Radiance display no longer an option for envy??

Please tell me how that goes because if it works, then I'll definetely go that route. I have no other options atm..

Edit: just talked to HP. Apparently the card has to be issued by an American Bank so I'm not sure if that is going to work. just a heads up

 

Ordered mine about an hour ago. I hope it arrives at or before estimated build date + 5 days or I'll have my laptop stuck in Wisconsin with me being in Oregon.
Even then I'm willing to pay for shipping from WI to OR as long as I've got the radiance display.

 

So, how 'bad' is the BrightView LED screen? It's been a long time since I've gotten a new computer, my last was a Compaq C700 which just died, and I ordered an Envy 14 yesterday. I ordered one of the pre-built 'quick ship' models which has the BrightView. Is the Radiance an an absolute must to get the most out of the machine?

 

Significantly better. The Radiance is brighter and finer resolution. It's the kind of display you expect on a high-end laptop. The BrightView? Eh, not so much.

 

The screen is almost definitely its highest selling point. If you get the Brightview screen, you may as well get the hp dv6t select edition, which can be configured to have much better specs for MUCH cheaper. The highest LCD option for the dv6tse is the brightview screen, and the build quality is practically the same.

 

So what is the consensus on sending back in exchange for the radiance screen (plus whatever the cost difference is)? I can't really afford to purchase another $1000+ computer until the price of this one would be credited back to me. And I can't really afford to go longer without a computer than I have already anyway. Am I screwed?

 

Personally, I think the Radiance screen is worth the $200 price difference. As someone else posted, if you're willing to settle for the BrightView, then you might as well step down to the DV6T - or any number of laptops out there with lower quality displays. The problem is that in your scenario, I don't think there's a way you're going to be assured of getting the Radiance unless you place a new order and then send your current laptop back for a refund - basically, two separate transactions.

 

Ditto man, I ordered mine earlier today, but I leave for California on the 8th. Hopefully it will reach me (in Wisconsin ) by then. The estimated build date is the 30th, so I think I'm safe.

 

So they don't allow exchanges, where I can send back the one I ordered in for a different model, plus/minus any cost difference?

 

Call HP and they will send you a return slip. It's a fairly easy process.

 

It's back on as an option.

 

This shifts the issue over to the panel suppliers, again. Not sure if it was related but DELL also experienced issues with a higher end panel with their RGBLED displays, and then the disappearance.



So basically the panel makers, who have pled guilty in the past to price fixing on phone devices and who knows what else, either refuse make non washed out panels (unless it's for apple), or won't do it unless the pricepoints are much higher, thus throwing off the pricing for the vendors like DELL/HP.


Lovely. Please someone tell me there really isn't some sort of display cartel acting on the market like I fear it is.

 

Yes, as long as they have the same billing address and name.

 

Thanks for the heads-up, Jason, I just placed my order.

i5-520M and the beautiful Radiance Display, can't wait.

 

Great, so you're telling me that even with an accidental damage protection plan, that I might not be able to get my screen replaced if it gets broken, or worse yet if it just fails on me?

 

So that's the story behind the SXPS RGBLED disappearance? At least Dell had the HD WLED screen to fall back on. HP just has a low res lcd, which is unacceptable. HP better figure something out with its suppliers.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if Apple was threating the panel maker to stop supplying HP with the Radiance panels since the e14 is a big competitive threat to them.

 

No, Apple is too arrogant to think anyone is a threat to them. I mean look, their machines cost twice as much as similar spec'ed machines and they still sell like crazy. Sure they have unibody construction but is that worth $1000?

 

Jason O. / HP team.

Don't know if any one has said it but thank you guys for the constant updates regarding the radiance screen. I know that I would not have been able to order this laptop with out this forum post. You guys didn't have to keep us up to date but you guys did and I appreciate it.

 

Well I'm relieved--my replacement Envy w/ Radiance for my RMA'ed one had the status updated to "order in production". Still keeping my fingers crossed... I'd be devastated if they ran out of panels before mine got built.

 

I am not sure, I just noticed a similar shortage and disappearance with dells higher end panel option and thought it might be related to the suppliers.

 

So wait, is it possible to not get a screen even if they had it as an option when I ordered it? Like if they run out while building it?

The 30th+5-7 days to get something I don't want is not a good thing.

Does anyone know if the build date is a firm date? Or an estimate?

 

estimate. it will usually be done 5 days ahead but since there is a shortage in radiance displays it may be longer.

 

+1. Thanks Jason. Ordered my Envy as soon as I saw the screens were back. I can't wait!

 

Yeah you should get it earlier than the 30th. I ordered a desktop from them 2 months ago and it arrived a few days early.

 

Ordered
Used NBE629764 for $100 off, best I could find for the Envy 14. It's valid for the first 300 customers

 

Thats an OK coupon but I can't wait for the big ones. Like the $450 off $1399+ the Envy 15 had back in the Spring (March/April).

That way you could get
Base = 1000
Radiance +200
450m i5 Processor + 50
500 gb HDD + 40
4gb 1 dim + 25
extra 8 cell battery +75
+ something worth 10 bucks

= $950 + Tax.

I can wait.

 

Radience option might not last 'til Spring due to panel shortages caused by the economy of manufacturing them (as stated by others)...

 

sorry guys for offtopic..
I tried to order envy 14 at hp store using my international card and it was declined. But still they charged whole sum of money from my account. Do you know how long it will take to receive my money back?

 

My order status changed to Order Accepted, but i dont see a charge on my card yet? What is the flow of the order?

 

do u guys think it is a risk if i continue to wait ? what if there really is no more radiance screens in the future ?!!

 

radiance display is available again according to hp's website

 

I think the question now is, for how long are they available?

I want the E14 with the Radiance screen, but I'm also cheap and want some sort of good sized coupon to go with it. I guess I'm rolling the dice and waiting.

 

THANK YOU!!!! You just saved me an additional $75 (I had a $25 coupon code already).

 

Yes, I think it is a risk to wait. Nothing HP has said thus far is reassuring in the slightest. We went through a similar situation with the Dell XPS 16 not long long ago. The RGBLED ran out, and never came back. And the downgrade in terms of quality with the Dell was not nearly as crippling as what we are looking at with the Envy 14. In fact, if you have a bunch of money laying around, it might makes sense to buy as many Envy 14's as you can with the Radiance and then sell them at a huge mark up once the good screens run out.

 

Anyone still suprised that the Radiance option is still up on the site? I assume that means they are still available...but if you had only visited this page, you would have thought they would have been snapped up in 4 hours...

btw my order has been dropped to factory

 

I had ordered another E14 yesterday using a $25 coupon. Today I canceled that order and order submitted a new order (for the same configuration) using a $100 coupon. Apparently the Radiance is still available as I was able to select it for this latest order.

By the way, according to HP customer service, my order from yesterday (Aug. 17) is supposedly "already in production" - despite having an Aug. 30th ship date. As a result, they couldn't guarantee that the order could be canceled - it may end up being shipped then I'll have to request an RMA to return it. For an order that was placed less than 24 hours ago, that seems a little cumbersome.

 

I ordered one during the last 30% BCB, and the next day decided that I wanted the SSD drive. So I canceled the order the next day, assuming that I would re-order with the SSD next time BCB came back (which it never did).

Anyway, they told me the same thing, that they would TRY to cancel the order. They finally were able to, and IIRC, it took about a week to get the credit back on my card.

 

Looks like the Radiance is gone again...

 

That's unfortunate.

 

Wonder what they will replace it with? The system looks really nice...but without a ba screen...

 

might as well just get the dv6t:se now.....

 

I would rather they just merge the Envy 14 and 15 and take the best of both worlds:

From Envy 15:
- HD 5830 GPU (5850 maybe?)
- 1080p screen
- dual hard drives / ssd

From Envy 14:
- switchable graphics
- longer battery life
- radiance dispay (@1080p!)

Dump the DVD drive. I know some customers want it, but if that's the case then make it optional DVD drive or a second hard drive bay.

 

This is stupid. One would think that HP would have learned their lesson from the last time this happened. You cant just remove the Radiance screen option without explaining why.
Do we all really want to go through this again? Or is it now enough is enough. Time to look for something else.

 

Yeah it sucks I am based out of USA and was making arrangements to order it in next 2 days and now the radiance has gone. What the !!! Hp really sucks. Not only they cannot make good laptops but if they made a good laptop by mistake I suppose than they cannot handle it as well

 

I'm suprised Engadget hasn't picked up on this latest development yet. They were one of the first to review the E14 and gave high marks to the Radiance display.

 

Doesn't surprise me much. If you want accurate notebook information, this is the site to find it. Engadget rarely follows up on any story- they just focus whatever the big "announcement" of the day might be. With the Envy 14 essentially dead in the water, I think the previous poster is correct that updating the Envy 15 to a back lit keyboard and fixing it's stupid left keys should be HP's top priority.

 

This would be phenomenal!

I looked into the E15 only to find that it didn't support switchable graphics, which is a great shame Since they have basically the same size I would have been plenty happy with it instead of the 14. But I need better battery life!

 

Maybe the 3rd gen Envy 15 when it comes out will be offered with the DreamColor 2 screen that is only available in the upper end EliteBook series. This would give HP another winner until they ran out of those screens and then.....oh well.

 

If you adjust the contrast ratio, the Envy 15's 1080 display is pretty exceptional. They just have to make it edge to edge. If they came out with a refresh of the Envy 15 that incorporated the Envy 14 design improvements, I'd get it over a MacBook Pro in a heartbeat.