Jan 6, 2012
    #54
  5. Eclipse251

    Eclipse251 Notebook Guru

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    Purely marketing, though they do show the laptops black lid.
     
    Eclipse251, Jan 6, 2012
    #55
  6. Thors.Hammer

    Thors.Hammer Notebook Enthusiast

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    Rumor is that it's identical to the Envy 15 but smaller. We'll see in a couple of days.

    HP Spectre portal on hp.com
     
    Thors.Hammer, Jan 6, 2012
    #56
  7. Eclipse251

    Eclipse251 Notebook Guru

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    So all that secrecy just for the Spectre to have the same design as the Envy 15? That's a little dissapointing.
     
    Eclipse251, Jan 7, 2012
    #57
  8. c0mplex

    c0mplex Notebook Consultant

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    I would be surprised if it's a 14" version of the Envy 15. Why announce a laptop so similar in size and performance to one you just released a month ago? I'm still guessing that HP is going to make a premium level Ultrabook. Ultrabooks are going to be the popular trend at CES, and HP will look like they are behind the competition if they don't have one of their own to show off. While HP did just release the Folio 13, having a premium version will help the two products not compete for the same market share.

    My unrealistic wish though is for HP to redesign the Envy 14, remove the optical drive (something all laptop manufacturers need to start doing; you know Apple is going to take out the DVD drive with the next major refresh of the MBP), and somehow cram in a high-end GPU to make a small and powerful 14" gaming laptop.
     
    c0mplex, Jan 7, 2012
    #58
  9. envys

    envys Notebook Guru

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    I want black theme... dam.. Ok stop, waiting 2days
     
    envys, Jan 7, 2012
    #59
  10. timjuliani

    timjuliani Notebook Consultant

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    If you freeze the image of the Spectre in the teaser, it does look similar to the 15--aluminum body, black lid, but both the lid and the body look considerably thinner. Obviously perspective can be misleading, and probably intentionally so, but I would also guess ultrabook. I think the 15 is a good looking machine, so I wouldn't be disappointed with a smaller version of that for an ultrabook design, which I will be in the market for later this year. They just better get the screen right...
     
    timjuliani, Jan 7, 2012
    #60
  11. Eclipse251

    Eclipse251 Notebook Guru

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    This. The name Spectre kinda screams "gaming laptop" anyway, hopefully with Hp getting back into gaming( with their phoenix desktop), they won't dissapoint us.
     
    Eclipse251, Jan 7, 2012
    #61
  12. Eclipse251

    Eclipse251 Notebook Guru

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    According to the latest teaser, the Spectre has beats audio as well.
     
    Eclipse251, Jan 8, 2012
    #62
  13. c0mplex

    c0mplex Notebook Consultant

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    That doesn't really mean much. The Beats Audio brand can be found on both HP's Envy line as well as their performance line. There also doesn't seem to be any sort of consistency between all the laptops that have Beats Audio. It's just another marketing term the HP created themselves in order to highlight a feature on their products. The best that can be said is that the Envy 14 Spectre laptop will not have completely crap speakers.
     
    c0mplex, Jan 8, 2012
    #63
  14. Thors.Hammer

    Thors.Hammer Notebook Enthusiast

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    I don't think there's any doubt the Spectre is a 14" version of the Envy 15 now.

    See HP Spectre Teaser: Part 2 - YouTube

    Now the real questions are around the specs. 14" IPS anyone?
     
    Thors.Hammer, Jan 8, 2012
    #64
  15. c0mplex

    c0mplex Notebook Consultant

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    I think there is a bit confusion over the phrase "14 inch version of the Envy 15" - or, at least, I was confused over what people meant. I thought people meant that the Spectre would be a Envy 15 (spec and feature-wise) in a 14 inch laptop chassis. Considering how thin the teaser makes the notebook look (the body looks just as thick as the lid), I think its safe to assume that the Spectre is HP's Ultrabook for the premium market with the design aesthetics of the Envy 15/17. Though I wonder how they are going to price this thing. Ultrabooks still hover around the $1000 USD price point. Would the market pay more for an Ultrabook with more bells and whistles?
     
    c0mplex, Jan 8, 2012
    #65
  16. Thors.Hammer

    Thors.Hammer Notebook Enthusiast

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    The Envy 15, again, might provide us some clues. I was shocked to find a 30% promotion coupon so early in the launch and life of the Envy 15. $1335 for a quad, ips high end consumer notebook? I ordered it right away.

    That decision was too compulsive. I was really just mad at Lenovo for shipping me a DOA ThinkPad W520.

    What I really want and need is a smaller version of that. It doesn't need to be a quad. A dual core would be fine with me. But I would like a decent GPU, a top tier screen, and conversation starter looks for the chassis. If they manage to keep the weight between 3-4 pounds and the thickness anywhere close to some of the other ultrabooks, it should be a winner.

    But the industry defining example is the MacBook Air. Can HP deliver a solid competitor? We'll see. So far the challengers have been meh.
     
    Thors.Hammer, Jan 8, 2012
    #66
  17. Eclipse251

    Eclipse251 Notebook Guru

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    Dang, I was really hoping against hope for Voodoo Envy style looks with a name like Spectre. They went through all the trouble to give it a different name, just to make it a smaller version of a laptop they just released. How dissapointing.
     
    Eclipse251, Jan 8, 2012
    #67
  18. c0mplex

    c0mplex Notebook Consultant

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    Are there any Ultrabooks with a discrete GPU? I thought all of them run off of integrated graphics.
     
    c0mplex, Jan 8, 2012
    #68
  19. Eidorian

    Eidorian Notebook Geek

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    I recall one might be running around with a HD 6470M.
     
    Eidorian, Jan 8, 2012
    #69
  20. Dangerdog3000

    Dangerdog3000 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Dangerdog3000, Jan 8, 2012
    #70
  21. Eclipse251

    Eclipse251 Notebook Guru

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    The Spectre doesn't look as thin as I first thought. I wonder why Hp has a 15 inch laptop, and a 14 inch laptop.
     
    Eclipse251, Jan 8, 2012
    #71
  22. Dangerdog3000

    Dangerdog3000 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Maybe because Dell did it with their XPS 15z and 14z.
     
    Dangerdog3000, Jan 8, 2012
    #72
  23. Thors.Hammer

    Thors.Hammer Notebook Enthusiast

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    Talk about a fingerprint magnet.

    If the machine doesn't have some exotic materials, it'll be a heavy 14" considering the weight of the Envy 15.

    Maybe they'll have an exotic screen to die for.
     
    Thors.Hammer, Jan 8, 2012
    #73
  24. timjuliani

    timjuliani Notebook Consultant

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    It will be a gorgeous, bright, 3D screen with no need for glasses and infinite viewing angles, but won't be able to show blue.
     
    timjuliani, Jan 8, 2012
    #74
  25. c0mplex

    c0mplex Notebook Consultant

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    I might take back my guess that it's an Ultrabook. That thing looks ridiculously thick to be in that category.
     
    c0mplex, Jan 8, 2012
    #75
  26. Eclipse251

    Eclipse251 Notebook Guru

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    Which of course begs the question what exactly is the point of the Spectre? It's not an ultrabook, Hp already has an Envy 15 so they really don't need an Envy 14 that looks just as thick, plus it even seems to have the same design. The only thing the Envy 14 seems to have to stand out is the Spectre codename.
     
    Eclipse251, Jan 8, 2012
    #76
  27. Thors.Hammer

    Thors.Hammer Notebook Enthusiast

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    ha ha ha ha ha :D
     
    Thors.Hammer, Jan 9, 2012
    #77
  28. yknyong1

    yknyong1 Radiance with Radeon

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    And no green either.
     
    yknyong1, Jan 9, 2012
    #78
  29. wild05kid05

    wild05kid05 Cook Free or Die

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    Image the glass shatters like iPhone 4 back panel !
     
    wild05kid05, Jan 9, 2012
    #79
  30. timjuliani

    timjuliani Notebook Consultant

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    If it has a high quality screen that works, I might buy it. Hey, maybe that was their grand plan, build a crippled 15 that a percentage of customers would return and create a market for the 14...brilliant.
     
    timjuliani, Jan 9, 2012
    #80
  31. Lvivkse

    Lvivkse My username is a typo

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    but the red's will be gorgeous
     
    Lvivkse, Jan 9, 2012
    #81
  32. Bronsky

    Bronsky Wait and Hope.

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    They perfected that strategy with the Touchpad! :rolleyes: Now their marketing geniuses are moving to the Notebook division.
     
    Bronsky, Jan 9, 2012
    #82
  33. Eclipse251

    Eclipse251 Notebook Guru

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    The business geniuses at Hp strike again! If this is their idea of good business strategies, they may as well have gotten out of the PC business last year.
     
    Eclipse251, Jan 9, 2012
    #83
  34. nk290

    nk290 Notebook Consultant

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    nk290, Jan 9, 2012
    #84
  35. Hookerlips

    Hookerlips Notebook Evangelist

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    No dedicated gpu.
     
    Hookerlips, Jan 9, 2012
    #85
  36. envys

    envys Notebook Guru

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    Radiance it's good but design... I hate MacBook!!!
    I want simple black theme, dammm!
     
    envys, Jan 9, 2012
    #86
  37. Eclipse251

    Eclipse251 Notebook Guru

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    So basically, its just a watered down Envy 15 with no gaming capability whatsoever. I hope the other companies at CES do better.
     
    Eclipse251, Jan 9, 2012
    #87
  38. c0mplex

    c0mplex Notebook Consultant

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    Well it is a ultrabook after all. I don't know how that class of notebooks can ever be specced for gaming use. As an ultrabook it's definitely on the thick side, but it gets something that only Asus has done right and given it a 1600 x 900 screen (just hope that they don't use LG's IPS screen). Besides, who is looking at that laptop and going "That thing looks way too big to carry around!"
     
    c0mplex, Jan 9, 2012
    #88
  39. envys

    envys Notebook Guru

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    envys, Jan 9, 2012
    #89
  40. Netherwind

    Netherwind Notebook Evangelist

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    "support for two ultrafast mSATA solid state drives" <-- neat. That means if 256GB of ultra-fast storage isn't enough, we can double it ourselves with OWC's or the like's mSATA drives!
     
    Netherwind, Jan 9, 2012
    #90
  41. CKtalon

    CKtalon Notebook Enthusiast

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    I'm very impressed by the HP Envy Spectre! It has all my desired specs, but the price is too steep..
     
    CKtalon, Jan 9, 2012
    #91
  42. envys

    envys Notebook Guru

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    HP Envy the MacBook Pro

    Macbook-like finish ruins this laptop. I do not understand why do it? business
     
    envys, Jan 9, 2012
    #92
  43. d2daanny

    d2daanny Notebook Consultant

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    How is the HP Envy 14 Spectre anything like a macbook-like finish? it isn't even made of the same materials!!!
     
    d2daanny, Jan 9, 2012
    #93
  44. envys

    envys Notebook Guru

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    I think after release later will be coupons ~ 200$
     
    envys, Jan 9, 2012
    #94
  45. envys

    envys Notebook Guru

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    I don't like mackbook design. I wish all black theme!
     
    envys, Jan 9, 2012
    #95
  46. wmurch3

    wmurch3 Notebook Geek

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    Nice style but too expensive. Would love to see this style used in the Envy 17 Ivy Bridge update. Hopefully HP sticks with it.

    I'm not in the ultraportable market but I like what HP is doing with their higher-end laptops.
     
    wmurch3, Jan 9, 2012
    #96
  47. infinitespecter

    infinitespecter Notebook Enthusiast

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    Using that line of thinking, all black notebooks are copying Apple's Powerbooks from the 90s because they were some of the first all black notebooks. Your logic fails, badly.
     
    infinitespecter, Jan 9, 2012
    #97
  48. coldmack

    coldmack Notebook Virtuoso

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    If the screen is good, I could see this as my next computer. How is the sound on the old Envy 14, and newer Envy 15?
     
    coldmack, Jan 9, 2012
    #98
  49. inm8#2

    inm8#2 Notebook Deity

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    inm8#2, Jan 9, 2012
    #99
  50. independent1

    independent1 Notebook Guru

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    Not true, but these thin, meh spec'd ultrabooks seem to what's "in" right now.
     
    independent1, Jan 9, 2012
    #100
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