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The 15-inch MacBook Pro vs. the competition: More than touch
The larger MacBook Pros have always been about getting serious work done, and now you might be able to do even more thanks to the new Touch Bar. But there are plenty of other 15-inch machines to choose from -- they may not have an OLED touch strip, but keeping features like USB 3.0 ports and an SD card reader can make a big difference in your routine. We've put some current mid-size laptops toe-to-toe with the new 15-inch MacBook Pro to see which one is best equipped to tackle your day.
gdgt's best deals for October 9th: HP Envy TouchSmart 15-inch laptop, AudioSource SB121 ultra-slim soundbar
Ready to save some cash on your tech buys? Then you've come to the right place. Our friends at sister site gdgt track price drops on thousands of products every day, and twice a week they feature some of the best deals they've found right here. But act fast! Many of these are limited-time offers, and won't last long. Today's top deals are the HP Envy Touch 15-inch laptop, a workhorse for your business and play needs, and an AudioSource soundbar that lets you hear what you've been missing from your movies and games. Hoping to keep track of price dips on the products you desire? Join gdgt and add the gadgets you're shopping for to your "Want" list -- every time there's a price cut, you'll get an email alert!
HP updates Envy 15, 17 and 17 3D to Ivy Bridge, game and media fans rejoice
HP has been very eager to take the Envy line in an Ultrabook direction, leaving performance hounds a bit wanting. Much to their (and our) relief, the full-fat Envy 15, Envy 17, and Envy 17 3D have all made the leap to Intel's latest round of Ivy Bridge processors. Along with the 2.3GHz to 2.7GHz quad Core i7 chips we all know and love, the Envy 15 and regular 17 can get a dual 2.5GHz Core i5 to keep the price slightly closer to Earth. All of them ship with equally upgraded AMD Radeon HD 7750M or 7850M graphics to give games that extra jolt of energy, and you won't find one with less than 6GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive. Should you like the Envy's current formula and just wish it had that much more oomph, you can pay a post-discount $1,100, $1,250 or $1,530 to bring one to your door. [Thanks, James]
HP's On-Screen Display Utility released, aims to alleviate Envy 15 screen color complaints
Back when we reviewed HP's latest Envy 15, we found a glaring issue with its otherwise spectacular 1080p IPS display -- namely, its less-than-pleasing color reproduction. Making good on a promise it made back in March, HP has finally released its On-Screen Display Utility software for the machine in hopes of quelling user complaints. If you'll recall, HP stated that the displays are of a higher quality than other laptop panels, which can make colors look odd in comparison. That said, while this gesture is certainly welcome, at least one tipster wrote in to complain that he "wasn't able to get a satisfactory change. It's basically just gamma adjustment and r/g/b sliders." Of course, we've only cited one anecdote here, so if you've got an Envy 15 you'd like to test this on, hit up the source link below. Be sure to let us know your results in the comments. [Thanks, Anthony]
HP acknowledges complaints about the HP Envy 15's color calibration, will release a tuning utility in the 'coming weeks'
If you remember, we had some mixed feelings about the HP Envy 15's IPS display when we took the laptop for a spin earlier this year. On the one hand, it offers wide viewing angles, deep contrast and rich saturation. (Not to mention, when are we ever going to complain about 1080p resolution on a 15-incher?) Still, as many disgruntled forum posters have pointed out, the color calibration seems off against other displays, with reds skewing orange and purples veering into bluish territory. At the time, we reached out to HP for comment and were told to sit tight while the company investigated the issue. Well, today we got an answer, and while the outfit is stopping short of admitting any sort of defect, it is willing to concede the color tuning is different, to say the least. Better yet, it's promising a fix for those incapable of un-seeing it. In a statement, HP's PR team said: HP understands that some customers have expressed concern regarding the appearance of the color red in the ENVY 15 full High Definition (HD) panel, and we wanted to reassure our customers that this panel is functioning properly. HP ENVY Series notebooks use optional premium LED-backlit display panels that have a higher color gamut (range of viewable colors), brightness and viewing angles than many display panels. This means that some colors may appear differently than they do on other displays. A company rep added that over the "coming weeks" HP will release a tuning utility that will allow users to adjust the color settings, making those reds redder, et cetera. It's still unclear how extensive these options will be (after all, HP is still steering the most discerning customers toward its DreamColor offerings), but something's most likely better than nothing, right?
HP Envy 15 review (early 2012)
If there's one thing we took away from our jaunt at CES, it's this: consumers' appetites for mainstream laptops haven't waned all that much. Even in the Ultrabook category, Intel expects half of the models to go on sale this year will have 14- and 15-inch screens -- as strong an indicator as any that lots of folks aren't yet ready to give up their slightly larger screens, their discrete graphics, their (gasp!) optical drives. While HP recently announced its first Ultrabook for the consumer market, the Envy 14 Spectre, it's fully fleshed out its premium Envy series to include two additional models for people who crave more oomph.The Envy 15 is the medium-sized member of the crew, with a 15.6-inch screen and the same overhauled design you'll find across the Envy lineup. Delightfully, too, it marks the return of HP's eye-popping Radiance display, and also comes with a generous two-year warranty and full copies of Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements. And with a starting price of $1,100, it sharply undercuts the 15-inch MacBook Pro, while taking direct aim at other high-end 15-inchers, like the Dell XPS 15z and Samsung Series 7 Chronos. So how does it stack up? Meet us after the break to find out.
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 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]
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.
HP now shipping select Envy 15 models with USB 3.0
Welcome to the most recent benchmark we've been referring to as "the future." HP has become what appears to be the first company to actually ship a laptop featuring USB 3.0. According to a rep speaking with CNET, if you order an Envy 15 with a Core i7 processor and an ATI 5830 GPU, the new ports come along for the ride. Feeling patient? Not to worry, we're pretty sure this crazy USB 3.0 thing isn't an isolated incident -- expect more machines to support it soon enough, including HP's own EliteBook in just a few weeks' time.
HP updates Envy 13 and Envy 15 laptops, lowers prices significantly
HP's Envy lineup was introduced way back in the dark ages of last decade, so it's clearly due for a significant update. In all seriousness, the refresh that popped up today for both rigs probably has a lot more to do with Intel's Arrandale unveiling than anything else, but whatever the case, we'll take it. The Envy 15 now starts at just $1,299.99 (down from $1,699.99), and it includes Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit), a 2.4GHz Core i5-520M processor, 4GB of DDR3 memory and a downright delicious 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5830. The 13-incher has seen its base price lowered by $300 to just $1,499.99, with specs now including a 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo SL9300, an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 (512MB) and a 4-cell battery. Both models can be customized right now, but you should probably wait 'til CES concludes before making any rash decisions about the here and now. [Thanks, Sean]
HP Envy 15 review
There are laptops and then there are laptops. The Envy 15 has fallen into that second category ever since we got our hands-on: it's the first PC we've seen that really equals the MacBook Pro's unibody design and it packs a scorching-fast Intel Core i7 processor, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4850 graphics and Beats speakers. On paper, this is easily the hottest laptop we've seen in some time, but has HP really managed to deliver on that promise? We spent a few days with this $1,800 monster, so read on to see if it lives up to the hype. %Gallery-80038%
HP Envy 15 unboxing and hands-on
After our mixed feelings on the HP Envy 13, we were excited but also a little bit scared to see the 13's big brother, the Envy 15. It's running a Core i7 processor clocked at 1.6GHz, and has 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4830 discrete graphics fronted by a 1920 x 1080 15.6-inch display despite the fact that it doesn't have a built-in disc drive. Luckily there's an external Blu-ray packed into the box (that's a $225 option on top of the $1,800 base price), but most games and apps these days are available via download anyway, so it's not that big of knock on your power-user cred. The unboxing experience is actually identical to that of the Envy 13 (quite elegant), and we were happy to see that when we fired up the laptop the trackpad seemed better configured than that of the pre-update Envy 13 we reviewed. We were less enthused to see that the IE comes pre-installed with HP and Norton toolbars -- pretty janky for a premium machine -- but luckily we rarely have to see the ugly sight of IE more than once on a new machine. For the most part this is just an Envy 13 bigged up, and that's nothing to complain about. %Gallery-77900%
HP Envy 15 FCC filing reveals magnesium casing, Linux options
Okay, so here's a big way the HP's new Envy 15 isn't like the MacBook Pro: its case is made of magnesium, not aluminum. Take that, haters. Of course, there's still the note-perfect reproduction of the MBP's unibody looks, that buttonless glass multitouch trackpad, and the overall sense that HP's designers did their homework in an Apple store to deal with, but hey, at least you're getting a Core i7 processor when this thing launches on October 18th, right? Oh, and in case you're not into Windows 7, you're in luck -- there are quite a few references to Linux scattered about, so we'd expect a penguin-friendly configuration to be announced at some point. [Warning: PDF read link] [Via Wireless Goodness]
HP ENVY 13 and 15 bring luxury to the everyman, look like MacBooks
There's no getting around it, so we'll just say right at the outset: HP's new ENVY 13 and 15 laptops might've been built on the "Voodoo ENVY legacy," but they sure look a lot like Apple's unibody MacBook Pros. Of course, there's much more than meets the eye. The ENVY 13 is a bit of a mix between a traditional 13-incher and a real thin and light, weighing in at 3.74 pounds and packing in Radeon HD 4330 discrete graphics, but still forgoing an internal disc drive. The 13.1-inch WXGA display is the real draw, offering impressive colors (82% color gamut) and brightness (410 nit). The other big winner is the optional Slim Fit extended life battery, a slice which snaps onto the bottom of the laptop, hardly protrudes, and more than doubles the standard 7 hour quoted battery life. The laptop body is magnesium coated with aluminum -- which gives it the texture of a MacBook Pro, but a bit less of the weight. In our non-scientific tests the build wasn't exactly as rigid as a MBP, but still quite a bit stronger than the average laptop -- and quite nice to the touch. The MacBook-style glass clickpad, however, is not an exciting addition in our book, since the software to support the automagical detection of left and right click -- not to mention zoom, rotate and scroll gestures -- just wasn't very tight. Please, give us back our buttons. HP's ENVY 15 isn't much of a "thin and light," really, more of a straight up premium 15-incher crammed into a 1-inch thick 5.18 pound form factor. It keeps the ENVY 13's unibody-style construction, and, sadly, the single button glass trackpad, but also works in a new Core i7 processor, makes room for dual SSD drives and adds high-end Radeon HD 4830 graphics with 1GB of VRAM. The 15.6-inch LCD isn't quite as stellar as the 13, at 300 nits, but HP did manage to include support for a Slim Fit battery for the ENVY 15 -- though with non-switchable discreet graphics, you're not going to get much longevity out of this laptop either way. The two laptops start at $1,699 and $1,799, respectively (a far cry from the original ENVY 133's $2,100 starting price), and will be available on October 18th with Windows 7 pre-loaded. Check out video of the ENVY 13 after the break. %Gallery-72803% %Gallery-72809%
