HP Envy 14 Notebook PC Review
The HP Envy 14 which made its debut just few months back with charming looks and professional attributes is the target for the users who do not mind spending few extra pounds to buy a notebook of good quality and decent performance. Hewlett Packard has always been giving products which have satisfied the buyers to a great extent with a unique place carved for it. The number of laptops and notebooks entering the market these days is innumerable that the competition is pretty high. Every company tries to give its best shot at one attempt and here, HP has given three shots resulting in the evolution of the three entirely amazing notebooks of the Envy series, 13, 14 and 17.
The Envy series of HP laptops are actually quite interesting and innovative too. With similar neat imprint designs, required number of ports and other such features, the major difference among the HP Envy 13, 14 and 17 series is the size. The product under study here is the HP Envy 14, a heartthrob for few while just another one in the queue for others. Read more to get a detailed and complete view of this professional yet modern notebook.
Design:
HP Envy 14 is one that could be called the “solid build notebook” because it is absolutely true. The magnesium aluminium body looks entirely stunning and amazing. The Carbon Relic – Brushed Aluminum colour looks awesome and the entire look is in such a way that it casts a spell on the user the moment their eyes find it displayed. Of course, few people might not be favourites of this design. The notebook has the patterned design on its outer cover making it shine brighter than the rest. This design also extends to the palm rest too. Moreover, there is the curved design on the edges of the notebook which gives it the most perfect and soft look.
The name Envy 14 obviously implies that the screen measures 14.5 inches which is quite big. The big screen implies that the touchpad and the palm rest area are really vast and are hence comfortable to use. This machine weighs about 2.36 kgs which is not very heavy for a notebook of this size. Also, its thickness is also reasonable and not disagreeable at all. The length of the notebook is about 23.7 cm, while the height and width are 35.6 x 2.77 / 2.82 cm respectively. The maximum height is about 2.82 cm while the minimum height is 2.77 cm. The screen has a resolution of 1600 x 900p which is good enough and vital for a 14 inch screen. This resolution is actually better than the common 1366 x 768p and this naturally implies that the clarity is pretty high.
Full Featured Keyboard:
The Chiclet keyboard is slowly taking its growth these days as many laptops and notebooks are designed in the island style. The popularity of this chiclet keyboard is mainly because of the pretty look that the isolated or single keys take and also the comfort that it gives while typing. This 14.5″ HP Envy 14 notebook too has a big keyboard for its users with chiclet keys. The keyboard as such facilitates easy typing and since the size of the base part is quite big, the users will have no trouble while typing. The keys are good-sized and no trouble at all while typing with the wrist placed on the palm rest area. The response of the keys is good too. Since backlighting is possible, the users will have no trouble even if the room is dimly lit. If there could be a minor flaw, it is in the design of the arrow keys, they have been made tiny. Otherwise, it is perfect.
The Amazing Multi Touch:
Moving on to the touch pad of the HP Envy 14, it has a good and wide pad with the two buttons. The touchpad fortunately supports the multi touch gestures and this means that actions like scrolling or zooming can be easily done using the fingers, two finger scrolling and pinching action. The touch pad has few issues regarding the improper response of the multi touch gestures. There is the touchpad on/off button which saves us from the nuisance of tampering with the touchpad unknowingly.
Camera and Microphone:
HP has embedded the HP True HD Webcam which enables the users to chat. The webcam is of High Definition Low-light camera which delivers clear vision of the objects on the other side. Moreover, the microphone present on the top bezel functions well. The combination of this camera and microphone makes video chatting and conferencing a possible act.
Speaker & Beats Audio:
On the front side of the base panel, are present the speakers which give a blasting performance while delivering the audio. The speakers are clear and good to hear with high audibility range. Hewlett Packard had collaborated with Beats and thus resulting in the elevation of the audio that comes to the ears taking its users to a whole new world of music and audio. The users can definitely feel a whole lot of difference while listening to their favorite songs with the Beats. The songs will be crystal clear with every note reaching the listener as how it was intended.
Ports Available:
One of the most important features for any laptop or notebook is the number of ports included. The Hewlett Packard Envy 14 Notebook PC houses a good number of useful ports. Beginning from the left side of the machine, there is the loading slot for Super Multi 8x DVD RW followed by two USB 2.0 ports, headphone and microphone jacks. On the right side is present the plug for power input, ethernet port, display, HDMI as well as an eSATA port. The speakers are rooted on the right hand side of the notebook. The 2-in-1 digital card reader, for reading the contents of the SD and MMC cards, is present. The presence of USB ports means that data can be stored or read from hard drives. The eSATA is a great boon these days since their speed of operation is pretty high. Moreover, the HDMI port connects to the larger screens and assists in watching the data present in the 14.5 inch laptop. The presence of an optical drive means that the users can watch the movies of their interest in the 14.5 inch screen or also in a bigger screen using the HDMI port.
Connectivity:
Most of the laptops these days come with both wired and wireless connection and so does this Envy 14. The ethernet port helps in getting the wired connection to the internet. In situations where wires can not be used to connect to the internet, the draft Wireless N connection comes to its assistance, there by facilitating quick access to the internet. Both wired and wireless connections are very useful, especially at times when time plays an essential rule.
Memory and Processor:
In terms of memory, a quantity that is quite equivalent for its size has been provided. The device comes with nearly 4GB of RAM but is extendable up to an amazing 8 GB. If this would not suffice, 500GB of hard drive memory is available. So the users can comfortably store all the data that they require. The Intel Processor has been employed here and though it comes with the core i3, the users have the choice of upgrading to i5 and i7 processors. The Intel Core i5 M450 is the most used and it has a good processor speed.
Battery:
The Li-ion battery is used here like any other laptop and it is an 8 cell rechargeable battery. The battery life lasts for nearly 6 hours for normal usage while under very light situations it lasts for nearly 14 hours. The battery gives a reasonable and good performance. In fact the performance under normal conditions is remarkable while it gets difficult when playing games or other stressful conditions. Over all it is fine.
Performance:
There is a problem while trying to use the volume control. On changing the volume, the indicator actually pops up on the screen, disturbing the users while playing games. So this is a big irritation. The audio performance is excellent especially with the Beats Audio. The HD Webcam has done great justice. Topped by all this, there is the ATI Radeon graphics card. The HP Envy 14 has performed well for its price tag.
Warranty:
The Hewlett Packard has given its users a generous 2 years warranty time for the hardware.
Verdict:
HP has never disappointed its users, here and there some flaws. But apart from that, the notebooks have reached good heights. This envy series has also come out with good features and reasonably decent performance. The design too is excellent. To sum up, the HP Envy 14 laptop has become envious for many products. So if you are some one who wants to get a little costly piece of kit which makes some people envy of your product, then here lays the answer.
HP Envy 14 Notebook PC – Technical Specification Table
| Manufacturer | HP |
| Model Name | HP Envy 14 |
| Dimensions: (L x D x H) | 23.7 x 35.6 x 2.77 / 2.82 (cm) |
| Weight | 2.36 Kg |
| Type | Notebook |
| Display | |
| Screen Size | 14.5 inch |
| Screen Type | LED backlit widescreen |
| Screen Resolution | 1600 x 900 |
| Internal Components | |
| Processor | Intel i-core5 |
| RAM | 4GB DDR3 (Extendable up to 8 GB) |
| Hard drive | 500GB |
| Keypad | Large and offers comfortable typing |
| Touchpad | Yes with Multi touch facilities |
| Multimedia | |
| Speakers | Built-in stereo speakers |
| Communication Setup | |
| Wireless support | WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n Bluetooth |
| Memory card slot | 2-in-1 Multi-in-1 card reader |
| Connectivity | 2 USB 2.0 ports, 1 eSATA, Audio line in, Audio line out, 1 VGA video output |
| Warranty | 2 Years warranty for hardware |
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