Bottom line:
This is a very nice high quality machine. HP calls this zero sacrifice, I am about 90% agree with that. Yes, every component is premium quality, but the construction gets maybe 95 out of 100, due to the trackpad installation and the opening problem I note below. Most importantly, they can't make its price competitive enough, but street price should come down later.
Full review:
look & design
HP copied ideas from Macbook, but have enough of their own. The glowing logo on the back made me laugh. Well, whatever they need to do to gain market share. However, once you go pass the black island keyboard on silver, that's where the similarity on look stops. They did put in a lot of thoughts and effort at being different and unique. Like the Gorilla glass covers that give it a much polished and shiny look. If you like shiny, you will like this. The back cover is separated from the aluminum body made with quality plastic you can easily open without tools. The sides has more curves and ridges around the ports etc. The black color of the cover and the thin borders around the display are very nice, making this 14" just slightly larger than a 13" physically overall. The palm rest is a piece of gorilla glass that looks and feels good, it also helps protecting the keys from the screen when closed.
opening it & the distance the cover opens up
This is where HP fell short. They have a very short ridge on the cover that's suppose to give you an anchor to hold on to to open the screen, but it's too short, and there's not an indention on the body for you to put your finger into to grab the screen. So opening it is a slight struggle. Also, when the screen's open all the way it still doesn't go as far as I feel it should so it could be a very minor inconvenience at times. For example, when I am sitting up with it on my lap, I wish I could push the screen back just a tiny bit more.
display
It's a premium display, but not IPS. Colors are vivid and accurate. Even at lowest brightness it's still very visible. At highest it's very bright. The viewing angle is not as limited as some cheap ones, but still nothing compare to the near 180 degree of IPS. At about 40-50 degree and the image begins to change and become unclear. If I am sitting up with it on my lap, the image quality degrades slightly due to the view angle, that's why I wish the screen could open further back. The premium full HD 15" LCD on my 3 year old Dell feels slightly better.
Personally, I think 14" at 1600x900 is the sweet spot for laptop display. 13" would start to feel cramp, and 15" would start to feel cumbersome, especially when using in bed. The icon and text sizes at 1600x900 on 14" is just the right size, yet giving you much more pixel real estate. I stare at 5 24" monitors every day and this 14" still feels plenty big enough.
size & weight
Size is very nice. Slightly larger than a 13", but due to the thin display borders, you get a 14" LED screen. Once you've tried the thinner 3lb laptops, this 4lb feels heavy and thick, but still, very manageable.
battery
An informal test, just normal browsing (amazon, google, yahoo), writing this review, leaving it sitting around but not going to sleep with display eventually turning off, never turned off keyboard backlight, I barely got more than 5 hours out of it. Nothing near the 9.5 hrs in the spec. Slightly disappointed, but still happy, since I turned the display brightness near max most of the time. I guess to get 9.5 hours you have to turn off a bunch of things and run at lowest brightness or something. I might do a more precise and controlled test on it later.
speed
Having used machines with the fastest i7 and extreme xeon, I definitely noticed the ever so slight slower this machine's i5 CPU shows, but you could just call it my imagination. For doing normal browsing, email, word processing, and watching videos, there're ample power to spare. The built in HD3000 graphic chip is fairly limited, but it handles the normal operations and video playback admirably. I even managed to run Skyrim on it, at lowest settings and sluggish of course.
camera
I am so sick of the useless camera most PCs throw in I almost forgot about it on this, but when I tried it, I was pleasantly surprised. It produced smooth motion images that's very resilient to light changes. With an overhead lamp above me, the camera performed perfectly and produced a very clear image, unlike the typical washed out images cheap webcams make. With the lights off and only the light from the display, the camera adapted almost immediately, and gave smooth images that's very respectable: it's grainy, but at least color and the picture are fairly accurate and viewable. This is one quality webcam. HP spec says it's HD, but not sure if it's 1080p. The software allows you to record videos.
power connector & power supply
My bro used to complain about the flimsy power connector on a very old HP he had, but on this machine, looks like HP put some thought into designing it. Other than the actual connector, there's a bigger piece that holds the connector in place so it doesn't wiggle and break easily. The power supply is smaller than usual, and has a USB connector for supplying power to your USB devices.
trackpad
The trackpad is a quality glass cover Synaptics trackpad. However, on mine, its installation is not perfectly aligned. So there's a hairline gap on the right top side. The left edge is also a hairline higher than the right edge. I had some trouble with mine at first where multiple touch didn't work well. It would get faulty touches. After sometime playing around, I found the default sensitivity level is not good. I had to set it to lightest touch and now it works great. Moving the pointer around is very smooth and feels very comfortable and natural. Multiple touch scroll, pinch zoom, all work smoothly. Tap to click, double Tab & hold to drag, and Edge Drag all work well. The software gives you very flexible options and you can basically configure every aspect of it. Using it to browse the web for a few hours I became unaware of the trackpad and just do the motions naturally, and very comfortably.
keyboard
I don't like Island keyboard, but it's the best way to make slim laptops. Typing on it is very comfortable. The glass palm rests feel good, and actually grows on me a little, but it may be different for someone else. The keys are OK but still short on travel distance. I am a touch typist, but I missed noticeably more letters while typing this review, but I am sure I will get used to it in a few days.
Each key has its own LED for backlit, and it shows. The lights through each key is full and bright, the whole thing looks quite pretty. You can just turn it on/off manually with F5, which stays lit all the time, regardless of back lit being on or off. It's supposed to have proximity sensors that detects the user's presence and turn the backlit on/off, I noticed that it did its job a few times, but didn't really do any deliberate test on it.
fan & temperature
The fan out vents is on the bottom back. Since the edges have big curves up, and vent are on the curve, they are harder to get blocked. The fan comes on briefly every once in a while, even when I am just browsing the web, like on amazon. The noise is noticeable, but not annoying. Normal browsing, watching videos, never noticed anything beyond slightly warm. The fan does its job while not being annoying.
audio out
The beats audio sounds fuller than the usual laptop sounds I am used to, but it also gives it a muffle effect for some audios. Overall, it's nice and a signature on HP's Envy line.
volume knob
A physical volume knob is nice. I've seen quite a few moments in meetings where people had to turn on their computer but can't turn down the volume until they're logged in, so the welcome sound plays loud and disturb the meeting. However, it also has its shortcomings. Like turning away from you is volume up, which is opposite of what I naturally do. Also, holding the machine with right hand frequently touch the knob by accident.
Other gimmicks
It's got bluetooth. A NFC device that seems to be experimental HP doesn't have it mentioned on the spec. I borrowed my bro's android phone and downloaded HP's touch to share app. They don't seem to know what they want to do with it. The app apparently allows you to share a URL from the phone to your computer. I got the phone to connect, but after touch, nothing happens. Tried a few times and gave up.
The full size HDMI & Display Port are helpful, as is the ethernet jack. I have not bothered with the WiDi.
expandability
Since the back can be easily opened and immediately exposing the electronics parts that are secured with screws, you can actually replace the battery, which is held on by about 10 screws, but I am not sure if it would void your warranty. I also read somewhere that underneath there is an empty memory slot that lets you upgrade to 8GB.
I am actually glad that they didn't bother with an optical disc drive (CD/DVD/BD), and have a full size SD card slot. Personally, everything being equal, missing a SD card slot is a deal breaker for me on any laptop.
other thoughts & the price
Aside from the minor issues with the trackpad I mentioned above. I got a unit with a pixel on the LCD stuck in blue. Getting a replacement, hopefully it will be problem free.
Price: Given that same spec machines thinner and lighter can be had for less than 1,000, this is overpriced, even considering the premium display and quality parts. I wouldn't pay more than 1,200 for this, and I got it for less than that, when amazon was having a price war with the other mega retailer whose name starts with a W, and giving out a free gift card with the purchase.
Other things I wanted to test but haven't had a chance:
* recording audio
* watching a HD movie
* torture test
I purchased this laptop even though it far exceeded my budget. I just wanted to see what all the hoopla was about. Honestly, I had planned on returning it if I found any fault with it in any whatsoever. I had read that the battery cannot be replaced, RAM could not be upgraded and the SSD was not replaceable by users. Well, I have not returned it and have absolutely no plans on returning it whatsoever.
The battery can be replaced as well as the RAM can be expanded and the SSD can also be upgraded. Albeit, not as easily as one would hope but easy enough as the manual walks you through it step by step. I've even found a battery replacement online that costs $120.00. Since there is only one Memory slot you can upgrade to 8GB and Amazon has a 8GB SODIMM that works for $51.99. Again, this takes some work and as the memory is not easily accessible. You can easily download the "Maintenance and Service Guide" from the HP website. There is even a link in the "Help and Support" link in the Start Menu.
This little laptop has far exceeded my expectations and is simply the best laptop I've ever purchased or received from an employer. It easily gets 5 stars. I could go into all the finer details but others here have taken care of that.
As far as the cost... After using this computer the cost is justified and when you really compare it to other Ultrabooks the price is a little more expensive but very competitive.
Buy HP ENVY 14-3010NR Spectre 14-Inch Ultrabook (Silver/Black) Now
Read that title again because it's the most important line in this entire review or any other regarding a notebook device.
When shopping for a notebook you have two choices.
1. A mobile workstation
This device boasts strong battery life, low weight, portability, often connectivity, and the ability to run most office and some design programs on the road. The mobile workstation comes with the compromise of being less powerful (i.e. slower) than the top of the line computers on the market. Students, traveling professionals, and people who need more than one computer (for whom a tablet is not sufficient) are attracted to this category.
2. A replacement desktop
This device has a massive amount of computing power, often a stellar video card, and will perform any task that a home computer does with nearly equal aptitude. As a result, replacement desktop systems suffer from poor battery life and tend to weigh a ton. They come with big, beautiful screens and are designed for people who need to carry a lot of horsepower to different locations but don't need to pack the thing around in a briefcase or backpack. Gamers and video engineers are attracted to this category, as are people who only want one computer.
When judging a notebook it is important to use the metrics for which it was designed.
The HP Envy Spectre is an Ultrabook, which means it's a mobile workstation. This is not a computer designed for playing the latest games, rendering 3D scenes, running complex software synthesizers, or having 12 programs open at a time. It is a mobile office with superb battery life and an impressively bright screen (which will, in fact, significantly reduce your battery life if you use it at full power).
As a mobile workstation, this is quite simply the best notebook I have ever owned. The keyboard is incredibly comfortable and the battery life is excellent. It is not as light as the Samsung Series-9 but the comfort, style, and ease of use make up for it. Because it uses a solid state drive it doesn't heat up to 1000 degrees in my lap. I am, in fact, typing this review in bed with the laptop sitting near enough my manparts that it would be quite uncomfortable if I weren't using the HP Envy Spectre.
If I so much as launch Backyard Monsters, the fans will kick in like a wind tunnel. God help me if I try to play Diablo III. Does that mean the system loses a star? Oh god no. There are far too many notebooks that try to be everything to everyone and fail miserably at all of them.
This is device is fast for an ultraportable. The glass makes it a bit heavier but adds both style and comfort. The mouse is responsive, glitch free, and has decent multi-touch functionality. If I want to play a game, well, that's what my unlocked and overclocked Core i7 featuring a ton of RoG technology is for. This system lets me do my IT and web development work comfortably from a bar or coffee shop. Paired with a 4G connection I can get 4-9 hours of life out of the computer depending on the brightness of the screen and how much data I'm pulling down. To be honest, I push this laptop pretty hard. I've never thought "wow, I'm disappointed in how long this thing lasted on battery" not in the context of what I was doing.
I can comfortably write web pages and I can run Photoshop or Illustrator, though complex tasks on large files may be a bit slow. Ironically, booting is faster than waking from sleep mode but that's really a Microsoft thing. No points from HP.
If you want quick, light, sleek, professional, and mobile with excellent life this is the best Windows-based notebook on the market (positively Mac-like in many ways). I'm buying one for my wife when she starts her doctorate in a few weeks because I trust this model 100% with the way she will use it.
If you want fast & powerful gaming or a/v editing machine that replaces your clunky old desktop, steer clear. We don't need any more ill informed reviews of this machine resulting from unfair expectations. It's a 1.6ghz i5 processor with basic Intel graphics. Please, don't come back here to complain because you wanted i7 + nVidia/ATI performance out of it.
Best of luck making your selection.
Read Best Reviews of HP ENVY 14-3010NR Spectre 14-Inch Ultrabook (Silver/Black) Here
After doing research on most of the ultrabooks in the market I finally settled with HP Envy Spectre 14. I already own Macbook Air and I am happy with it. Just wanted another Windows native machine for work and travel purpose. Let me tell you this is the most attractive laptop I have ever seen. But the Glass on top is hard to keep clean, its a finger print magnet. I found the boot time slow as other ultrabooks. But wake up time from sleep is instant. So if you can shell out couple of extra hundred bucks for good looking laptop this is for you.
Pros
Stunning Display
14 inch screen (text is better on 14 inch than on 13inch with 1600x900 resolution)
All the ports you need
Beats Audio
AC Adapter comes with extra USB port which you can use to charge other devices.
I really like that.
2 year warranty
SD card slot
Cons
128 GB SDD on $1400 laptop (You will get only 70 GB free. Rest is all OS and recovery).
Glass Panel (Gives you a feel that you may break it someday)
Overpriced.(1 start knocked out for this)
Slow boot time from shutdown (approx 24 seconds). Dell XPS 13 was on 13 seconds
Want HP ENVY 14-3010NR Spectre 14-Inch Ultrabook (Silver/Black) Discount?
This notebook is beautiful and I wanted very much to love it. I felt it was the perfect combination of function and style and I was willing to pay more for it than other comparable notebooks.
The first one I received was defective right out of the box with an error message that read "cooling fan is not operating correctly," and proceeding to shut down automatically. HP's online support was great and offered to repair the notebook and pay for shipping both ways. Since the notebook was brand new, I opted to replace it with a new one from the seller. I totally understand that there are duds in every make and model, so it was not an issue for me to wait for a replacement.
I received my replacement notebook and waited with bated breath as it booted up. It made it to Windows. Time to celebrate right? Not quite.
Four days later as I plugged the notebook in, there was a spark, pop, and smoke. My laptop's power port and the adapter cord suffered scorch marks. I couldn't believe it. I hopped on to HP's chat support again(from another computer) and asked if they could take my notebook in for repair. The rep advised that they would send me a new adapter instead. Only if that didn't work, would they take my notebook for repair. A few days later I received a new adapter and attempted to plug it in. Spark, pop, and smoke. I hopped back on with the chat support folks and the rep agreed that they would take the notebook in for repair. I waited for the empty box and then shipped it out.
Today, I received a call from HP and they advised that they fixed my DC port but the motherboard connector is damaged and that is going to cost me $200+ to repair since it's not covered by the warranty. Just to be clear, an internal part of the brand new replacement notebook (a part that I cannot access without voiding the warranty) is not covered for repair. It's been a month since I first ordered this HP Envy 14 and it's been an incredible waste of time dealing with this. I am now the proud owner of a defective $1000+ notebook.
If you value your time and money. Please do not purchase this notebook.
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This is a great laptop for the money and I would buy it again.
