HP Envy 13 unboxing and first impressions
By Paul Miller 
posted September 30th 2009 12:01AM
posted September 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.
I like the Envy 13, but being able to play Youtube HD isn't a great benchmark. The Celeron in my bottom-of-the-line Compaq manages that fine.
i like the slice battery, especially if hot swap
what's the the network on a dongle? not as if there wasn't space. daft idea
I really didn't think I'd have to say this here on Engadget of all places, but PLEASE, could you perhaps say WHAT CPU the frakking thing has? Everyone keeps listing 'core 2 duo processor' or - as you do here - "full power processor." Just to remind you, that doesn't actually MEAN anything! Core 2 duo could mean anything from the craptastic SU3500 of Acer's timeline series to the monster T9900, or anything in between. The leaked lineup from yesterday listed it as "SL9000 series," which is slightly more specific, but what gives? Can't you right click the Computer shortcut and see WHICH EXACT MODEL it is? Your readers are geeks, for god's sake, this is what we live off of.
DO NOT WANT!
I was waiting for Envy 15, but those problems in trackpad probably make me think again before buying. I currently have unibody MBP, and the Apple's trackpad driver for Windows makes it unusable, and I have heating problems and black screens while playing. I was going to replace this disappointing MBP with Envy... but... why did they have to copy that stupid buttonless trackpad?! I just don't understand because real buttons are more reliable and work better.
If I was looking for a PC Laptop today I would consider a T400S.
The hypocrisy of the posters on this site is ridiculous. If this laptop had really been what it is trying to emulate, a Macbook Pro, all the posters here that have praised it, would be yelling about what an overpriced/under specced machine it is.
Now, I have no problem with stealing ideas from other companies, putting them all together and make a great product, but this laptop is shameless. It is just an utter rip off of Apple's design. This is HP saying that they couldn't design something on par with the aesthetics of a Macbook and so they just gave up and literally cloned one. Even the packaging looks the same.
In my opinion, HP should be ashamed of themselves. Seriously, design something of your own. Have some pride and passion in your work. That's what Apple did and they designed a beautiful machine that they should be proud of. HP should do the same.
Why does everybody have to copy apple. So youre telling apple has never copied another competitor. You tell me no and ill show you a liar.
@ EminiSP
That's not the point. It's not that anyone's claiming that Apple don't strategically lift ideas from other manufacturers, they clearly have done and continue to do so quite successfully (go google PARC if there's doubt in anyone's minds). Patent infringements not withstanding, there's nothing wrong with that. If an idea is good, it doesn't matter where it comes from, Apple, Microsoft, HTC... if it gets out and other manufacturers run with, develop it, and above all else - do it well, it's the consumer that ultimately wins. And that last point leads me onto...
Neither is it the point that people are complaining that Apple's product-design mojo is being nicked. It's that HP are doing it so openly, yet so poorly.
The point being made, is that if this laptop, with *these* specs and *this* price-tag had an Apple logo on the case, the MS fanboys would be shouting it down as over-priced kack. They aren't, they're rationalising the problems away and claiming it's a quality little sex-kitten of a laptop. That's the hypocrisy. That's also the insight.
Each camp both defends their own *and* agressivly prosecutes the other, more than is objectively appropriate. They each gloss over the flaws while focussing on perceived benefits. Look back at the launch of the MacBook Air, you'll see more or less the same argument playing out there - the fundamental difference being that back then it was the MS Massive who were spitting transistors over the lack of fundamental connectivity options and functional gimping dictated by styling factors.
Let's face it, there's far more important things out there to get hissy and wet in the eyes over. Let's mark this up for what it is, and get on with our irrationally, subjectively entrenched lives out in the real world where such trivia as personal OS choices are just that - personal. Come on chaps, let's hug it out.
Donglicious.... :(
an american clone ... but still nice though
I am surprised that HP's first well-built laptop is a blatant ripoff of the MacBook unibody, with a higher price, no DVD drive an just overall less value. Even the packaging is trying to be Apple's, but just couldn't skip the cheap plastic wrapping.
I'm getting really tired of so many laptop manufacturers trying too hard to innovate the trackpad but instead make it worse. A trackpad should be smooth and usable for hours without it becoming moist. The buttons should actually be 2 separate buttons, both of which should be easily clickable. Its annoying that so many laptop manufacturers (lenovo, asus, etc. and now HP as well) get this simple thing wrong.
calling youtube hd "the real computer killer of our times" is sort of revealing as to just how little this writer knows about computers. or how little he assumes we all know. like when start-up time of a program is used as a cpu benchmark.
Actually, its not a bad test at the moment, at least until Adobe ships a version with GPU offloads. You're the one who obviously hasn't been paying attention. 2.0GHz Atoms with Ion can't handle full screen Flash playback, which is one of the real non-gaming issues with using an Atom system as a "media center" next to your TV. Since probably the main thing you'll wnat to do with it is watch streaming video from Hulu or whatever. They're just making a topical comment. If you were paying attention you'd have recognized it as such.
The battery splice thingy is ace, although the dodgy trackpad is a deal killer.
It's a Macbook Air competitor and I think overall it falls short, but it's leaps and bounds better than any previous hp laptop.
Maybe Apple and HP will then team up to make a laptop that can have the best of both worlds.
Working trackpad and HDMI!
I just bought a Macbook Pro last Friday. It has a 2.26 ghz C2D, 4 gigs DDR3 ram, 320 gig HDD, and a 3 year warranty. My total before tax was $1,462. This includes a small government employee discount. Still, it is ridiculous for them to charge $1,700 for a base model. I could buy a copy of Windows 7 for $100 and still come out cheaper than this machine. Crazy.
If you compare it with the air instead of the pro, you will see that the Envy really shines.
I am buying this laptop. No question about it. I need insane battery life, enough power to be running macros in excel, photoshop and lightroom. I need small and I need lightweight.
I love windows 7 and I need the virtualized windows XP so I can log into work remotely. As for the mouse pad I am a bit concerned, but this will be my third HP computer and I really like HP. Even though my plastic dv9000 hinge is broken. That was poor build quality that they have fixed in the newer models.
I just want trackpad buttons. That's all.
No, thank god.
is this a dock ... the one on the middle of the taskbar , is HP really imitating the apple mac book pro , this is really getting boring , i ll not pay 1700$ for a macbook clone , ill go for the real mac :D , N.B I AM MAC/I AM PC
I envy you Engadget, I soo want this machine!
Envy? what a stupid name, it sounds cheap already.
Is it me? Or does the screen layout, keyboard style, keyboard function keys, trackpad, and just about the whole computer look similar to the MacBook? I mean it's almost got the same aluminum finish on it!
DOWN WITH GLOSSY SCREENS!!!
WHO IS WITH ME?!
Go buy a mac, Envy is as expensive as one and half works
Idiots who say people who say go buy macs instead "biased" just stfu pls
You just fail to admit that this machine looks like a Mac, so if i made a half assed copy of a zune hd you would go buy it, i don't think so.
Windows mobile still sucks
have fun with bsod :)
PLEEEZ tell me how come that windows 7 looks better ?
Microsoft's strategy worked, be more like apple in all forms, laptop designs, OS.