NOW AVAILABLE - Updated ENVY 15, ENVY 17 / ENVY 17 3D

The MBP 15 is quoted at 5.6 which I thought was heavy but made up for it with good battery life.

That was my problem with the previous Envy, it was heavy... but the battery life was shorter than I expected.

 

i guess i can wait, but...is IPS *that* much of a difference?

 

Lol I'm still finding it hard to believe that some people really find 15.6 to be that big a deal. Its not that large. I mean come on its just 1.56 inches difference and the laptop cant be that heavy....

 

I was thinking the exact same thing... Not a massive fan of this new design i've got to say. The old envy 15 was far better looking i think.

 

Few days ago I saw a prototype demo of Synaptics trackpad optimized to use with Win8. Given that Win8 would redefine how we interact with our notebooks, do you think this Envy upgrade would seamlessly integrate with Win8? HP said they are using better technology behind the new trackpads. Does Envy use synaptics touch pads?

 

the bigger the better

 

Its ironic how all this time I was worried I'd be sitting at home with my new Envy waiting for weeks if not months to receive the Samsung 830 SSD as well as my WD Scorpio Black HDD and yet I have both of them in my possession right now and I'll have to wait at least 5 weeks for the new Envy 17 3D. I think it will be well worth it though. And I'm glad that things worked out the way it did.

 

Black lid is so mediocre. Older metal laser etched was much better and exquisite. I have a feeling thst we can replace it, justhope that it fits the frame and connectors are the same

 

Interesting. So HP has a web site up now: HP Envy15 | HP Envy.

Look at the description of the video card for the Envy 15: it says 1024MB of GDDR5 video RAM. Kind of narrows down the possibilities a bit. I went on over the Notebookcheck Comparison of Laptop Graphics Cards - Notebookcheck.net Tech and glanced around a bit but unless its an unreleased GPU, there's a few possibilities. I think they're all pretty good though.

Interestingly, specs are a bit different on that HP page than what was posted on all the tech sites... I thought I remembered seeing on Engadget and The Verge that battery life was 9 hrs for the Envy 15, but on HP's site it says 6.5 hours (about an hour longer than promised for the Envy 14, which sounds about right to me).

EDIT: fixed typo

 

I really like the new design. At the very least they did away with the flowerly swirls on that the top lid. I think it would be best if they offered black and the aluminium silver color (sans the swirly pattern). Either way would look awesome. I'd probably still go with the black color though just cuz I like it better.

WOW look at these little details. THREE USB 3.0 ports!

• 17.3” HD display with optional Full HD4 and 3D1 capabilities
• Support for multiple displays with 2 DisplayPorts and 1 HDMI port
• Option for up to 3 storage devices with mSATA solid-state drive and 2 hard disc drives5
• Performance-tuned software image for incredibly fast boot and wake times
• Slot-loading Blu-ray6 optical drive (optional)
• 3 USB 3.0 ports and 1 USB 2.0 port
• 2-in-1 media card reader
• 2 headphone stereo-out jacks and 1 microphone-in jack

 

I was going to go with the Samsung 7 series laptop but after their delays they may have lost my business! I always wanted a 15 inch envy with a radiance screen without the numpad on the right. The matte screen on the 7 series is tempting though. Has anyone else been thinking of jumping ship?

 

The ENVY15 will use AMD Radeon 7690M 1GB GDDR5 which is unfortunately a rehashed 6770M with GDDR5 based on the Whistler core found in the ENVY14 series.

 

Where'd you hear that? And why is that unfortunate? They don't get much better without being huge power drains and heat makers.

 

I'm going to wait for official pricing but I am considering the two. Right now I'm leaning towards the Series 7 especially if the GPU info above is true. The S7 can get OCed to 6770m specs and it has a better CPU. If I were to get the Envy I'd probably have to upgrade the CPU and screen and with those the price would probably be way over the 1150 of the S7. All I know for sure is I am holding off for official word before ordering either.

 

This is the #1 reason I'm interested in the laptop. I was planning on waiting for ivy bridge but up until now the only options for an ips display (larger than 13") were the hp elitebook and dell m4600 which are way out of my budget. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but a 1080p(which is something I required) ips display is a big deal right? Shouldn't this be the best display in a 15" laptop? (including macbook pro)

 

This is where he probably heard it from.

 

The Envy can be specced with a quad core, it's customizeable as opposed to the S7, plus it has a lower resolution screen in the S7 and it's Samsung. Up to you if you trust the S7 over the 15, I'm personally quite happy with the specs on the Envy, though I wish they'd have dropped the optical drive and opted for another hdd bay + a slice battery, I don't see any bottom shots/anyone mentioning a dock on the bottom so I believe it's unlikely we'll see another slice like the original 15.

 

My two cents on people who are debating between Samsung Series 7 vs HP Envy.

The Samsung Series 7 screen is average at best. Only redeeming factor is that it is matte and has very minimal screen bezel. Contrast and black levels are terrible on the screen. The laptop is flexy in the palmrest and keyboard.

From my experience with the HP Envy 14, the Envy has far superior build quality. Also, if the Envy 15 indeed has the IPS display, you can sure bet that the screen will be alot better than the Samsung Series 7.

 

HP Notebooks Line-up Sneak Peek: Folio Ultrabook and More - HardwareZone.com

Very expensive overpriced POS at US$1488 which judging from previous releases is the base i7 model without the IPS panel.

Unfortunate since 7690M is not a true 28nm core which will bring about better power and performance characteristics.

 

Wonder where they got that price considering it starts at $1099, four hundred just to upgrade to the quad core alone? Doesn't make sense, I have to imagine that includes the Radiance Display, and do remember HP is known for coupons, and we are in holiday season, $400 coupon's aren't unheard of on their Envy's

 

At the same time the 7xx resolution stock is kind of poor. The i5 is not as good as the Sammy i7. As with all products there are tradeoffs, and I will wait to see the price HP asks for this.

 

Probably going to end up around $1500 with the 2670QM + IPS screen before discounts, hoping for some big discounts so I can get the 2760QM w/ VT-d support.

 

Are you kidding meeee?? I ordered an Envy 17 last week. . how much will this cost. Should I cancel and get this?? Its for my sister for work and stuff.

 

I'd cancel unless you like the design of the old way more for some reason. I see no reason why the new will be any worse than the old. Also you get like a 20 some day return policy.

 

I would cancel ... you probably get more bang for your buck in terms of hardware as well with the new models.

 

But HD 7XXX series will be coming on Jan. How is it possible to have these cards on 14th Dec?

 

Nobody even knows if it is the 7XXX, that is just one website saying so. I can't wait to see what actually goes into this laptop.

 

Wow. HP REALLY brought back the Radiance. I'm not clear on whether it's for both the 15 and the 17, but dang. I think I might stick with HP a bit longer!


The only things they need to fix to make this a true Macbook Pro competitor:


1. Redesign the chassis and get rid of the optical disk drive to lower the weight and make room for a third fan. Include a USB DVD drive for a $50 charge.

2. Design the touchpad software to allow for smooth scrolling.

 

I'm not sure if that is possible - but we'll just have to wait and see.

Most HP notebooks (including the ENVY line) use Synaptics TouchPads/ClickPads. I wouldn't be surprised if these new models also use Synaptics.

The 1080p Radiance display will be available options for both the new ENVY 15 and ENVY 17.

 

But Engadget reports the Envy 17 will sport a TN panel while the Envy 15 will have an IPS panel.

I'm going to guess it won't be cheap for HP to maintain inventories for multiple resolutions.


EDIT: I really hope HP got it right this time around. I don't think keyboard flex will be a deal-breaker for most if it's still there. The individual LEDs for each key are a nice touch, but not a game-changer. The proximity sensor is a nice page from the Macbook Pro's page, and the analog dial is a nice touch. The display is a given. They could've bumped the GPU up if they'd just ditched the optical drive, but I guess HP is too scared to take risks.



Vid Preview

 

I'm guessing the $1488 pricetag for i7 and the 7690, if there's any legitimacy to it, indicates either that the 7690 GPU will be an upgrade from a weaker stock model or that the showcase model had the upgraded screen and that was included in the "as shown" price.

An Envy 15 is probably still out of my size range, even if it's a total home run, but I can at least cross my fingers that they'll come out with an Envy 14 along these lines in the next 6-8 months.

In other news, the Folio looks pretty sweet as well.

 

Hi there, I wonder if anyone would know the hp will launch Beats Edition of envy 15 too? I love the black edition of envy 15 very much.

 

There's a bottom shot of an Envy 15 here from The Verge which shows no ports or rubber flaps for a slice battery.

I guess HP is assuming the rated hours on the included battery is sufficient for daily use - and I hope so too.

 

Same question!

 

heck, I'd pay a premium just to get an all black version

 

So other than the black theme and red font letters on keyboard, is there anything else that should be different in possible beats edition of Envy 15 from regular edition??

 

Past experience says the high res screen won't be available and it will have a massive beats logo on the back of the laptop.

 

+1... any news regarding this?

 

Unless they make a display bezel which isn't flush with the screen (not Infinity screens), I highly doubt that you would see matte screens on the new Envys.

 

What port is the one between USB and HDMI?

 

that is a display port full size, its similar to hdmi but less used, apple uses it.

 

The old Envy 15 allowed for anti-glare coating on a glossy screen. Not sure whether matte was available, but I'd take the former for the extra colors.

 

but 1080p is standard, no? in that case it'll be the same across the board

 

oh no 1080p is in no way standard, and I have a feeling they may charge out the for it. We shall see soon.

 

Provided it's bright enough (Radiance should be) there shouldn't be an issue with the glossiness of the screen, hopefully.

 

Other sources floating around on the web state that the stock resolution will be 1366x768. I won't be surprised if that's the case.


But that brings me to wonder. I'm tempted to argue "Well geez, if you're going to market a notebook as premium, why bother even selling a version with a lower resolution?" But giving it thought, I've come to the realization that the average person care does not care let alone even know about higher resolutions. That's why Apple is able to make some handsome margins off the starting Macbook Pro 13 with its 1280x800 display (See 50%+ people at my school). People get drawn in by the thin/light aluminum chassis, the light weight, and the battery life. They don't really notice the resolution. It's only informed people like you and me who care about resolution and opt for the higher resolution displays on our notebooks.


That being said, allow me to provide some perspective on what you can expect. My Envy 14 1st gen's radiance display is simply fantastic. Blacks are deep, color reproduction is great after calibration, and the brightness is way up there. All together, my notebook's display outdoes all others I've seen at my school. My friend who has a Macbook Pro borrowed my Envy for a few minutes to look up movie times and had good things to say about it. But it's really just a higher quality TN panel, not an IPS panel. Now imagine replacing my Envy 14's display with an IPS display, upping the screen size diagonally by an inch, and increasing the pixel density. That, my friends, is a recipe for having one of the best notebook displays around!


HP, I hope you got it down right. Please tell me you learned from your previous mistakes and found a way to make two-finger scrolling smooth!!!

 

Nope, 1080p was never the standard. Various articles on the web are saying the starting reso is 1366x768.

 

As a current 1st Gen Envy 14 owner with the Radiance display, I can attest that the super high brightness didn't solve the glare problem. I see my reflection and that of others' too easily!

 

Does the 17 inch Envy have 3 USB 3.0 ports or 2? The reason I am asking is someone mentioned there were 3 USB 3.0 ports. Up until this point I have not seen any notebooks with more than 2 USB 3.0 ports (of course that doesn’t mean there aren’t any notebooks with 3 USB 3.0 ports)



Also,
Can these be ordered before DEC 7th? I was just curious if I decide to purchase the ENVY 17 will it arrive by Christmas EVE.

FYI – I have never ordered a notebook from HP so I don’t know the length of time they take to ship. I assume extra time would be needed during this time of year due to possible heavy volume.

Thanks

 

Glare has never been a problem with mine, but I guess this is a YMMV thing

Where would you be where glare would be an issue?