Curious, why did you buy a MBP 15" instead of Envy 15"?

[gagaliya]

Just curious since envy seems vastly superior in every way to the mbp, is it pure mindless apple fanaticism, didnt realize envy existed, the love for the lightup apple on the cover, or some other reason that made you buy mbp instead?

For me I need mac for iphone development, so dont have a choice otherwise i would get an envy 15" in a heartbeat. It just seems such a no brainer, that's why i dont understand why anyone would choose mbp over envy if just for regular use/games.

Here's the spec of a configured envy 15" that cost similar to the cheapest base model mbp 15" i5. I am not going to bother posting the base mbp spec since everyone is familiar with it.

ENVY 15" $1,974.99 - $200 (coupon: NBSP29657 ) = $1774.99

-Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-720QM Quad Core processor (1.6GHz, 6MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.8 GHz
-4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
-500GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
-1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5830 Graphics - For i7 Processors
HDMI port included.
-15.6" diagonal Full High Definition LED HP Ultra Brightview Widescreen Display (1920x1080)

NOTE: battery life is similar to mbp (there is also an optional 9cell that adds another 6 hrs for a slightly bulky profile) this nullifies any advantage mbp has on battery, unibody style is equal if not better than mbp, same for weight.

 

[dukebound85]

um the OS is more important than the hardware for me

also...this topic has already nearly made the horse extinct

 

[Akira1980]

Osx

 

[Gr80Likes2Boogi]

mm. For me, it really comes down to OS. I am spec savvy, and I know my way around hardware. The end user experience is pretty much tops for me. Also, I do audio engineering and theatrical applications where I'll run automation, lights, sound, video, etc, and no application worth a damn (for that) is on PC.

That is a nice lookin computer, though.

 

[Ann P]

I actually spent hours comparing the two at Best Buy prior to my purchase. Like most users here, the OS was the deal breaker for me. Nothing like it.

 

[elppa]

The new Envy's (14" and 17") have been released today with all aluminium enclosures and firmware improvements to the trackpads.

So there are two reasons why you woudn't buy an Envy 15". Build and trackpad. The trackpad was slated in a review I saw of it.

 

[DeSnousa]

Hence I did not buy a mac for my laptop. I love macs a lot however it has become a excessive premium that I am unwilling to make, add to the fact that Windows 7 is not as bad as it could of been

I do miss my mac though, maybe the odds will change again and the os will be years away from windows. My laptop purchase was not really a hardware thing though I love the specs of it.

 

[PAC88]

The new Envy's (14" and 17") have been released today with all aluminium enclosures and firmware improvements to the trackpads.

So there are two reasons why you woudn't buy an Envy 15". Build and trackpad. The trackpad was slated in a review I saw of it.

yea, I just read about these a few min. ago and the 14" looks nice.. they also have optical drives built in now. I wonder what the resolution and finish of the 14" screen will be.. 1440x900 matte would be nice and of course glossy for the rest

I probably would never buy one though because I don't like how they look so similar to mbp's..

 

[wirelessmacuser]

I'm platform neutral. I use OS X, Windows 7 and Linux. Having used _both_ PowerBooks/MacBook Pro's _and_ ThinkPad's for years, I find these two the best laptop brands. I've also tried others for sake of comparison including HP. Presently I have a new HP EliteBook. While it's not bad, it's a far cry from the excellent build quality you get on either a MBP or ThinkPad. The keyboard & other aspects of it are second class. HP has weak tech support & lacks a lot on their support site. Yes the Envy is attractive at at glance but a MBP puts it to shame. I happily paid the $1,000 premium for my new MacBook Pro, as compared to my new equally configured ThinkPad T510 Core i5, because it was worth it to me. At the end of the day the only difference is a bit of style points for the Mac. Yet that said, I place a much higher value on functionality. It's all a matter of personal preference. Want a Mac? Be prepared to pay. Want a PC? Get a ThinkPad or suffer with problems.

 

[striatedglutes]

The new Envy's (14" and 17") have been released today with all aluminium enclosures and firmware improvements to the trackpads.

So there are two reasons why you woudn't buy an Envy 15". Build and trackpad. The trackpad was slated in a review I saw of it.

Envy 17"... holy ****. Rethinking my sig...

Guy in the video said it would be "a little over an inch thick." -- I wonder how thick it will be with/without the additional slim-fit battery and how expensive it will be with the BTO 1920x1080 resolution upgrade?

 

[hypermog]

The Envy is HP's johnny-come-lately best effort to copy the MBP. It attempts to do everything the MBP does, sometimes succeeding but never surpassing, and brings nothing new to the table. Throwing in some brute force stat improvements by taking a hit in their profit margin vs what Apple would take seems to be their one and only strategy.

One look at the design and you can see why Apple has to keep their products a secret until release day; the competition is chomping at the bit to make their slightly-less-quality, slightly-higher-stats, slightly-cheaper lookalike knockoffs. I'll take the real deal.

 

[kny3twalker]

Just curious since envy seems vastly superior in every way to the mbp, is it pure mindless apple fanaticism, didnt realize envy existed, the love for the lightup apple on the cover, or some other reason that made you buy mbp instead?

For me I need mac for iphone development, so dont have a choice otherwise i would get an envy 15" in a heartbeat. It just seems such a no brainer, that's why i dont understand why anyone would choose mbp over envy if just for regular use/games.

Here's the spec of a configured envy 15" that cost similar to the cheapest base model mbp 15" i5. I am not going to bother posting the base mbp spec since everyone is familiar with it.

you mentioned battery life is similar. Well this is completely untrue. With the i7 quad core, the envy gets less than two hours on battery without the slice. The slice brings battery life close to four hours. MacBook pro 8-9 hours with dual core i7 or i5. And the envy lacks graphics switching. The 5830 is always in use. Then the build quality is not nearly as good as the macbook pro nor is the trackpad. The 13" envy which is comparable to the air is interesting though and even the i5 dual core envy as it does not have many of the issues of the quad core such as overheating and very poor battery life. Yet neither are quite as nice as the MacBooks. Maybe the new 14" and 17" envies will rise the bar.

 

[hypermog]

Looks like they forgot to copy one thing, look at that SWEET power connector:
http://www.engadget.com/photos/hp-envy-14-and-envy-17-hands-on/#2947951

 

[striatedglutes]

Good luck copying magsafe without a lawsuit/massive settlement!

 

[vant]

Just curious since envy seems vastly superior in every way to the mbp, is it pure mindless apple fanaticism, didnt realize envy existed, the love for the lightup apple on the cover, or some other reason that made you buy mbp instead?

Because its not about specs?

The biggest complaints that I have is the fact that the ENVY feels flimsy, the trackpad is inferior, and it looks like a chinese knockoff in person. OSX spoiled me with multitouch shortcuts, I use them at least 100 times throughout the day.

Out of person: Engadget mentioned that the ENVY 15 i7 had only about half the battery life of the MBP. That falls quite short of your claim of 'nullifies any advantage'.

Even if the ENVY managed to meet all these things, I still wouldn't buy it. I hate supporting companies like Kia/Hyundai (copy design instead of invent.)

 

[parajba]

I wouldn't buy an Envy simply because they copied the design of the MBP completely. What's the point in getting a MBP-wannabe? I'd rather give my money to Dell, Sony or Lenovo instead! I hate companies that copy the design.

Btw, I bough a new MBP i5 2 days ago, loving it.

 

[mklnz]

OS X, 9 hours battery.

 

[andrew086]

I wouldn't buy an Envy simply because they copied the design of the MBP completely. What's the point in getting a MBP-wannabe? I'd rather give my money to Dell, Sony or Lenovo instead! I hate companies that copy the design.

Btw, I bough a new MBP i5 2 days ago, loving it.

isn't envy a dell laptop?

edit: sorry, i forgot, hp made the envy . but still, I wouldn't want to give my money to Dell

 

[wisty]

OSX, battery life.

Envy has a better GPU (but no switching) and otherwise marginally better specs.

But why do you want a laptop that's not really portable? The powerful (but not so efficient) CPU and GPU will just chew up the battery.

Also, the name is Envy. Is that meant to describe envious MBP owners, or HP itself?

 

[bigjobby]

You can throw in all the specs in the world but if it can't run software like Final Cut then it leaves some with a no brainer. Simple as. Now convince me if the HP Envy is still a good option in this case.

 

[scaredpoet]

Just curious since envy seems vastly superior in every way to the mbp, is it pure mindless apple fanaticism, didnt realize envy existed, the love for the lightup apple on the cover, or some other reason that made you buy mbp instead?

First, I find it ironic that you're trashing mac laptops and presenting a laptop that from a cosmetic viewpoint looks an awful lot like a mac.

But, two reasons:

1. What you term "Apple fanboy fanaticism." Though I call it "using what I like to use and what works for me." That being, OS X, the unix interface underneath and the software associated with it. Too bad you feel that you have to call that fanaticism; it just works better for me than windows ever has.

2. At work last year, we switched our PC vendor from Dell to HP because they were offering us better pricing. All non-mac hardware got replaced with hardware from HP.

Worst. Decision. Ever.

The hardware failure rates on the HP stuff have been abysmal. Laptops, Desktops.... everything but the printers (which still seem to be really good, actually) had a very high failure rate. I'd say at least half the hardware we bought from them has had at least one warranty swap-out or repair.

As soon as it was time for the next round of PC purchases this year, we're going back to Dell, and will likely only buy printers from HP going forward. Though, lately we've been buying an awful lot of macs since HP has basically been making the case to the PC users that it might be time to switch.

So yeah, if you're one of those specs whores who is obsessed with how the features look on paper, go buy your HP. But, I'm done being obsessed with specs. A laptop is no good to me if I can't use it because it keeps having to go back in for repair, or is loaded with vendor bloatware, and at very least has little appeal to me if I have to dual-boot to be able to use MS Office (the real MS Office) and a *nix environment on it.

On the other hand, my i5 MBP's specs are fine, performs very well, will last me a few years, will still have plenty of value left on it when I sell it to upgrade.

The iSuites are kinda nice too (iWork, iLife, etc), as is Final Cut Pro. Not deal breakers if I couldn't have them, but they are an added plus for me.

In any case, even if I had to buy myself a Windows laptop, it wouldn't be an HP considering what I've seen from them lately.

 

[wyrmintheapple]

Just curious since envy seems vastly superior in every way to the mbp, is it pure mindless apple fanaticism, didnt realize envy existed, the love for the lightup apple on the cover, or some other reason that made you buy mbp instead?

For me I need mac for iphone development, so dont have a choice otherwise i would get an envy 15" in a heartbeat. It just seems such a no brainer, that's why i dont understand why anyone would choose mbp over envy if just for regular use/games.

Here's the spec of a configured envy 15" that cost similar to the cheapest base model mbp 15" i5. I am not going to bother posting the base mbp spec since everyone is familiar with it.

Must say I find these "Why did you not buy (insert competing product x) instead of (Apple product y) typre threads rather boring, especially when they follow up with crap like "is it because you aren't bothered by specification" or "are you apple fanboys" as if people here didn't even think about their purchase or are somehow inferior geeks who don't understand the spec. To summarise what everyone will reply so far, and will continue to, in this thread and any other that comes after.....

There will be many answers... size, weight, brand name, reliability, operating system, brand loyalty, compatability.... all good answers too, but there is one dominant answer. This is an Apple forum. The simplest answer will be that the people here are Apple users and happy with their Apple products and likely to buy them over other makes. Asking this kind of question in an apple forum is just mindless.

 

[Fishrrman]

When the HP comes with the Mac OS on it, I'll consider it.

Till then -- no contest!

 

[bigjobby]

Must say I find these "Why did you not buy (insert competing product x) instead of (Apple product y) typre threads rather boring, especially when they follow up with crap like "is it because you aren't bothered by specification" or "are you apple fanboys" as if people here didn't even think about their purchase or are somehow inferior geeks who don't understand the spec. To summarise what everyone will reply so far, and will continue to, in this thread and any other that comes after.....

There will be many answers... size, weight, brand name, reliability, operating system, brand loyalty, compatability.... all good answers too, but there is one dominant answer. This is an Apple forum. The simplest answer will be that the people here are Apple users and happy with their Apple products and likely to buy them over other makes. Asking this kind of question in an apple forum is just mindless.

If you were to stand in tomorrow's general election, I'd vote for you!

 

[gwsat]

When the HP comes with the Mac OS on it, I'll consider it.

Till then -- no contest!

Yep, thanks to VMware Fusion, I run both OS X and Windows 7 apps on my MBP simultaneously. Tell us how the Envy can do that without resorting to some kludgy hack.

Threads like this have been beat to death. In fact, they seem to draw the usual suspects, who post only to tell Mac owners how stupid they were for having bought a Mac instead of the current spec whores' Flavor of the Week PC.