It might be more accurate to refer to HP’s latest laptop as the ‘Apple Envy’, as the design of the machine so closely mimics that of Apple’s MacBook Pro range. But, to be fair to HP, it hasn’t simply copied Apple. It has added some nice touches of its own, and its use of the Intel Core i7 processor ensures that the Envy 15 …
"Nonetheless, the external design of the Envy 15 is extremely attractive and shows that 'boring old PC manufacturers' can give Apple’s design team a run for their money when they bother to make the effort."
I'm not sure that copying someone is giving them a run for their money.
Nice bit of kit though, Cheap, powerful MBPs all around if this baby hackintoshes well.
Let me get this straight, its about the same as a MacBook Pro, but, somehow, they forgot to put in a CD drive when the HP design guys were drawing this with crayons, so they included an external and it made you feel all warm and fuzzy? Eh?
If im hanging on to a big notebook, i expect its insides to stay inside - at least the bits i know we use as standard - and especially if its big enough to be a desktop cross-over / substitute (ie those that dont have desktop, like me.) Disks are big enough now that i dont need 6 HDD bays to have a usable comp, so why not just shove the thing inside and be done with it?
Won't read much beyond the first page and conclusion then. 15.6 inches is the most stupid laptop screen size I have ever had the misfortune to try for a few hours - before it got swapped for a laptop with a usable screen ratio. Be prepared for applications not to fit properly (or have such a small usable vertical area as to be useless) and to upgrade your desk and/or lap, and carry cases etc because these things are typically so wide.
Paris, because even she knows that 15.6 inches aren't necessarily better than 15.4.
I'd have to test one out... notebooks / laptops more than any other type of computer, to me, are like shoes... you have to be happy with the build quality, keyboard, screen, angle etc.. it's not just about specs, of which this appears to have in quite adequate amounts for a desktop replacement.
And I like the external optical drive bit. I've oft heard of discs getting stuck in slot loading laptops (fortunately that ain't never happened to me yet, but maybe it's because I rarely use the optical drive anyways, so yeah, external don't bother me one bit).
It's a shame that HP have watered down the specification of this machine for the UK market. US models have a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 and the UK model has a measily 1366 x 768.
Crap screen resolution isn't the only problem ...
#
As well as trying to pass off the low-res screen on the UK market (it's not even a lower cost option in the US), the SATA controller is crippled / doesn't work properly ....
I'd thought it funny that it didn't score higher in the hard disk benchmarks ... it's got a fast 7200rpm drive which ought to be way quicker than the other laptops listed. Also, reviews in the US of ones with an SSD have suspiciously low HDD benchmarks scores ....
I went fishing on the HP forums and found this - http://h30434.www3.hp.com/psg/board/message?board.id=Hardware&thread.id=19036
It seems that the SATA controller is crippled by (presumably) poorly written BIOS / drivers.
ready to buy if it wasn't for the screen resolution
#
As a software developer I had been eagerly awaiting the release of this machine, timed to coincide with Windows 7.
Up to 16GB of ram making virtualisation a real possibility and the additional 9cell battery giving a reasonable time away from a power socket. But why the inadequate screen resolution? I've been checking the UK HP website every day since October 22nd in the vein hope that the 1920x1080 screened model (as per the US) might appear. Maybe I'll have to take look at Dell's Studio XPS 16 (even though I promised myself I wouldn't buy Dell again) as it is slowly dawning on me that we may not see the higher resolution screen in the UK, any time soon - unless anyone knows otherwise.
Posted Tuesday 17th November 2009 00:57 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Desktop replacement without an inbuilt optical drive?
#
Was liking the sound of this machine until it got to the screen resolution. 768 deep is a waste of time, I'll never buy any laptop with less than a 1000 pixel deep screen.
Register
HP Envy 15 'Lynnfield' Core i7 laptop
It might be more accurate to refer to HP’s latest laptop as the ‘Apple Envy’, as the design of the machine so closely mimics that of Apple’s MacBook Pro range. But, to be fair to HP, it hasn’t simply copied Apple. It has added some nice touches of its own, and its use of the Intel Core i7 processor ensures that the Envy 15 …
This topic is closed for new posts.
Posted Monday 16th November 2009 13:06 GMT
Rob Moir
Run for their money #
"Nonetheless, the external design of the Envy 15 is extremely attractive and shows that 'boring old PC manufacturers' can give Apple’s design team a run for their money when they bother to make the effort."
I'm not sure that copying someone is giving them a run for their money.
Nice bit of kit though, Cheap, powerful MBPs all around if this baby hackintoshes well.
Posted Monday 16th November 2009 13:24 GMT
DefUnct
Umm...external drive? #
Let me get this straight, its about the same as a MacBook Pro, but, somehow, they forgot to put in a CD drive when the HP design guys were drawing this with crayons, so they included an external and it made you feel all warm and fuzzy? Eh?
If im hanging on to a big notebook, i expect its insides to stay inside - at least the bits i know we use as standard - and especially if its big enough to be a desktop cross-over / substitute (ie those that dont have desktop, like me.) Disks are big enough now that i dont need 6 HDD bays to have a usable comp, so why not just shove the thing inside and be done with it?
Nice looking otherwise though :-)
Posted Monday 16th November 2009 14:18 GMT
David Gosnell
15.6in screen #
Won't read much beyond the first page and conclusion then. 15.6 inches is the most stupid laptop screen size I have ever had the misfortune to try for a few hours - before it got swapped for a laptop with a usable screen ratio. Be prepared for applications not to fit properly (or have such a small usable vertical area as to be useless) and to upgrade your desk and/or lap, and carry cases etc because these things are typically so wide.
Paris, because even she knows that 15.6 inches aren't necessarily better than 15.4.
Posted Monday 16th November 2009 14:18 GMT
sT0rNG b4R3 duRiD
nice.. I'll watch out for it. #
I'd have to test one out... notebooks / laptops more than any other type of computer, to me, are like shoes... you have to be happy with the build quality, keyboard, screen, angle etc.. it's not just about specs, of which this appears to have in quite adequate amounts for a desktop replacement.
And I like the external optical drive bit. I've oft heard of discs getting stuck in slot loading laptops (fortunately that ain't never happened to me yet, but maybe it's because I rarely use the optical drive anyways, so yeah, external don't bother me one bit).
Posted Monday 16th November 2009 16:10 GMT
david bates
use the lower left and right corners of the trackpad..... #
... like conventional mouse buttons..?
Sorry - call me old fashioned, but for north of 1K I WANT proper buttons...
Posted Monday 16th November 2009 16:10 GMT
Paul_Knight
Screen resolution #
It's a shame that HP have watered down the specification of this machine for the UK market. US models have a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 and the UK model has a measily 1366 x 768.
Posted Monday 16th November 2009 16:10 GMT
bygjohn
Thought you said it was well-designed? #
What's all that tacky swirly stuff round the trackpad, then? Yecchh!
Posted Monday 16th November 2009 20:11 GMT
Fuzz
@Screen resolution: Agreeded #
If I'm paying over £1000 for a laptop I want more resolution than that. 768 vertically is useless.
Posted Monday 16th November 2009 20:11 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Overpiced For The Spec. #
So it's £1199, for that wonger, go for the HP Pavilion DV8-1080EA, far better machine, for the same price.
Product Description HP Pavilion dv8-1080ea Entertainment - Core i7 i7-720QM 1.6 GHz - 18.4" TFT
Recommended Use Home use, small business
Dimensions (WxDxH) 43.6 cm x 28.6 cm x 4.4 cm
Weight 4.1 kg
Localisation English / United Kingdom
System Type Notebook
Built-in Devices Stereo speakers, subwoofer, wireless LAN aerial, Bluetooth aerial
Embedded Security Fingerprint reader
Processor Intel Core i7 i7-720QM / 1.6 GHz ( Quad-Core )
Cache Memory 6 MB - L2 Cache
RAM 4 GB (installed) / 8 GB (max) - DDR3 SDRAM ( 1 x 4 GB )
Card Reader 5 in 1
Hard Drive 320 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 7200 rpm
Hard Drive (2nd) 320 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 7200 rpm
Optical Storage DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM / BD-ROM with LightScribe Technology
Display 18.4" TFT 1920 x 1080 - Ultra BrightView
Graphics Controller NVIDIA GeForce GT 230M - 1 GB
Audio Output Sound card
Networking Network adapter - Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n (draft)
Notebook Camera Integrated
Input Device Keyboard, touchpad
Battery Lithium Ion
Operating System Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition
Environmental Standards EPA Energy Star
Manufacturer Warranty 1 year warranty
Posted Monday 16th November 2009 20:11 GMT
hexx
another ugly clone #
man that's ugly, what's that surface around trackpad? and if i was to spend so much for a laptop i'd get macbook pro instead - well i did :)
Posted Monday 16th November 2009 20:11 GMT
O
Crap screen resolution isn't the only problem ... #
As well as trying to pass off the low-res screen on the UK market (it's not even a lower cost option in the US), the SATA controller is crippled / doesn't work properly ....
I'd thought it funny that it didn't score higher in the hard disk benchmarks ... it's got a fast 7200rpm drive which ought to be way quicker than the other laptops listed. Also, reviews in the US of ones with an SSD have suspiciously low HDD benchmarks scores ....
I went fishing on the HP forums and found this - http://h30434.www3.hp.com/psg/board/message?board.id=Hardware&thread.id=19036
It seems that the SATA controller is crippled by (presumably) poorly written BIOS / drivers.
Quelle surprise ...
Posted Tuesday 17th November 2009 00:57 GMT
rgb1
ready to buy if it wasn't for the screen resolution #
As a software developer I had been eagerly awaiting the release of this machine, timed to coincide with Windows 7.
Up to 16GB of ram making virtualisation a real possibility and the additional 9cell battery giving a reasonable time away from a power socket. But why the inadequate screen resolution? I've been checking the UK HP website every day since October 22nd in the vein hope that the 1920x1080 screened model (as per the US) might appear. Maybe I'll have to take look at Dell's Studio XPS 16 (even though I promised myself I wouldn't buy Dell again) as it is slowly dawning on me that we may not see the higher resolution screen in the UK, any time soon - unless anyone knows otherwise.
Posted Tuesday 17th November 2009 00:57 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Desktop replacement without an inbuilt optical drive? #
WTF were they thinking?
Posted Tuesday 17th November 2009 13:11 GMT
Bob Starling
Yet another useless letter box screen #
Was liking the sound of this machine until it got to the screen resolution. 768 deep is a waste of time, I'll never buy any laptop with less than a 1000 pixel deep screen.
Posted Saturday 21st November 2009 07:38 GMT
Steen Hive
Ah No! #
Not another bloody lozenge keyboard!
Posted Sunday 22nd November 2009 03:50 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Non-Starter #
A "performance" laptop with no cd/dvd drive is a waste of time.
This topic is closed for new posts.