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HP Envy Spectre arrives at FCC, next year's model probably called HP Envy SMERSH
Even in the FCC's secret Washington bunker, our boys in lab-coats like to spread a little festive cheer. When this new HP Envy 14 Spectre was released into the streets, we found it wrapped in tinsel. We'll expect to learn more about this dual-band Wireless-N packing laptop in January, where we figure it'll be the last model to carry Intel's Sandy Bridge, since successor Ivy Bridge isn't due to arrive at OEMs for another couple of months. We're not sure about naming your laptop after a James Bond villain organization, but it wouldn't be the first questionable decision to come from the House of Meg this year, would it?
HP redesigns its Envy laptops, announces the Envy 15, 17 and 17 3D (video)
Just last month, we off-handedly said that HP's Envy laptops were among the most shameless MacBook impersonations we've seen. Looks like we spoke too soon: the company just introduced a redesigned Envy 15, Envy 17 and Envy 17 3D, and we have to say: the resemblance in the interior is just uncanny. If you ask company reps, they'll tell you the old taupe design was too masculine (despite the divets arranged in a floral pattern!), and that the new aesthetic is more gender-neutral. Fair enough, we suppose, though we defy you to tell us that touchpad, silvery aluminum chassis and black, chiclet-style keyboard aren't familiar. To be fair, it's not a complete facsimile: HP also throw in a few design flourishes of its own, most of them Beats-inspired. Chief among them is a red-accented, analog volume dial on the right side of the keyboard deck, though the black lid and thin red strip around the keyboard also add some kick. All three laptops will be available December 7th, with the Envy 15, Envy 17 and Envy 17 3D starting at $1,100, $1,250 and $1,600, respectively. For now, though, we've got hands-on shots below, along with a rundown of the starting specs just past the break. %Gallery-137834%%Gallery-139310%
HP Envy 14 review (2011)
HP redesigns its Envy laptops, announces the Envy 15, 17 and 17 3D (video) HP releases Q4 2011 earnings: $9.7 billion operating profit for fiscal year Toshiba's quad-core Satellite L750D goes on sale for $699 as one of the first available Llano laptops The last time we reviewed the Envy 14, we concluded, by and large, that HP got it right. The company succeeded in delivering good performance and graphics punch, all while correcting a teensy overheating problem and adding an optical drive and backlit keyboard. Then there was that rock-solid, engraved metal chassis that made it one of the most attractive notebooks on the market -- a distinction it still holds to this day. So as you can imagine, when HP refreshed the Envy 14 this summer, there wasn't exactly a lot to improve. What we have here is a nearly identical machine, with the same stunning design -- not to mention, $1,000 starting price. Now, though, HP is selling it with Sandy Bridge processors and USB 3.0 -- the kind of tweaks laptop makers have been rolling out for the better part of this year. Normally, that kind of speed bump wouldn't warrant us re-reviewing a laptop. In fact, we probably wouldn't be revisiting the Envy 14 if it weren't for two things. For starters, we've received an unusual number of emails, tweets and comments from readers, imploring us to weigh in on the Sandy Bridge version before they pull the trigger. Secondly, in addition to that processor swap, HP has fine-tuned the touchpad drivers, and assures us the trackpad isn't the flaky mess it was the last two times around. So how much better is the Envy 14 in the year two thousand and eleven? Let's find out. %Gallery-132905%
Engadget's back to school guide 2011: laptops
Welcome to Engadget's Back to School guide! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we're here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. Today we're getting down to the very important business of helping you sift through laptops, and you can always head to the Back to School hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of the month we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- and hit up the hub page right here! Ah, laptops. Some of us received our first notebooks the summer before college if not later. But times have changed and we're sure for many of the kids reading this freshman year is just an excuse to upgrade from the clunkers that carried them through high school. Either way, this one's pretty much mandatory -- unless you're a serious gamer who insists on a desktop GPU for marathon sessions of CoD: Black Ops, you're going to need a laptop for pounding out last-minute term papers in the library, taking notes in class and posting incriminating photos on Facebook. The problem is, the market's overrun with laptops that purport to be just perfect for the back to school set. They can't all be worth your money, though, so we whittled the list down to a handful of choices for each budget -- and if you're lucky you'll get your very own HP Pavilion dm1z for the pretty price of, well, nothing. Simply leave a comment below to be entered to win, and check out our giveaway page for more details. So wipe off the glasses, grab your clicker, and get ready to jump past the break for a top-level overview of this year's picks for back to school.
HP Envy 14 Beats Edition gets a slice of Sandy Bridge silicon, costs $1,050 at Amazon (updated)
HP's Envy 14 is quite the looker of a laptop, with its etched aluminum skin beckoning you to explore the capabilities of the Sandy Bridge CPU that lies beneath. For those who prefer the murdered-out look, the HP Envy Beats Edition is the preferable PC, but until now it lacked the upgraded Intel innards of its showy stablemate. That's right, Amazon's offering a second-gen Intel Core i5-2410M chip clocked at 2.3 GHz to go with those dark Dr. Dre aesthetics you crave (oddly it's not yet for sale on HP's website). The inky Envy with the big red "B" is priced at $1,050, or half a hundred more which is actually 30 bucks less than than buying its equivalently-equipped cousin direct from HP -- awfully nice of the good Doctor to give us a discount.
Microsoft's Rahul Sood says every PC industry exec should use a MacBook
Voodoo founder Rahul Sood has never shied from controversy -- he famously cut a cake with a MacBook Air during his tenure at HP -- and today he's expressing his love for Apple hardware from his pulpit as a Microsoft exec. "Every executive in the PC industry should use an Apple notebook," Sood tweeted today, implying that they were of higher quality than those that come with Windows by default. That certainly sounds a bit like a shot at Microsoft, but according to ConceivablyTech he may actually be pointing at his former employer HP, as a series of private status updates point to HP's unwillingness to compete at the high end of the laptop marketplace. "We could have done it - just need a few years of patience, and investment in our tooling/process," the message reportedly reads, "We really could have done it. [...] ...especially with webOS, what a combination that would have been." We're actually pretty happy with our Envy 14 -- lack of Radiance Display aside -- but we can't help wondering if it coulda been a contender with Voodoo DNA on board.
HP Envy 14 Radiance displays sold out... forever
Yep, it's a sad tale, but HP's run out of those glorious 1600 x 900-resolution, 350nit Radiance displays for its Envy 14 once and for all. As you may recall, they did come back in stock for a short time, but HP tells us that limited supply has dried up and that there are no plans right now to restock the inventory. In fact, a HP representative was pretty explicit in saying that the high-resolution panel won't be returning to the 14.5-inch Envy. We're sorry we don't have better news for you or a fresh pack of tissues to help dry your tears, but hey, we guess there's always the larger 17-inch model with its full 1080p panel.
HP Envy 14 aficionados rejoice! Radiance displays are back for a limited time
What once was lost, now is found...for a little while, at least. HP has finally decided to undo its previous mistake, and make the 1600x900 Radiance Infinity LED display a $200 upgrade on its Envy 14 laptops for a limited time. Alas, Dr. Dre fans are not afforded the same luxury, as the Beats Edition only comes with the standard 1366x768 BrightView screen, but we're just glad to see that beautiful, bright Radiance panel is on one Envy, even if only temporarily. [Thanks, Maciej]
HP updates Envy 17, dv6, and dv7 with Sandy Bridge, gives Mini 210 some new threads
No surprises here -- HP just updated a bunch of its consumer laptops here at CES, and the biggest change is that the Envy 17 and Pavilion dv6 and dv7 have been kicked over to Intel's Sandy Bridge second-gen Core processors. In addition to the new chips, the Envy 17 is getting HP CoolSense cooling and switchable AMD Radeon 6850M graphics with support for Intel Wireless Display -- pricing and availability haven't been determined yet, but we wouldn't expect it to be cheap. On the other hand, the dv6 and dv7 are mostly the same apart from the processor bump, and they'll be $899 and $999 when they hit on January 9th. Oh, and the Mini 210 is getting two new pink plaid case lids, which is almost as cool as new processors. Right? Right. Look at those after the break.
HP Envy 14 Beats Edition no longer available with Dr. Dre endorsed headphones, results in price drop
The differences between the HP Envy 14 Beats Edition and the plain ol' Envy 14 have been primarily aesthetic -- it's got a black Beats branded lid and red backlit keyboard -- but HP's also included that set of Monster Beats Solo headphones you see up there. Sadly, that last differentiator is no longer. We'd heard from a few readers that their Envy 14 Beats Edition laptops arrived sans headphones, and HP has confirmed for us that due to "supply constraints" the Dr. Dre Solo from Monster headphones are no longer included with the snazzy black and red laptop. Hopefully those customers that paid full price for the laptop and didn't receive the Solos will get a refund, but we're told by HP that the price has been lowered by $100 since the cans went out of stock -- the starting price was originally $1,249.99 and is now $1,149.99. We're not entirely sure why you'd pay $150 more for the Beats version now, considering you get the same audio experience with the standard $999.99 Envy, but what do we know? There may be tons of diehard Beats Audio fans living amongst us. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
HP Envy 17 review
When it comes to selecting our favorite mainstream Windows laptops these days the HP Envy 14 is pretty much at the tippy top of the list. (Hey, we don't just give anything away to our college-bound readers, you know?) But while the 14-inch version of the magnesium-alloy laptop may have impressed us with its new backlit keyboard and internal organs, we've still been aching to know how the bigger and badder Core i7-powered Envy 17 stands up. With a 1920 x 1080-resolution 17.3-inch display, 1GB of ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850 graphics, a USB 3.0 port and Blu-ray drive, can you really blame us? There's no doubt that the Envy 17 is one epic desktop replacement, but for $1,599 (the starting price is $1,299) we've got to tell you you're not purchasing perfection. Just what holds back the Envy 17 from being the be-all end-all multimedia monster? We'll divulge all in our full review after the break. %Gallery-105014%
HP Envy 15 and Envy 14 with Radiance display no longer available through HP, new CPUs ease the sting
Well, this is depressing. Earlier today we were tipped off on disappearance of the Envy 15 on HP's site, and according to the company it'll no longer be available through HP. Obviously, you can still snatch up the 15.6-inch version of HP's magnesium alloy rig through other e-tailers, but there's no telling how long they'll be in stock. The vanishing of the Envy 15 happens to make a lot of sense with the introduction of the Envy 14, but there's also something fishy going on with that one. The machine, which we do love so, doesn't have an option to be configured with HP's brighter Radiance panel any longer. HP wouldn't comment on future plans, but did confirm that the Radiance panel is no longer available on the 14. We'll be keeping an ear to the ground for further updates, but it's on you to bring the tissues next time. Though it's little consolation for nature-loving outdoor laptop enthusiasts, there is a silver lining in this cloud -- the Envy 14's now showing a new set of powerful CPU options, up to and including that 2.66GHz Core i5-580M we've been lusting after for months. [Thanks, Eric]
HP unleashes Envy 17 3D, HP Envy 14 Beats edition and specially-cooled Pavilion dm3
We know, it feels like it was just a few months ago that the new Envy 14 and 17 hit the market, but HP isn't quite finished tinkering with its aluminum laptops. First up is the new Envy 14 Beats edition, which just like the previous Envy 15 Beats has a totally different black and red design than the rest of the Envy line along with a pretty awesome red backlit keyboard. Apart from the different aesthetics and bundled Beats headphones, it's essentially the same as the regular Envy 14, although the $1249 starting price is for big fans of beats or Dr. Dre only. The Envy 17 gets the most interesting update, though: it'll be available sometimes this holiday season with a 17.3-inch 3D Ultra BrightView display and active shutter glasses. Powered by AMD's 3D technology, the Envy 17 will also support 3D Blu-ray discs, and by that we mean Avatar when it finally hits in November. We got a chance to check it out a few weeks ago and the 3D content looked pretty, well... three-dimensional. HP says the rig will be priced south of $2,000 and claims it's been working very hard on improving viewing angles. On the much-more-thin-and-light end of the spectrum, HP's also unveiling the improved Pavilion dm3. Starting at $549, the 13.3-inch dm3 will be available with Intel Core i3 and i5 processors and boasts HP's new CoolSense technology, which the company says combines hardware and software to keep the entire chassis cool. Beyond all that, the laptop is less than an inch thick and has been given a major makeover -- it has a very soft-to-the-touch lid and the same chiclet keyboard and ClickPad as the Pavilion dm4. We're planning to review a few of these, but until then head below to check out some hands-on shots and the full press release after the break. %Gallery-100738% %Gallery-100739%
HP Envy 14 review
The HP Envy 14 is like the final revision of a C+ term paper that always had potential, but just needed an bit of extra information and refinement to get an A. In fact, when HP introduced the Envy 14, the company was rather blunt about the fact that many of the issues that plagued the original Envy systems had been addressed, including the lack of an optical drive and backlight keyboard, the frustrating touchpad and the heat caused by the Core i7 processor. On paper, the 14.5-inch Envy 14 has everything we wanted to see in those first models while still maintaining its beautiful yet tough etched aluminum chassis. It's also got a new lower $999 starting price, though our review unit rang up at $1,290. So, has the Envy 14 finally make its way to the head of the class? We've spent some quality time with the rig to find out. %Gallery-98777%
HP Envy 15 said to be suffering from blank screen issues, lousy webcam
We can't say we experienced the problem during our time reviewing the HP Envy 15 (though we certainly had some other issues with it), but a sizable number of users have been reporting a persistent problem with the laptop's display randomly going blank. That's apparently so far gone unremedied by any number of driver updates, with the only "fix" being a forced reboot of the computer. Also problematic is an issue some folks are reporting with the laptop's webcam, which apparently has an odd tendency to only work properly under fluorescent lighting -- move under an incandescent light and everything takes on a distinct purple hue. Head on past the break for a vivid example of that problem, and hit up the source link below for all nineteen pages of complaints about the blank screen issue. [Thanks, Kasper]
New Core i7, Core i5 mobile processors to debut in HP Envy?
Intel's churning out the mobile chips like nobody's business -- no sooner does it admit the existence of Core i5 and Core i3 ULV CPUs, the chipmaker finds itself with more explaining to do. That's because dedicated Hewlett-Packard fans just found references to three new standard-voltage Core 2010 chips in the service manuals for the new HP Envy 17 and Envy 15 gaming laptops. The i7-840QM appears to be Intel's new top-of-the-line quad-core CPU, sporting a 1.86GHz clock that turbos up to 3.20GHz (or 3.20MHz, if you believe the above screencap) and 8MB of L3 cache; the i7-740QM is two steps down with 1.73GHz / 2.93 GHz clocks and a 6MB L3 cache; and the i5-450M appears to be indistinguishable from the existing i5-520M with 2.4GHz / 2.93 GHz clocks and 3MB of L3 to help it along. Given the megahertz typo above and the fact that none of these new processors appear anywhere else in the documentation, we wouldn't be surprised if these specs weren't rock-solid... but if they are, the new Envy may well live up to its name. Full PDF available below. [Thanks, Reznov]
HP Envy 14 and 17 officially official, Envy 13 slowly waves goodbye
The existence of the 14- and 17-inch Envys may not be a shocker, but HP has surely been able to keep some of the more juicy details to themselves -- well, until today that is. Let's start with the external updates that have been made to the all-aluminum machines: both versions now have backlit keyboards, slot-loading optical drives, and on-board DisplayPort, HDMI, and VGA jacks. That's pretty much everything we asked for in our review of the Envy 15, but here's where we politely tell you that the beautiful systems still have the same touchpad, or ClickPad as HP calls it, though it has apparently been significantly retooled on the software end. In our few minutes playing around with the systems it did seem less finicky when we kept one thumb on the left button and used our index finger to navigate the desktop. Oh, and we're not done with the meaty updates. Taking the place of the Envy 13 is the $999 14.5-inch Envy 14 -- oh yes, we just said it starts at under a grand -- which packs a Core i5 processor, ATI Mobility Radeon discrete graphics and 7,200rpm hard drive options. Unfortunately, we don't get any of that Optimus graphics technology here, but HP's still claiming up to eight hours of battery life with the discrete GPU turned off. Obviously, the Envy 17 steps it up a notch in the performance arena -- come May 19 the 17-incher will be available with Core i5 and i7 options, ATI graphics that support Eyefinity technology, and up to 2TB of storage. Told ya there were still some good nuggets! We promise we'll eventually have a full review, but in the meantime check out the hands-on pics and official PR below. %Gallery-92216% %Gallery-92219%
Envy 17 pops up on HP.com begging to be officially launched
HP's clearly been updating its website with new products over the past few days, but our guess is that the Envy 17 that was just added to the domain slipped through a bit early. We wish there were more details thrown up there, but unfortunately the spec and data sheet pages come up blank. One of our eagle-eyed editors did spot some fine print indicating that the laptop "may require" a separate DVD drive to upgrade Windows 7, so our guess is that the 17-incher -- like its Envy 13 and Envy 15 brethren -- lacks an integrated optical drive. We assume it shouldn't be all that long before HP officially comes clean about this multimedia system, but we're just hoping they plan on cramming some NVIDIA Optimus and Core i7 in there to sweeten the deal. [Thanks, Ali]
HP Envy 15 shipping for $950 after rebate
We know that you really had your heart set on that 14-inch Envy, but until they finally arrive from Shangri-La, the "mystical, harmonious valley, gently guided from a lamasery, enclosed in the western end of the Kunlun Mountains" (the same place whose Apple Stores stock the iPhone nano, incidentally) might we offer you a cut-rate 15-inch model as a consolation prize? As brought to our attention by the savvy shoppers at I4U News, the company is currently offering a $450 rebate on your next HP Envy 15 Core i5 (2.26GHz) lappy. And what's more, your $950 sale price includes shipping -- and not on the back of a unicorn, either. Just head on over to the HP store (hit the coverage link), throw in a 640GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive (you have to do this part -- it'll bring your total up to $1,399 and make you eligible for the free shipping) and apply coupon code NBMY33241 at checkout.
Envy 14, Envy 17, and Pavilion dm4 cited in HP support docs
Hardcore HP-heads have been poring over support docs tirelessly looking for indications that a presumed lineup refresh this spring will include previously leaked Envy 14 and 17-inch models, and what do we have here? "HP Support Assistant CVA documentation, SP47326″ includes references to both, meaning that a release is either in the works or someone in support is jumping the gun a bit. If that ain't enough for your casual Friday kicks, a perusal of a little something called "LightScribe System Software CVA documentation, SP47798" (that one's our fave) even mentions the HP Pavilion dm4, which SlashGear describes as a possible "14-inch machine with integrated optical drive, switchable graphics and a choice of Intel or AMD processors." Of course, there is no indication when, or if these models will ever see the light of day -- but if you were in desperate need for a device to fill the gab between your 13-inch and 15-inch HP Envy laptops, there is at least hope.
