HP Envy 13 unboxing and first impressions
By Paul Miller 
posted Sep 30th 2009 12:01AM
posted Sep 30th 2009 12:01AM
- This is one sexy laptop. It's incredibly quality in its construction, and intensely attractive. The screen in particular is a knockout, showing up very bright and vibrant behind its glossy, mirror-tastic sheen
- The single button trackpad is severely miscalibrated, and perhaps an altogether bad idea. We're having trouble scrolling consistently, but clicking is also a hit or miss affair -- having multiple fingers on the trackpad at the same time seems problematic, with our cursor glitching this way and that. It's also actually possible (likely even, if you're as bad at mousing as we are) to "click" the pad and yet have nothing happen, which seems very counterintuitive.
- The keyboard is comfortable, but has a bit of a loose, pushover feel to the key action -- not cheap, but not really best-in-class either.
- Boot time is pretty snappy, even with the quick boot Envy "Instant-On Solution" Linux acting as a pit stop along the way.
- With a full Core 2 Duo processor inside and a real feeling of heft and thickness compared to other laptops in "thin and light" land, it's surprising that the Envy 13 goes with the same external Ethernet dongle of its predecessor, the Envy 133.
- That full-powered processor? Snappy. It takes on YouTube HD, the real computer killer of our times, without breaking a sweat.
Want.
despite that it's overpriced and the touchpad is almost unusable?
Do you really want one?
It's too pricey and still not good enough.
onioning.com/yoda
Sooo, do these keys light up? Some illuminated keys are something I very much WANT.
people would just think you're using a macbook-wannabe. don't want.
Eh, it's meandered into MacBook Pro price territory, so you might want to consider one of those, if things like, you know, a functioning button/trackpad combo are important to you. Install windows 7 if you want, and you'd likely be getting better engineering with Apple it sounds like from this review. And since when has this website ever considered a glossy laptop screen as a positive? Even Apple offers the matte finish again.
I agree - you'd be better buying a Macbook and sticking Windows 7 on it.
Having used a new Macbook Pro, I don't think I can go back to Windows until the trackpads catch up.
Fanboyism, Price, OS aside, thats the one thing I really care about in a laptop.
What's up with that menu? looks like windows with a hint of OSX...
I NEVA PAY FOR SEXY.
I love that "one of HP's sexiest laptops ever" is also the most similar looking to a macbook pro they ever made, is it really worth praising kirf?
When the specs for this that were sent to the FCC were on this site yesterday, of course the inevitable MacBook comparisons were drawn, and of course the obligatory person who must come out and say it looks nothing like a MacBook was there to reply and offer that the actual device (since those were just drawings) does not look like one. I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
Well, here's a pic and it looks like a MacBook. It's good looking, but it looks like a MacBook.
Who is more fervent, the Apple fanboys, or the people who must denounce Apple and their influence on design at all costs and swear that nothing looks like an iPhone or a MacBook, etc?
*drools*
envy is a deadly sin, but who gives a shit.
Where's the green?
There's no green.
This is the BlackBook Pro.
that thing does look sweet. but the mouse pad issues definitely have me concerned. i know alot of people use their own usb/wireless mouse, but i'm a trackpad guy, and it has to be a good trackpad (not to pick favorites, but i do love apple's newest pads)
What I want to know though is can you still tap to click like on most trackpads? I'm a trackpad guy as well, and I hate clicking buttons. I tap click everything, and have the bottom right corner of my trackpad set as my right click.
My actual physical mouse buttons on my laptop have seized due to years of not being used. So if this is a viable option on the Envy, then I just may shell out the dough for an upgrade.
At $1700 I dont know, i think that is way too over priced.
A completely agree. If your gonna overcharge it's only fair i nitpick. No backlit keaboard, no express card slot, And slighly above average, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330. Come on HP your better than that.
One of the only cool things worth mentioning is that with the battery splice (it's fairly thin) you can get 17 hrs of battery life out of this laptop. Another thing is that this laptop is almost as thin as the MBAir, take that into consideration....
I still want a Macbook Pro
but...before you fan-boys get your get your tampons out and stop your over emotion flows
I will say this think is a beaut and I might get it only after I see what the new updates for the white Macbook are
Eventhough deep dpws in my heart i want an Amd Turion 2 X2 with DDR3 Ram and a HD 4850
Buuuuuuuuuut AMD is being slow as fuck
oh well time to check the bank account to dive back into Apple
So is this kinda like when HP made iPods?
HP didn't make iPods, HP simply sold Apple iPods with an HP logo added to the case.
wow......
Can it run Mac OS X and Windows 7?
No, thank god.
Man that is one sexy laptop!
but why do companies insist on having glossy screens!!?
Because in the right light they give better colour and clarity.
In the wrong light you get a nice reflection of yourself but can't see anything.
niiiiiiiiiccccccceeeeeee. you can have apple. ill enjoy my choices in life.
Your statement really doesn't make much sense here.
@ ill trooper,
If he had written, “It’s great that we get another choice in the high-end notebook market segment” or “You can have Apple, I prefer Windows [and/or] HP anyway” then it would make sense. But this is Engadget. Most posters are just a step up from Digg commenters.
@ill trooper
I dont make choices off brand like you genius. take your head out of apples ass and appreciate what competitors have to offer. Youre obviously biased when it comes to apple.
@ Bender Bending Rodriguez
I dont spend much time posting on engadget cause im trading the markets. If youre an investor you would understand why i dont purchase apple products. If i need i to go into details it only lets me know you dont know shit about "choices" in life. The market is opening up at 8:30am cst. Gotta make some money using my PC.
@ EminiSP
Uh oh, The Dow is down 117. Did you screw that up too?
@Daniel T
LOL. I shorted the SP mini not the Dow and actually i made a nice piece of change. Im a daytrader DUMBASS...
@ Daniel T
Dont comment on my profession if you dont know shit about it. You can go either way with the market. You should trade the SP mini so us pros can take your money cause we do need extra spoos in our markets. Im the reason why your (you probably dont have one) 401k is down 35%
Wow, usually commenters on Engadget are just assholes about technology. But EminiSP is an asshole about important things. Kudos.
@ mr nimblewick
Im sorry, Technology is more important than the markets. Excuse me, i must have my priorities backwards. Next time keep an eye on your money and you wont see me with my hands in your 401k's LOL. FYI, im more than an asshole when trading ;)
SP
EminiSP... But you clearly DO make choices based on brand, my friend. I understand your saltiness, however - it's been a rough year on the markets.
@ ill trooper
You obviously have no clue about the market. google:short selling. thats how i make money DUMBASS...like i told the other guy dont comment on something you have no clue about. Leave the real thinking to the market makers (EminiSP)...stick to defending apple...FYI...im enjoying my F-52X desktop lol.
SP
...did you say something?
NEEEEXXXXXTTTTTT!!!!! ;)
Dual-boot 7 and OS X and it will be the perfect machine!
So...ummm...anyone else notice that this looks pretty darn similar to a macbook pro?
...YES. We all did. Quite some time ago.
Weeks ago in fact:
http://gizmodo.com/5359331/hp-envy-hands-on-macbook-pro-clone-better-than-the-real-thing
Read much?
It is a complete rip off of a Macbook. At least they were honest with naming it, they have Macbook Envy.
Dear HP. How about a 17" Envy, huh?
It's about time they show some real notebooks on Engadget and not those $250 Atom-powered netcrapbooks people seem to have fallen in love with.
Why do they have to try and copy a macbook pro? Sounds like they fail on the track pad and keyboard.
I prefer a regular track pad with 2 separate buttons anyway.
Wow, even the packaging looks like a MacBook. O_o
The only reason I would get a Macbook over this is that Macbooks hold value better. Come next year I can sell mine for only a little less than what I paid for it. The HP on the other hand would lose a lot more money.
That's because Apple gives you NO CHOICE.
When they only release like 5 computers every 12 months, what other choice do people have?
Either they pay full cost for a brand new one, or they save a couple of hundred dollars by purchasing the exact same computer from someone else like within 12 months of its release.
The reason PC's lose their resell value is because
a) there are hundreds of choices at any given time
b) the hardware advanced on a monthly basis, not on a yearly basis...so something newer, shinier, better is ALWAYS around the corner before you know it...rather than having to wait for it as with Macs, so people get fed up and just buy a used one because its specced the same as a new one that came out 11 months ago.
Wait, you mean someone will buy your 1 year old macbook for $1000.,,, I'm sure you paid $1300. Or did you just buy it for $999 and next year your gonna sell for $799 Almost as much as you paid for it. Let's be serious here.
So what WindowsFTW is trying to say: Apple's have really good resale value.
I think what WindowsFTW is trying to say is, apple fanboys desperate to complete their thier IPOD/IPHONE/Macbook trinity, can either overpay for a used macbook or pay for an overpriced new one. But I'm still not buyingj that BS from Abuzar. I've checked craigslist and I don't see one macbook going for almost as much as the owner paid for it. Unless by "almost as much as i paid" He ment 60 percent less then what I paid. Seriously guys. Be real please.
I like how WindowsFTW makes a high resale value sound like a negative.
Is the keyboard backlit ? I have not seen it lit in one pic in all these days !
It would be a bummer if its not backlit !
I'm with you on that, backlighting is pretty awesome. I didn't think it would be of any use to me, but I'm finding it extremely handy at events and other poorly lit places.
In either case, the Envy sounds like it could approach desktop replacement performance, but I'm wondering whether other 13" laptops with this processor will be coming in around this (high) price point.
No. The keyboard is NOT backlit.
While I would personally never buy such a ridiculously priced laptop, and perhaps HP is using Apple's own ridiculous pricing to justify this monstrosity, if the battery life claims are true, this laptop may just be slightly more worth it than a MacBook Pro, if not roughly the same value. If the computer's price does indeed include the Blu-Ray drive at $1,700, I could see possibly recommending it to others. But honestly, why would one sacrifice performance and budget for what, not even half an inch of thickness?
Also...perhaps HP should have had Wacom work on their new trackpad technology. Their new Pen and Touch tablets seem to be getting overall positive reviews. =P
And who would've thought the Windows logo would show up on some flavor of Linux any day ! And yet, here it is, on the Linux IOS. A sight to behold ladies and gentlemen.
Shhhhh
remember, "normal" people are scared of linux. we can't let them know what they're using or they'll revolt
That's how we take linux to the masses. Stick a windows logo on it !
A tad over my budget, but even still
WANT
Why is there no mention of the super awesome customized Windows 7 theme? Thats lookin pretty sweet
Because that's not windows.
Its the Linux IOS (go figure)
Pretty sure that's just part of the instant on OS
lmao
looks like they got some inspiration from the Macs. That's okay, work won't pay for a Mac, maybe they would pay for this. I'm so sick of the Dell Lattitudes that every company buys. Anyway, looks nice.
What the heck? Everything is external? I thought this was a more attractive practical notebook...Ah well.
Looks good buttt...I'd probably buy an x301 over this anyday.
Looks nice except for that god awful imprint finish. It makes the whole thing look like a bad piece of 70's furniture. =/
I comeletely agree ill trooper. My orifinal comment on this post was that this laptop is overprices given the specs. So when you say "if this was the laptop a person was considering buying, that person really should seriously consider an Apple laptop as an option too" what I hear is If your gonna over pay for this then you should consider overpaying for a mac.
Jay on the other hand. was trying to say that this is a good looking laptop bit he just couldn't get the words out My point to is not necessary for him to predicate every compliment he gives to a PC with an Evan though macs are way awesomer clause.
macbooks still look better... but its a start
Jay Park can you repeat that without the apple Fanboism. Steve Jobs isn't looking, I promise.
Jay Park @ Sep 30th 2009 4:39AM
Sure/ That is a thing of beauty !
Now was that so hard.
Edu3000: But the rest of the world IS watching: HP has brought this wrath upon themselves with the borrowed styling cues and "Apple-tax" pricing. The comparisons are being made for those reasons, and when certain things fall short of the MBP, like that trackpad, it's bound to be brought up.
It's certainly interesting to see how people across the internet are reacting to this thing: Hardware with severe compromises made for styling and size, carrying a premium price, but yet NOT from Apple. Suddenly I see a few posts justifying the price by pointing out its sexy styling and size, asking if you really need a built-in optical drive anyway, or "Who uses ethernet anymore?"
I am of the mindset that better build-quality is worth the money, and as a Mac user, I often pay the premium for it, so I don't see anything really wrong with someone buying this machine if they want it (other than the MAJOR dissatisfaction the top gadget sites have with that trackpad), but if this was the laptop a person was considering buying, that person really should seriously consider an Apple laptop as an option too. They both have strengths. Unless of course said person just hates Apple, which is a reality for some. In which case, go for the "Envy". I promise I'll politely divert my eyes when someone uses the trackpad on this thing.
what's the resolution on this screen? 1080p?
Ummm... 1920x1080 on a 13" screen?
I don't think soooo. 1280x800 probably, still counts as HD.
make sure you read up on HP before you buy...alot of people had problem including me when i brought an HP that was a little over a year...it didn't make it more then 3 months after the warranty was over....they wanted me to pay 400 bucks to fix it when i had paided 1299 hoping it last more then a year....Get the warranty cause if it's a defect of their bad design...they won't fix it for free...read more at www.hplies.com
i have 4 hp laptops and they still run good after warranty are out. tx2000,dv5t,zv6000,tx1000.
I have had the exact opposite happen to me. My screen conked out just about 10 days shy of my warranty expiry. When i sent it in, they replaced the screen, changed my defective wifi card inside, put in a new HDD cover that I broke cos of my rough handing, changed audio jacks and also changed the entire cooling unit (heat sink and fan). No questions asked. 2 day pick up and delivery paid. It took them exactly 7 days from the day I sent it in to get it back to me.
Its those people who do not know how to take care of their stuff that crib. To such people - mend yourself, not your computer.
@shravan
Thanks for your insight. If so many things go wrong in a HP laptop, I'm going to stay away from HP and not recommend HP laptops to anyone. I'm glad I didn't buy a HP laptop.
It's a great looking piece of kit, even if the keyboard and trackpad are shoddy.
I'm an Apple user, but this would be my first choice if I needed a dedicated Windows portable.
It will be interested to see what HP does with the Envy line in the future. Hopefully the build upon it and don't axe it.
iMac wasn't mentioned!! A reason why Engadget >> Gizmodo! This laptop looks sweet. Thanks for talking about the HP Laptop and not how it's not like the iMac Air, Pro or whatever.
lol um....
DIE!
it's a shame they don't have the option of 1440x900 res, otherwise, i'd be first in line.
I take that back, just read somewhere else that it will be available with 1600x900 resolution. when can i get one? (i have no use for the trackpad anyway).
Wow, it plays You Tube. Amazing. This thing is a joke. Buy a Mac instead of this half baked imitation.
Not only is it a Macbook knockoff, but it's overpriced.
I know, it needs to be atleast 1,000 more USD to be considered a real Apple product.
do they have quad core cpu's for laptops yet?
did anyone notice the hdmi to vga connector that's included? does that work?
It works if you pin the connector out correctly when you build it. It doesn't mean you can take that same HDMI to VGA connector and plug it in to some other HDMI port. Just this one. The HDMI side just pulls some pins down or something so the computer knows its really a VGA connector, and adjusts the signals it sends out to be analog instead, etc. Its not a converter.
I definitely DO WANT, but with a price tag like that, I'll pass.
Seems like there's only a few good points:
Seemingly Incredible Battery Life. Check.
Magnesium Alloy Body. Check. ( This beats the pants off pure aluminum. Think more durability, and it doesn't dent ).
... That's about it.
Bad:
Everything else.
Especially the imitating the Macbook Pro look.
NO FRIGGING TRACKPOINT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think it looks great. I'm even considering one. But if they can't get the trackpad working then forget the whole thing. Get your shit together quickly HP!
Is that a "Beats by Dre" logo on the speakers??
Anyways, I have to agree with a comment I just saw. people would see me as a MBP wanna be, sure is a sexy machine, but too much like a MBP, if i wanted a mac, id get one. now the Dre version, that does seem different.
Either way, this is sexy! except for the touchpad...FAIL!
No optical drive IN... Fail! (ok fine this one is not biggie)
Ethernet dongle out......Fail! (yes, FAIL, even when is a laptop and wireless is one of the main features of a laptop, some of us use ethernet, specially if we r playing online and downloading tons of stuff)
price...fai....fair i guess..
I like it tho =)
Wonder if now i can find the older envy for less on ebay!!!!.....uhm....wait..... nop still the same price =(