HP Envy 13 Laptop

by John Jordan Manager

Now that house windows 7 is starting to near the gap with Apple?s working system, it is only fitting that it runs on designs that come about closer to Apple?s vaunted design. among the earliest to method this perfect could be the HP Envy 13 (starting at $1,699; $1,899 as configured). In equally appears and performance, this plan meets or exceeds all of its house windows competitors. However, the Envy 13 expenditures $500 even more compared to 13-inch MacBook Pro. For that premium, HP benefits you with a lot quicker performance, switchable graphics, a brighter screen, and as appreciably as 14 several hours of battery existence (with the optional slice). However, the Envy 13 consists of a few flaws that otherwise prevent this plan from getting the ultimate ultraportable.

Design

We?re not the earliest to say it, and we will not be the last: The Envy 13 bears a striking resemblance in the direction of 13-inch MacBook Pro?not that it is a bad thing. by method of the metallic lid, dark island-style keyboard (in a recessed area belonging in the direction of deck), edge-to-edge glossy display, and integrated buttons inside the touchpad, the Envy 13 could be effortlessly be mistaken for just about any Mac. However, there are many subtle differences. For one, HP clad the Envy 13 within of a darker aluminum and magnesium alloy chassis, as well as the palm rests are dimpled producing utilization of the metal Etching process. it is a neat design, but we wonder how appreciably crud is steering to acquire up in all those crevices much more than time.

Powerful since it may be, the Envy 13 is very svelte. At 12.6 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches, it is slightly more compact compared to 13-inch MacBook professional (12.8 x 8.9 x 1.0 inches), but a tremendous trigger for that could be the Envy?s insufficient an integrated optical drive; the plan ships getting a separate Blu-ray reader/DVD burner which fixtures the notebook?s design.

Coming in at 3.8 pounds, the Envy 13 falls to the ultraportable category, but is nonetheless somewhat heavier compared to Samsung X360-34P (2.8 pounds) as well as the Lenovo ThinkPad X301 (3.4 pounds); adding the battery slice provides the Envy 13?s body fat as appreciably as 5.2 pounds.

Keyboard and Touchpad

As noted above, the Envy 13 consists of a full-size island-style keyboard. Its plastic material dark keys are smooth and relaxing in the direction of touch, and snap back again responsively when pressed. There are no dedicated multimedia buttons, however the purpose essential operations are already reversed, which means you no extended should press Fn so which you can adjust the volume, alter music, and so forth; it is a welcome change.

Refreshingly, the Envy 13?s touchpad is equally large and friction-free, as opposed to other glossy, but resistant touchpads we?ve witnessed on HP?s Pavilion line. The two buttons are built best suited to the bottom belonging in the direction of multitouch?enabled pad. This method produces a sleek look, but we found the touchpad finicky. For instance, two-fingered scrolling in paperwork or internet web pages rarely worked concerning the earliest try, and pressing among the buttons do not often register. Plus, if we left a finger resting concerning the pad, or concerning the button, the cursor would bounce near to the screen. subsequent a while, we selected double-tapping the touchpad much more than pressing the buttons. over a plan this expensive, the touchpad should really purpose flawlessly.

HP Envy 13 Review