NEW! Hp Envy 14"/17" Make buying a macbook pro decision harder?

[Bluegiz90]

I cant believe how awesome they look!
I've been waiting for Arrandale since last October but now I'm extremely tempted to get a refund from my i7 15inch and really opt for that 14.5inch HP.

SO much cheaper and better hardware?! They use IPS displays in these computers right?

 

[aibo82]

Both Envy models are powered by Intel processors and offer 8GB RAM. The Envy 17 can support an unimaginable 2TB of memory though, by hooking up two 1TB drives.

The new Envy netbooks also come with HP’s TrueVision HD webcam, a mini DisplayPort Connector and Beats Audio, which has been developed by HP in an unlikely partnership with Dr Dre.

The up-market Envy 17 boasts a Core i7 processor to power its 1920 x 1080 full HD display showing ATI Mobility Radeon 5850 graphics.

It comes with a Blu-ray drive and a USB 3.0 port, but just the one.


HP Envy 14

The lower price bracket Envy 14 still packs a punch with its Core i5 CPU and its own ATI Radeon Mobility graphics, which HP says offers pictures nearly 60 per cent brighter than other standard display laptops.

Where it shines though is in battery life, lasting up to an impressive 13.75 hours, (or 825 minutes as HP like to say) with the option for an extended battery.

You can even connect 3G to really take this netbook on the go.

Both the Envy 14 and Envy 17 will hit the highstreet this month with the Envy 14 starting at $999 (£660) and the bigger 17-inch at $1400 (£925).

 

[macbookpro13]

I think the importance of specs is over-exaggerated. They matter up to a certain point, yes, but that point is different for everyone. Not everyone benefits from a Core i5 or the top of the line mobile GPU. For me, I just need a computer to be fast enough to run internet, music, and hd videos without struggling. So the core 2 duo and 9400m in the macbook 13" is plenty good enough. This thing is already very fast, and I'm sure with a SSD it will absolutely scream. I don't play video games and even if I did, I don't see why the hell I'd want to on a dinky 13" laptop instead of a desktop PC or games console hooked to up a huge HDTV.

The reason why I chose the 2009 MBP 13" over PC laptops isn't really because of OSX (although after using it for the first time, I really, really like the OS, it's very snappy, quick, and streamlined), but because the hardware was so much nicer than the PC stuff. The trackpad is TREMENDOUS, way better than anything I've seen from HP, Sony, etc. I love the unibody construction. It feels "solid" and doesn't flex like other laptops. The weight and dimensions are perfect for portability, unlike my previous two 15" Toshiba laptops. It runs cool and is dead silent. The battery life, while still very good, could be better. I can get about 5 hours on a charge, but I think at least 10 hours is the sweet spot for me. And there are little details, like the magsafe power connector, the smoothness of the keyboard, and how smooth the display lid opens and closes. And the whole thing looks so sleek. I'm not much of a fan of Apple's other products, but I think they are all wonderfully crafted.

Regarding the 14" Envy, yeah, on paper it has superior specs to the 13" MBP and it is a bit cheaper. No argument there. But I'd rather wait and see the reviews, and better yet, play around with it myself, before deciding which one would be better for me. Because like I described above, there are a lot more things for me to consider about a laptop than just the CPU/GPU combo. The Envy may have discrete graphics and a fast CPU, but at what cost? How loud is it? How hot does it get? What is the batter life without the extra (costly) battery slice? How much weight does the slice add to the unit? How does the clickpad compare to the macbook trackpad? I know last year's Envy messed up with the two finger scrolling and I don't know if it had all the other multitouch gestures on the macbooks.

Oh, and I think the Apple fanboys seriously need to cool down in here. You can state the advantages of the macbooks, but you don't have to be so combative.

 

[PsyD4Me]

its still a pc i don't even know why these threads keep popping up

 

[neteng101]

its still a pc i don't even know why these threads keep popping up

I suspect in a large part its due to PC wannabe switchers that can't really relate to OSX well enough running on Apple hardware, and thus they get rather hung up on specs instead. But if the HP Envy was such a flaming hot buy, I don't know why they don't just go buy them and why they even waste their time looking at a Mac?

 

[pawo]

This is going to be tough... .

I was going to buy a 15" MBP during the b2school promo, but I think I'm going to have to wait until the 14" Envy is released and some hands on reviews are out. I just hope they fixed the problems the old envys had, from what Ive seen they improved alot based on user feedback which is nice. I don't really need a laptop until next semester anyways.

I love both products, but obviously theres going to be HUGE biases and lots of fanboys on each side (especially on a mac forum lol).

I cant wait for more info.

 

[scmguru]

what's your point, you want an HP, get one. This is a Mac forum.

Hi

Just seen that the new hp envy line of notebook have been annouced HP have done a good job copying the MBP line even more now with slot loading blurays and glowing logos on the back!

And they cramed in a radeon 5830 and 3g into them!

And the 14" is an i5!

Did apple drop the ball?


http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/05/hp-envy-14-and-17-officially-official-envy-13-slowly-waves-good/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpq8hPs6ElM

 

[lilo777]

its still a pc i don't even know why these threads keep popping up

Maybe because MBPs keep disappointing?

what's your point, you want an HP, get one. This is a Mac forum.

Are people not allowed to compare Apple products to other products anymore? Are you assuming that those who read this forum would NEVER look at any non-Apple computer?

 

[Eidorian]

Maybe because MBPs keep disappointing?

Are people not allowed to compare Apple products to other products anymore? Are you assuming that those who read this forum would NEVER look at any non-Apple computer?

I often see the hardware other vendors pack into their notebooks and then wish Apple sold it too. The luxury is being able to buy something you want to buy and not what is just sold.

 

[kbt1020]

Just buy what you need, use what you like, believe what you think, and enjoy it. MBP or Envy, Window or Mac OSX, once you have a mindset and defend something, you're not going to sway away from it most of the time, so why bother arguing and flaming others and not just enjoying what you have. Myself, I bought a beautifully designed 2010 13" MBP, happy w/ the speed I'm getting, it does what I need it to do, no problem with programs I have to run, and I'm not regretting what I have spent. I have no idea about the Envy laptops based on my own perspective, but the specs sure look impressive. MBP design, however, does look better(comparing to the HP pics), and I care about the laptop looks a lot. I am enjoying the battery life on my MBP that's the most important thing comparing to the Dell/HP I have had and seen and had(not saying the systems are bad, Win7 is pretty nice IMHO, I also like Mac OSX). The only problem I have had w/ my MBP was trying to run the battery down when calibrating(tiring process). Enjoy it whatever you choose. Goodluck.

 

[rabmag]

I'm a windows person with an iPhone and an older Apple Cinema Display. I had been considering a Macbrook Pro 13" for the past 6 months and was awaiting the refresh sporting the new Arrandale technology and hopefully a beefier GPU. The refresh of the Macbook Pro 13" was pretty disappointing so I wasn't sure what direction I'd go, or if I should go for a 15".

This new Envy looks awesome, though! I'd be getting a new laptop in about 3-4 months, so I'm still hoping that a [real] updated MBP will come out by then.

P.S. aiqw9182, I don't think anyone is actually taking what you say seriously. You're defending a product you don't even own, bozo.

 

[mmdc]

There are many factors that go into deciding on which laptop it is you want to purchase, and balancing what is most important to you. Your criteria might include build quality/reliability, battery, aesthetic appeal, performance, operating system, cost, etc. (just to name a few).

I had the chance to use a friend's HP Envy with an Core i7 CPU, and it was just decent, not great. It was average. Maybe if I did not already have a MacBook Pro and therefore had not known any better, I might have thought it was great! If you thought the MacBook Pro ran hot, it was nothing compared to the Envy I tried. The long term effect of excessive heat is a concern.

Not everyone buys the car with more horsepower, even if it does cost less!

 

[Aelyrin]

this IS THE BEST POST in this thread. Solution?

Macbook Pro Elite series, with one or 2 comps in a division seperate than mbp, like dell and dell xps or now alienware. Still the same things from MBP but just offer bleeding edge tech and that apple tax price

Charge a 300-500 premium for base models over the corresponding MBP and offer better discrete graphics, better cpu's same apple quality. maybe a little less batt life

Honestly, I don't really think that Apple is even the right company to be building cutting edge hardware machines. They just don't have the right mentality. Every single time they release a new machine it has time-tested and proven hardware in it that they are extremely comfortable with, which 9 times out of 10 leads to a better overall product.

I think a major contributor to the alleged stability that is making OSX popular is that it is typically run on stable hardware. When you buy first gen anything, you should expect problems. Especially when you have 10 different first gen components that the engineers at Dell have not had sufficient time to test before cramming it into a shell and shipping it out.

I think the only way we will ever see truly powerful machines running OSX and constantly keeping up with new tech is to see the introduction of a skunkworks style sub-company that Apple procures to build out said systems. We'll see though.

 

[stefan1975]

so I'm still hoping that a [real] updated MBP will come out by then.

i was hoping the same thing, but in all honesty i realy don't think we will see another refresh this year. I think early 2011 at the earliest or just maybe during the holiday season of 2010. I think apple wouldn't kill its own milking cows by replacing it so soon.

In 3-4 months probably the white MB13 will be refreshed, but probably to the same spec level the MBP13 has now, they wouldn't have let Nvidia "design" the custom 320 for just 1 generation macbook i'm sure.

but then i have no proof whatsoever for any of that, so...... who knows?

 

[annk]

This thread was closed to due bickering and insults, which have since been cleaned up.

If any member wishes to continue to discuss this topic in a civil manner, s/he can PM any mod or admin to ask that it be reopened.