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MBP 13" Base or Hp Envy 14.5"?

O

OriginalNot

macrumors member
Original poster
May 20, 2010
38
0
So this is what my laptop buying decision has come down to.
The HP Envy 14.5" vs The Base 13" MBP.

Now I realize that a forum for apple products isn't necessarily the best place to start this debate, but then again where is?

So current specs for each model are:

MBP:
Processor- C2D
Ram - 4gb
Graphics - 320m
Price -$1149.99 CDN
Bonus - Ipod Touch, Printer

Envy
Processor-Core i5
Ram -4 or 6gb (Can't pinpoint this rumour)
Graphics -5650 or 5830 (Again unable to pinpoint)
Price -$999.99 USD
Bonus - (?)


These are really the main differences besides the OSX vs Windows 7. I've never used either operating system so it doesn't matter all the much to me. What really seems to be getting me about the envy is the price compared to what I get. Yet again the MBP is a sexy beast. What do you think? Any reason to get a specific computer and why did you or would you choose it?
 
I recently bought my first Mac and it was a 13" MBP too.
I made my decision and purchased my MBP before the new ENVYs info was released.

The ENVY is VERY well stocked. The specs on the laptop are really amazing...

But I see it this way...
With the MBP I have the ability to install OSX and WINDOWS 7 on it.
It's pretty good. I use either OS whenever I need/want it.

I like the design of the MBP, but they supposedly have upped the design on the ENVY too.

I'd just suggest you wait it out till the ENVY actually gets released. Then check one out at a store before you actually buy...
 
On to the real problem here, have you seen the price of the 15" MBP? I'm definitely not made of money and neither are my parents. Why do you say the macbook pro is better? I don't care for your insults but you could at least backup the meat of your statement with some reasoning.
 
OriginalNot said:
Ok the insult was uncalled for.

On to the real problem here, have you seen the price of the 15" MBP? I'm definitely not made of money and neither are my parents. Why do you say the macbook pro is better? I don't care for your insults but you could at least backup the meat of your statement with some reasoning.
Click to expand...

In regards to "Ramphex", that was very uncalled for and I applaud OriginalNot for handling the situation in a very mature way.

@Ramphex, like OriginalNot said, you need to realize that some people do not come from strong financial backgrounds so please do not express your negative attitude on forums. (This is coming from a 18 year old with parents with a very strong financial background, yet still works $7.40/hr at a pizza place).

With that aside, back to the purpose of this thread. @OriginalNot: Personally, I plan to get the base Macbook Pro 13 for college when I stop by New Hampshire (sales tax free state) next week. Anyways, I believe it mainly comes down to what spinnerryls said, what do you intend to use the laptop for (photoshop, word, web browsing, gamies, etc.)? Maybe we can help :p
 
what's it gonna be used for?

you mentioned your parents, so I'm assuming your headed to college? You'll likely have a lower chance of an issue requiring the investment of lots of time/money to fix with the mac, so if you aren't going to be able to afford repairs comfortably, and are relying on your parents for money for a few more years, I'd suggest the MBP.

What will you be doing with it? The specs on the Envy are great for the money, no doubt, but most people don't realize what overkill that is for most people. I'd take the MBP for the superior battery life and build quality (though I believe the Envy is pretty sturdy as well), as well as Apple's far superior track pad. I hate track pads, but like the ones on the new macbook pros more than a mouse. They're that nice.

Unless the extra power of the Envy is necessary for what you're doing, I'd suggest the MBP
 
Both are very nice computers. The envy is super sweet, but there is nothing like the mac's os system. a computer os system made for the machine. A perfect marriage between machine and software.
 
I'd like to be able to do some casual gaming (TF2, SC2, L4D2 and maybe some others).I do some computer programming in my spare time, java/c++ and such. Then there is the every day tasks, video, web, documents, etc. And yes this will be a computer that I'm getting for university. One issue I'm worried about is future proofing. How much longer is the C2D and 320m in the 13" going to remain a viable option for computing. As a student I don't have the money to go out and buy a computer every year.
 
OriginalNot said:
I'd like to be able to do some casual gaming (TF2, SC2, L4D2 and maybe some others).I do some computer programming in my spare time, java/c++ and such. Then there is the every day tasks, video, web, documents, etc. And yes this will be a computer that I'm getting for university. One issue I'm worried about is future proofing. How much longer is the C2D and 320m in the 13" going to remain a viable option for computing. As a student I don't have the money to go out and buy a computer every year.
Click to expand...
I'd definitely go for the ENVY 14 then but in most cases I've seen notebooks sit on desks when you're a computer lab and/or network share away from what you need on campus.
 
OriginalNot said:
I'd like to be able to do some casual gaming (TF2, SC2, L4D2 and maybe some others).I do some computer programming in my spare time, java/c++ and such. Then there is the every day tasks, video, web, documents, etc. And yes this will be a computer that I'm getting for university. One issue I'm worried about is future proofing. How much longer is the C2D and 320m in the 13" going to remain a viable option for computing. As a student I don't have the money to go out and buy a computer every year.
Click to expand...

The new 15" MBP will do you awesome service for the four years you're in college. The best thing about getting a mac now is learning the new OS and then upgrading once you graduate. The 15" is pretty compact for moving around in the dorm and going home for holidays. Give it a shot!
 
Eidorian said:
I'd definitely go for the ENVY 14 then but in most cases I've seen notebooks sit on desks when you're a computer lab and/or network share away from what you need on campus.
Click to expand...

That's so true. I had the blackbook in college and only got to use it for papers and surfing the web. Everything else was done in the lab. lol
 
Opstech said:
That's so true. I had the blackbook in college and only got to use it for papers and surfing the web. Everything else was done in the lab. lol
Click to expand...
I managed to get in 41 cycles on my battery after 2.5 years on my MacBook. It's tethered to my desk for the most part.

If it's important I already have it on my network space that auto mounts on any campus lab computer. I don't need to install every application either when the lab machines have it installed. Versioning isn't an issue with one network source.
 
Eidorian said:
I managed to get in 41 cycles on my battery after 2.5 years on my MacBook. It's tethered to my desk for the most part.

If it's important I already have it on my network space that auto mounts on any campus lab computer. I don't need to install every application either when the lab machines have it installed. Versioning isn't an issue with one network source.
Click to expand...

I wish I had that tethering option, but mine was a Cal-State system........Budget, Budget, and Budget
 
I was having the same debate with myself a couple weeks ago before I decided on the MBP 13" Base (I'm getting it tomorrow).

I'm starting college so I needed a new laptop and at first, the Envy really drew me in with it's far superior power and lower price tag. The prospect of playing brand new games with max settings on a laptop sounded amazing. I also knew that as an engineer major, I will have to do some programming and use some apps that only work on Windows. It seemed like a no-brainer for me to get the Envy.

But I kept thinking about it and I emailed my college. While the prospect of gaming was great, it was just that, a prospect. I've never been into PC gaming and I don't think I'll have the time to take advantage of that in college as well. The engineering department at my school told me that most students do all their programming on the school computer labs. So when it came down to it, I realized that I'd just be using my laptop as the same casual user I've always been (browsing the web, typing documents, listening to music, checking e-mail, and perhaps the occasional light gaming or editing). I realized I could do all this perfectly fine on a Mac so I decided to pay the extra $200 for a MBP over the Envy because of the supposed reliability of Macs (as opposed to the many problems I have personally experienced with HP laptops).
 
I prefer Mac OS X heavily to Windows. Most of the apps I use regularly are Mac only and living in a Windows dominated environment makes me appreciate the OS even more. That being said, if you don't care about the OS, go with the Envy.
 
What do you need? Windows or OSX.

This thread creeps up weekly.

Omgwtfbbq, what should i bizUy?!? LOL Just buy what you need. If you have a Mac, you can also use Windows. If you have the Envy, well no Finder for you.

It boils down to your needs. Go take a bonghit, go have fun with the wife or significant other, sleep a night, or throw the frisbee around with your dog. Think about what you want and go with it. Weigh the pros and cons. Prepare for cognitive dissoncance. (Post buyer's remorse and bad feelings).

Good luck!
 
Troll through both the Mac and HP sites and look for usability issues. eg. heat, display, webcam problems etc. My decision to get a new MBP as opposed to a Windows 7 laptop was based more on usability and build quality. At the end of the day, me personally would not use the specs of the Envy to its fullest potential anyway or even get near it so its all specs for specs sake. The Thinkpads beat the Envys hands-down in my Win7 contest.

There's already been a few previous threads discussing the envy. Might be a good idea for you to do a search on them.
 
OriginalNot said:
So this is what my laptop buying decision has come down to.
The HP Envy 14.5" vs The Base 13" MBP.

Now I realize that a forum for apple products isn't necessarily the best place to start this debate, but then again where is?

So current specs for each model are:

MBP:
Processor- C2D
Ram - 4gb
Graphics - 320m
Price -$1149.99 CDN
Bonus - Ipod Touch, Printer

Envy
Processor-Core i5
Ram -4 or 6gb (Can't pinpoint this rumour)
Graphics -5650 or 5830 (Again unable to pinpoint)
Price -$999.99 USD
Bonus - (?)


These are really the main differences besides the OSX vs Windows 7. I've never used either operating system so it doesn't matter all the much to me. What really seems to be getting me about the envy is the price compared to what I get. Yet again the MBP is a sexy beast. What do you think? Any reason to get a specific computer and why did you or would you choose it?
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure the base envy comes with 4gb of ram and the graphics card is the 5650 with 1gb of vram.
No matter what people say the envy has a better price for what it is made of. Even though I realize that I face the same dilemma you do lol.

ps: you know that the envy 14 comes out on June 27th right? I don't know if you're planing on waiting for some reviews before you buy it cause that's probably a good idea. I can see a lot of comparison videos coming since the envy is a direct competitor to the mbps.

good luck on your decision!
 
If your a college student, the MBP is going to be half the cost during it's life with you.

$1200 Base
$1100 Student
-$150 (Free iPod Touch, Sell on eBay)
-$75 (Free Printer, sell)
$875 After Rebates

2 years down the road, sell it for $500.

Cost to own? $375 for two years (Conservative estimates, my GF sold her 2007 macbook in 2009 for $730 after buying it for $950)

HP ENVY?

$1000 Base
No rebates

2 Years down the road, be lucky to sell it for more then $250 (if there is anyone who wants to buy this crap).

Cost to own? At least $750.

Your choice. On top of that, you have a walk-in warranty and the best designed notebook in the world bar none.
 
Get the Envy. Windows 7 runs on quite speedily on my 1.4ghz celeron with 2gb of RAM, I would imagine it would fly on a faster machine. Also, there's nothing like actually being able to play games on the computer, something the MBP will be obsolete with much faster - consider, many newer games require a minimum 256mb of VRAM.

The only perk about the MBP is that it runs OS X... but I don't know that OS X is worth $1200 anymore. It might have been when Vista first came out, but now... no way.

I liked my MBP because it had a backlit keyboard and the large trackpad. However, I find that the newer PC's have backlit keyboards and a large trackpad isn't worth twice the cost of a mac.

Long story short, a MBP is a sweet sweet machine, you won't go wrong if you get it, but it's not necessarily worth the price if you plan on doing anything more than writing a paper or surfing the net.
 
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