Questions for Envy 14 owners

So I am in need of a laptop for college, and have decided upon the HP envy series of notebooks, as they seem to be fairly good.

The 14 seems fairly good, and I'll only be changing the processor from an i3 to the lowest end i5

That being said, I just want some input from owners. Going through the owners lounge is, well, kind of daunting.

I know that the screen is really nice, but there have been some issues that I would like to ask about, such as

The keyboard flex. Is it really that bad?

The battery life. Not as HP had advertised, but most of the people that have that have much higher hardware specs.

Overall quality feel, how is it? Is it better than the pavilion select editions?

And any other comments are welcome, anything to help.

Thanks all.

 

With respect to the battery life, it is what HP advertised. They rated 7 hours with wifi off, which some users have gotten. With wifi on people are seeing from 3 - 4.5 hours.

 

I dont find the flex an issue when typing normally. The battery life is a bit disappointing but most companies lie about that. It feels and looks fantastic. I have never seen the pavillion select in person so I cannot comment on that. I do wish everything on the side of the laptop was the other way around. The power cord and vent is on the right hand mouse side but then the optical drive and usb ports are on the left. This is all great if you are left handed but most people are not. Overall though I love the laptop and im only returning it because I have a second one coming which is cheaper and better.

 

Ok, seeing as the rest of Envy users are either a) still making conversation on the Owner's Lounge, or b) enjoying their new computer, I'll do you a favor and answer what I can gather so far (I've had an Envy 14 for three days now)

1) Keyboard flex: I had the unpleasant experience of reading FAR too into the cautionary tales on the Owners Lounge, and as a result I was worried to death when I got it. However, my worries were unfounded... the machine feels VERY solid, and there is no noticeable flex if you're not putting a sledgehammer to the keys. Basically, it's only there if you're looking for it- I've been using they keyboard heavily (including for gaming) and haven't noticed a thing.

2) Battery life: I haven't had the chance to run the machine down all the way on battery, but I expect that you'll get a good 4:00-4:30 on the integrated graphics and the backlight not all the way up. (I'm running the i450 for reference). I've been doing some pretty processer-intensive things on battery (games included), so I can't comment really on light browsing. Depends on what you need, really... though, being realistic, you're not going to find a macheine at this price and specs that can deliver much more. You can always get the slice, which I'm actually considering getting... doesn't seem like that much of a tradeoff.

3) Quality: I am VERY impressed with this machine's quality... it's very sturdy, there are no defects at all, and it's built to last. I'm not foreseeing any problems with it in that regard. It's built to feel and run like a premium laptop, and on that it delivers... I'd feel comfortable taking it anywhere without fear of hurting it. And yes, MUCH better feel than the pavilions (I've tried out several)

Other impressions (in no particular order):

Audio: Yes, the Beats Audio thing is actually a gimmick, as one of the posts on the Owners Lounge indicated (it's another program, skinned to make it look cooler)... but that doesn't make it sound any worse. In fact, these are the best laptop speakers I've heard in terms of loudness (they can get LOUD) and attention to lower frequencies, and plugged in the audio is well preserved. I bought this machine partly because I work with audio frequently, and I wanted an integrated sound that sounded good out of the box (aka without always having to rely on an external sound card)

Heat: Like other users have said, the machine runs cooler than I'd expect... the palm rests don't heat up to an uncomfortable/noticeable temperature. There is an exhaust on the rear end of the right side that gets hot, but it's not noticed unless you put your hand there.

Touchpad: This one took some getting used to... first day was a rather frustrating experience with the touchpad. However, after tweaking it and giving it a few days to get used it, it's not a problem now. Just expect a bit of a learning curve.

In short: I can't fully express how happy I am with this machine. It does everything without a hiccup, it's just the right size, the screen in GORGEOUS it's sturdy and good-looking, etc... the only thing I would recommend to new users is to DEFINITELY do a clean install. There's so much crap HP puts on this thing, which is really unfortunate because it is a premium laptop... just spend the 1 hour clean installing, and never worry about it again. Plus, HP re-downloads swsetup to C: through Windows Update, so all the original drivers/software is there if you want to re-install some of it. But that's it... I had a 3-year-old HP before this one and it was awful, so I can say with confidence that this one is a winner

 

Beats isn't about the quality of the sound coming out of the laptop speakers; it's about the quality of the output signal. Laptop speakers almost universally suck due to their small size, and there's no cure for that if you want a small laptop.

 

Hi, I'm planning on getting a new laptop to get or college and I'm pretty sure I want to get an envy 14 inch. However, I'm not sure about the processor and battery set up. I plan on doing a fair amount of gaming, but nothing too excessive. I'm also planning on majoring in computer science in college, which I imagine will require some pretty demanding software.

Will I see that much of a difference between the 520m and the 720 in terms of performance?

Also, on the hp website it says there's an option for two 8 cell batteries. Does this mean two interchangeable batteries or are they both attached, and one oversized?

How much time would I get on one 8 cell and the 6 cell slice with an i7 just web browsing? Also, are there any heating issues involving the slice? I imagine it blocks some of the vents.

Thanks

 

Comp Sci won't require demanding software if it's anything like Carnegie Mellon's program...

The 8 Cell batteries are two interchangable batteries.

 

FYI, this is not the case. You have to manually download all of the drivers after a clean install from http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-...027-drivers-hp-envy-14-intel.html#post6415517 . Driver executables that come from HP are compressed and automatically extract to the SwSetup folder when you run the setup. Or, the alternative is backing up the SwSetup folder on the factory disk and using the drivers under the "Drivers" folder.

 

you're better off just backing up the swsetup folder that's on there from your factory install.

saves you some headaches

 

Is there a integrated graphics card that the envy 14 can run on similar to the Acer TimelineX 4820TG?

 

yeah.

if you buy the i3/i5 version

 

would anyone recommend the i3 version if I do some light gaming and use it mostly for school? Also would that run cooler and last longer on battery?

Also did anyone get the HP care package? (at 275 bucks! for 2 year) is it worth it, or is the 1 year out of box warranty good enough?

Thanks!

 

i3 vs. i5 battery life is a subject of some little debate, but most people will tell you the battery life will be largely identical, and heat's probably the same, since they both have the same TDP (maximum power draw, which is also associated with heat dissipation). The i3 version should be adequate for your usage profile, one of the main drawbacks (it seems) of the i3 is that it has a lower threshhold for pain (it is rated to withstand significantly lower maximum temperatures than the i5), but that shouldn't be an issue, since it would have to be running at a pretty heavy load to reach that temperature anyway, especially in the E14, which is building a good reputation for staying cool under pressure .

HP Care Package warranties are pretty pricey, many people have looked into other warranty packages from third party providers rather than use HP's. It's basically insurance against things going wrong - if your mobo fries in your second year of ownership, the warranty pays for itself, but if nothing happens, your money bought nothing but a little peace of mind. However, if you're a believer in Murphy's Law (and I'm not referring to the television show starring Candace Bergen), then go for it. It won't hurt to have it, it's just paying for it that's painful.