HP ENVY 14-2130NR Notebook PC - Gray

I got this laptop 2 days ago. It came a day early... Thank you Amazon! It was up and running within minutes of being out of its box. It is a very sturdy machine, mostly metal, which is what I wanted. I travel about half the year in a truck so delicate machines just don't work for me. There wasn't really anything on the computer that I would consider to be bloatware. It runs as cool as a cucumber. I can sometimes hear the fan but it isn't a big deal. It is a "pretty" computer in an unusual sort of way. The keyboard is excellent for a touch typist. I like the option of turning off the touchpad while doing a lot of typing. The touchpad works just fine. The display is very good quality. I was afraid it wouldn't work well in sunlight but I can see the display in outdoor light (unless it is turned directly into the sun but who does that?)with no real problem save a little glare from the shiny surface of the screen. I'm not a computer geek and don't know much about the inner workings of a computer but I like this one. It works without alot of fuss and it is fast enough for a pretty impatient person! I have owned an old Macbook which I loved but could not afford to replace. I have owned a Compaq and a Sony Vaio. This computer, so far, is a better made machine than the Compaq or the Sony. I haven't had to deal with HP's Concierge Service or any other support service, which is a good thing, so I can't comment on that. I did a lot of research before making this purchase and I'm happy with the choice I made.

First off, I must say that the description of this computer does it no justice, and neither do the pictures. This is a gorgeous machine. The laser-etchings on the outer shell make this a uniquely designed laptop that you won't see everywhere. The audio (beats by dre) sounds outstanding, at least for a laptop. For best sound quality, hook up a pair of your favorite headphones, beats or not, and prepare to be amazed. For the price, this computer can't be beaten. The keyboard is nice, especially when backlit and it is extremely easy to type on. Despite complaints in user reviews on other sites, the touchpad is actually not half-bad. People complained the multi-touch didn't work, yet I find that it works nicely. This is a very fast and user-friendly computer and it has a whole load of features that laptops in the same price range do not include. I give it 5 stars and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good, solid laptop.

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I was looking at all the pc options for inexpensive laptops with backlit keyboards, and this was one of them. The newer HP Envies either have really big screens, or are overpriced. I am writing this review after 4 days of owning this, and I am going to send it back. There are pros and cons with this laptop. I would have considered keeping it, if I didn't get a blue screen, after only 4 days, and after not running that many programs on it.

The good:

1.) Awesome keyboard and clickpad. Some things you have to go in and configure on the clickpad settings in order to get the best performance.

2.) Awesome Beats sound and speakers

3.) The fan was never too loud, and the laptop remained cool to the touch.

The not-so-good:

1.) The screen was definitely bright, but without the proper contrast, I was disappointed with it, as it was difficult to spend to much time on it. Also, the glare was too much at times.

2.) This laptop is heavier than my Dell 15.6" laptop! Definitely much bulkier than I expected for a 14".

3.) Not digging the design on the lid and the raised design on the wrist rest.

The bad:

1.) Took over a minute to boot up to windows, each time.

2.) Blue Screen of Death. Not good on a 4-day old laptop.

Maybe I got a bad one, I don't know. HP offered to send me a replacement, but I opted for a different computer.

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The HP Envy series has always been regarded as one of the best premium Windows laptops and this model is no exception. Make no mistake you will feel proud of this laptop's design. It is absolutely first-class. However, keep in mind it is a bit on the big side. While a little over an inch thick may not seem hefty, in practice I found when closed the laptop still seems a bit chunky. It doesn't help it's also pretty hefty in weight thanks to the all metal construction. Basically, it's far from "thin and light." If you're going to be carrying this around often that may be a concern.

The flipside to that is what I stated before, the design of this laptop is simply exquisite. Performance has also been very good. In my use it's always booted up very fast, particularly when coming back from stand-by. It also runs relatively quiet and cool. At times the fan can be audible, but not loud or distracting by any means. Still, you have to remember there's a lot of computer under the hood. Gaming is fairly respectable. Don't expect to play games like Modern Warfare 3 or Skyrim on high settings, but the simple fact it can run games like that with medium settings should give you a sense of how it handles graphics.

Overall, I'm satisifed with this laptop. Heavy weight and thickness, when closed, aside, you can't go wrong, especially in the $849.99-899.99 price range. However, if you truly want something that's thin and light, look elsewhere. This is not as thin or light as some may hope. If you're wanting something truly thin and light, look at models like the Sony Vaio S Series or Dell 14z, but keep in mind those will probably run you more money for an inch less in thickness and about two pounds less in weight.

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There's a reason Steve Jobs was on the cover of every national publication that mattered the day he died. He transformed the technology we use every day by creating products we LOVE.

Apple's brand love index is the highest of any major national brand, with good reason. Their products make our lives easier, more enjoyable and do so with so much innovation and operational integrity that other brands with similar products are often relegated to the shadows. Okay, so I'm an Apple fan and have grown accustomed to my iMac, Mac Book Pro, iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. But hold on, because HP (already a terrific company albeit with some fits and starts lately) has delivered a wonderful product in the HP ENVY 14-2130NR.

For a while now, my 13 year-old son has been desperate for his own computer. His previous computer (a mac) was sold to a neighbor who lost everything when Hurricane Katrina slammed into New York's Woodstock region with the force of, well, a nasty hurricane. Because my ex-wife is a generous sort my son's computer was enlisted to help this poor soul, which was fine with my son who's been coveting a PC laptop for some time. Why a PC? Games of course, and with the introduction of Windows 7 I couldn't argue. I'm a writer and though I'm all Mac at home, at the office I'm Windows 7. Sure the haters will slam Windows 7 for all it doesn't do, and for it's limitations, but for the average kid in middle school it's more than good.

Enter last week's search process for the perfect PC laptop. I guess my biggest eye-opener was how many models to choose from. With Mac it's simpler. Pick a screen size and you're pretty-much done. My son made the job easier by picking the HP brand, which has cache' with Millennials. Okay, but did there have to be so many models and options to choose from?

After scanning consumer reports, which always seems to be 6 months behind what's REALLY going on online and at retail, I settled on the HP 6180. I talked to the Philippines (offshore home of HP's sales and customer service brigade) and became more than satisfied that I was buying a fast, I7 processor, machine with many strong points. But wait a minute... was the screen too big, and what about no backlit keyboard?

Another scan of consumer reports led me to the HP ENVY 14-2130NR -actually the 2020NR -which was rated tops behind mac in the 14.6" category. After looking at, no lie, 15 models, I ordered the HP ENVY 14-2130NR from Amazon and I'm happy I did.

The laptop came in a day, was packaged in wonderful, innovative packaging, but that was only the beginning. The machine came out of the box working great. Setup was a snap. Sure there's a bunch of programs my guy could care less about, bloatware, but who cares? Here's what we got:

A fast I5 machine with 4G Ram, a 750G hard drive with a back lit keyboard, blue ray equipped DVD burner, USB 3 connections, all the wifi and camera connectivity built in, along with a sweet 14.6" screen for about $500 bucks less than a comparable Mac. The quality seems terrific. Everything works great, the machine is put together well, carefully, and I'm happy to report both HP and Amazon delivered in a big way.

Is the screen a little nicer on my Mac. Yes. Does my son care... not one bit. He's thrilled. The best news is even in this horrible, crap economy, my boy -with the help of my ex-wife and her boyfriend, both sets of grandparents and yours truly -now has a brand new laptop that he LOVES and can't live without.

I wish getting here was a bit easier. So, if you want a great laptop that rivals Mac but doesn't cost as much, with a backlit keyboard, nice fast processor, decent-sized hard drive with enough craftsmanship and design integrity to make even a Mac guy like me happy, then run don't walk to the HP ENVY 14-2130NR.

One last bit of advice. Amazon has been moving the price of this machine all around. I bought it for $849 minus a $50 gift card that was credited to me at purchase for a roughly net $800 price. As I write this review I see the machine is up to about $950. Here's what I would do... call HP and see what they can do. They offered me this machine for $760 on December 30, 2011. If I didn't need it to arrive the next day I would have done that deal all day long.

HP will deal. Amazon, wise up! But Amazon's customer service is first rate and the machine got here overnight.

Best of luck.