DEAD: $500 off any laptop $1399 and up at HP--

[CurseTheSky]

Has anyone tested the extra battery actually gives a total of 8hrs though? In the notebookcheck.com battery test this HP gets 1hr battery life when stressed. The alienware gets 3.....

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-HP-Envy-14-Beats-Edition-Notebook.43071.0.html

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Alienware-M11x-Subnotebook.26453.0.html

And I bet there is a significant difference in terms of battery life between all the different CUP options. the i5 gets 1hr when stressed, imagine the i7....

While I generally love Notebook Check's reviews, something is definitely wrong with that full load battery life test.

Battery life was one of my top concerns for the Envy 14 when I bought it, since HP's original BS estimate was something like 7+ hours on the internal battery, 14 hours with the slice battery as well. After numerous tests by people on the notebookreview.com forums, the real numbers are more like 4-4.5 hours with the internal battery during light load (web surfing, reduced brightness), and 2-2.5 hours during heavy load.

Here's the key though: if you want better battery life, do a fresh reformat when you get the laptop. HP installs a decent amount of junk on it by default, and the number of background processes running keeps the CPU at a constant 1-3% load, which sips away at your battery power. After a reformat and install of just the drivers / programs I wanted, I was sitting at 0% CPU usage during idle, and my battery life increased by about 30 minutes. Furthermore, this notebook has switchable graphics. When you're on battery, switch to the Intel graphics (you can set the switching program to prompt you when the AC adapter is plugged in or removed). The ATi graphic chip isn't too bad at sucking down the power, but it certainly isn't as good as the Intel portion on that side of things.

 

[CurseTheSky]

That's one battery. With slice you can double the time. I can squeeze 9 hours going conservative.

I can confirm this. With the slice battery attached and under light load (web surfing, no major flash components or games), I easily get 8 hours of battery life. Some users report 10+ hours with a lot of tweaked settings. ~4-5 hours of movie watching (DVD drive spun up, or CPU decoding HD content) or gaming with both batteries attached seems to be what people are getting as well.

 

[NiNe]

Tried it with a 17" Envy but it wouldn't work. I guess it's not "any" laptop?

 

[AznAnarchy99]

So here are my specs for the new one I bought. I might end up just selling my Envy Beats to my GF.

HP ENVY 14 customizable Notebook PC

* • Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
* • Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-580M Dual Core Processor (2.66GHz, 3MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.33GHz
* • 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5650 switchable graphics [HDMI] - For Dual Core Processors
* • 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
* • 500GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
* • No Additional Office Software
* • 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard) - Up to 6.0 hours of battery life +++
* • 14.5" diagonal HD+ HP Radiance Infinity LED Display (1600x900)
* • SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
* • HP TrueVision HD Webcam and Dual Digital Integrated Microphones [For Radiance Display]
* • Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth

Nice little improvement over my Beats for the same price.

 

[mnewsham]

So here are my specs for the new one I bought. I might end up just selling my Envy Beats to my GF.

HP ENVY 14 customizable Notebook PC

* • Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
* • Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-580M Dual Core Processor (2.66GHz, 3MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.33GHz
* • 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5650 switchable graphics [HDMI] - For Dual Core Processors
* • 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
* • 500GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
* • No Additional Office Software
* • 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard) - Up to 6.0 hours of battery life +++
* • 14.5" diagonal HD+ HP Radiance Infinity LED Display (1600x900)
* • SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
* • HP TrueVision HD Webcam and Dual Digital Integrated Microphones [For Radiance Display]
* • Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth

Nice little improvement over my Beats for the same price.

You are selling it to your gf...? I bought mine the envy then got a 17" new quad series for myself.

 

[finbarqs]

i almost went for the 6gb... but that would've made it over 1k .

I wanted to stay under 1k so I bought the 640GB hdd instead of the 6GB RAM (4GB+2GB)
I wanna throw in my 80GB SSD, but 80GB is just not enough for a laptop. I need at least 160gb... My friend almost bought the an Envy, but decided to go MBP 13", because it was less money (student discount + Sales of his ipod touch = MBP 13 < 1k)

But I hope I'm doing the right thing!

CA Tax (LA county) is currently @ 9.75... that's almost 100 bucks in taxes!

 

[AznAnarchy99]

i almost went for the 6gb... but that would've made it over 1k .

I wanted to stay under 1k so I bought the 640GB hdd instead of the 6GB RAM (4GB+2GB)
I wanna throw in my 80GB SSD, but 80GB is just not enough for a laptop. I need at least 160gb... My friend almost bought the an Envy, but decided to go MBP 13", because it was less money (student discount + Sales of his ipod touch = MBP 13 < 1k)

But I hope I'm doing the right thing!

CA Tax (LA county) is currently @ 9.75... that's almost 100 bucks in taxes!

Yea I used my home address instead of my LA address LoL. Still 8.75% though..

No I already have an Envy 14 Beats edition right now. I got another one with the coupon since it only came out to $920 before tax. I put my laptop on craigslist to sell for $900 but I might just end up selling the one I have right now to my GF.

I originally wanted an Envy 17 a long time ago but it just wasnt practical. Im not looking for a desktop replacement. I already have an amazing desktop that I built and can continue adding on. I only use this laptop for class and light gaming when Im not at home. Battery life is a major factor. I have class for about 6 hours straight. I was already struggling with battery before I bought the slice. I cant even imagine how it would have been with the Envy 17 and less than 2 hours..

 

[finbarqs]

MBP has better battery (running under OSX), and will run starcraft in the shittiest settings!

 

[Eyeless Blond]

Is it weird that I'm torn between this deal w/ the Envy 14 (~$900+tax) and the $25 off HP dm1z deal (~$425+tax)? I guess this just means I really have no idea what I want to do with a laptop when I do get one: I've never actually owned a laptop, so I've no idea whether I'd be a better fit for a 14-inch or a ("super") netbook.

 

[CurseTheSky]

Is it weird that I'm torn between this deal w/ the Envy 14 (~$900+tax) and the $25 off HP dm1z deal (~$425+tax)? I guess this just means I really have no idea what I want to do with a laptop when I do get one: I've never actually owned a laptop, so I've no idea whether I'd be a better fit for a 14-inch or a ("super") netbook.

It depends what you'd use it for. If you're only looking to browse the web and do basic home or office tasks, the the dm1z should be plenty powerful.

On the other hand, if you're looking to play relatively modern games (HL2 or newer) or do more advanced tasks that involve stressing the CPU or GPU, I'd suggest the Envy 14.

 

[tHa ShIzNiT]

Quick question...sorry I'm new to laptops. Is a 14 inch display good enough for laptop gaming or would I want a 17?

 

[mnewsham]

Quick question...sorry I'm new to laptops. Is a 14 inch display good enough for laptop gaming or would I want a 17?

it depends, it works for me but it is NOT for everyone.

 

[Pohemi]

Thanks for the suggestion. I have a intel SSD G2 80GB hard drive I would probably put in this machine so I wouldn't need the hard drive upgrade.

Be aware that with a dual hard drive bay on the HPs...if you order it with one HDD, it'll only come with one HDD mounting bracket. I spent 1k on a DV7 a number of months ago, and was appalled to find I had to spend another 50-70 dollars to get a second installation bracket to be able to use the 2nd bay. Kind of BS if you ask me, but head's up so you're aware. It might be worth just throwing a smaller extra HDD in when ordering so you at least have the bracket.

 

[Eyeless Blond]

Quick question...sorry I'm new to laptops. Is a 14 inch display good enough for laptop gaming or would I want a 17?

I may not know much about laptops, but I do know for a fact that I wouldn't want a 17-inch one. I had to fix a coworker's 17-inch Toshiba. The thing was enormous, and at around eight pounds it's annoying to keep in a lap. IMO, unless you're looking for what's essentially a "mobile desktop" then you probably don't want something 17 inches or larger.

 

[Eyeless Blond]

It depends what you'd use it for. If you're only looking to browse the web and do basic home or office tasks, the the dm1z should be plenty powerful.

On the other hand, if you're looking to play relatively modern games (HL2 or newer) or do more advanced tasks that involve stressing the CPU or GPU, I'd suggest the Envy 14.

Well I can't say I care much about gaming on the laptop. I mean, I've got a quad-core, dual monitor desktop at home, and I end up playing most of my games on the Wii.

Now that I think about it, the only thing I'm really concerned about is the display. A 14-inch Radiance screen is worth a lot more than an 11-inch Brightview screen... but is it really worth $500 more?

God, I'd love to pay $750 and split the difference, pairing the Zacate processor with a 14-inch Radiance display. Anyone out there at HP listening?

 

[finbarqs]

i always wondered how the subperior screen compared to the radiance. Besides the increase in resolution, what other difference will we see? Too bad everyone I've read about online who HAS the Envy 14 has the Radiance screen as well. Would like to hear from the people who only has the regular screen.

But doesn't matter, I opted for a Radiance screen... Was gonna get a MBP 13" to get familiar with OSX's environment, but, this deal was just too hot to pass up....

 

[CurseTheSky]

I can't speak for the dm1z's Brightview display (since that's only a marketing term - screen quality varies from panel to panel), but on the Envy 14, the general consensus seems to be:

1366x768 Brightview: decent, but nothing to write home about. Brightness is mediocre, colors are pretty good, viewing angles are ok. In general, it's better than a lot of the really crappy screens out there, but definitely not going to win any awards.

1600x900 Radiance: amazing. Brightness is great, colors are very good (though slightly blue-tinted by default), and viewing angles are amazing for a TN panel (slight contrast shift at extreme vertical angles, but nothing compared to cheaper TNs). From my first-hand experience, I'd put it a notch above the Macbook Pro's 13" 1280x800 screen and the Sony Vaio Z's 1920x1080 screen. I've heard the Dell RGB LED panel that came in some (Studio?) XPS models could beat the Radiance display overall, though.

In short, it's WELL worth the $200 upgrade price, though if it's the only thing you like on the Envy 14, it might not be worth the extra $500. In my mind, it comes down to portability vs. power. If you want to have something a bit more powerful for future use, grab the Envy 14. If you want something smaller and lighter than you can easily chuck in a bag and carry around for hours without fatigue, the dm1z is the better choice.

 

[mnewsham]

I can't speak for the dm1z's Brightview display (since that's only a marketing term - screen quality varies from panel to panel), but on the Envy 14, the general consensus seems to be:

1366x768 Brightview: decent, but nothing to write home about. Brightness is mediocre, colors are pretty good, viewing angles are ok. In general, it's better than a lot of the really crappy screens out there, but definitely not going to win any awards.

1600x900 Radiance: amazing. Brightness is great, colors are very good (though slightly blue-tinted by default), and viewing angles are amazing for a TN panel (slight contrast shift at extreme vertical angles, but nothing compared to cheaper TNs). From my first-hand experience, I'd put it a notch above the Macbook Pro's 13" 1280x800 screen and the Sony Vaio Z's 1920x1080 screen. I've heard the Dell RGB LED panel that came in some (Studio?) XPS models could beat the Radiance display overall, though.

In short, it's WELL worth the $200 upgrade price, though if it's the only thing you like on the Envy 14, it might not be worth the extra $500. In my mind, it comes down to portability vs. power. If you want to have something a bit more powerful for future use, grab the Envy 14. If you want something smaller and lighter than you can easily chuck in a bag and carry around for hours without fatigue, the dm1z is the better choice.

The deal is over, i just checked as i was about to place an order on my 2nd one

 

[vamousse]

After my Asus laptop crapped out, I was going to build a computer. However, now I have decided to take advantage of this deal. Here's what I went with:

HP ENVY 14 customizable Notebook PC

• &#8226; Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• &#8226; Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-560M Dual Core Processor (2.66 GHz, 3MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz
• &#8226; 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5650 switchable graphics [HDMI] - For Dual Core Processors
• &#8226; 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• &#8226; 640GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• &#8226; No Additional Office Software
• &#8226; 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard) - Up to 6.0 hours of battery life +++
• &#8226; 14.5" diagonal HD+ HP Radiance Infinity LED Display (1600x900)
• &#8226; SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
• &#8226; HP TrueVision HD Webcam and Dual Digital Integrated Microphones [For Radiance Display]
• &#8226; Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
• &#8226; Backlit Keyboard
• &#8226; Adobe(R) Photoshop(R) Elements 8 & Adobe Premiere(R) Elements 8
• &#8226; HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

Total came to $1008.24 after coupon and taxes. Not too bad.

 

[mnewsham]

After my Asus laptop crapped out, I was going to build a computer. However, now I have decided to take advantage of this deal. Here's what I went with:

HP ENVY 14 customizable Notebook PC

• • Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• • Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-560M Dual Core Processor (2.66 GHz, 3MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz
• • 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5650 switchable graphics [HDMI] - For Dual Core Processors
• • 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• • 640GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• • No Additional Office Software
• • 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard) - Up to 6.0 hours of battery life +++
• • 14.5" diagonal HD+ HP Radiance Infinity LED Display (1600x900)
• • SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
• • HP TrueVision HD Webcam and Dual Digital Integrated Microphones [For Radiance Display]
• • Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
• • Backlit Keyboard
• • Adobe(R) Photoshop(R) Elements 8 & Adobe Premiere(R) Elements 8
• • HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

Total came to $1008.24 after coupon and taxes. Not too bad.

when did you do it? i tried about 30 mins ago and the coupon expired.

 

[vamousse]

when did you do it? i tried about 30 mins ago and the coupon expired.

Last night

 

[mnewsham]

Last night

figures

 

[finbarqs]

wonder how long will the battery last if i just watch hulu on it on intel graphics... Kind of thinking maybe should've waited for the new MBP's....

 

[tHa ShIzNiT]

Well, the battle begins. I ordered a dv7tqe last night with the coupon, got a confirmation email and everything. A guy from HP calls me this morning saying there was a problem with my order and he is going to re-send the order. I say great, I get another confirmation email now and the price is much higher...the coupon is not applied.

I just called in and spoke with an idiot woman telling me all kinds of ridiculous stuff. I said just apply the coupon to the current order if you have to. She says the coupon is no longer valid, I'm like "Yes, thats why I placed the order last night when it was valid." She had the audacity at this point to say "Well, we do have a $150 coupon on your current order." Yeah, thats 400 bucks more than my original order. I said OK just cancel this order and go with the one I got confirmation on last night. She says "Sir, I cannot cancel an order once it is already in production" or something stupid like that. I asked to speak with a supervisor and she put me on hold for 5+ minutes but I'm at work so I finally hung up and I will have to call back at lunch time.

I'm getting really mad now so I might just tell American Express to put a stop on the payment unless they can say something that satisfies me very quickly.

 

[mnewsham]

Well, the battle begins. I ordered a dv7tqe last night with the coupon, got a confirmation email and everything. A guy from HP calls me this morning saying there was a problem with my order and he is going to re-send the order. I say great, I get another confirmation email now and the price is much higher...the coupon is not applied.

I just called in and spoke with an idiot woman telling me all kinds of ridiculous stuff. I said just apply the coupon to the current order if you have to. She says the coupon is no longer valid, I'm like "Yes, thats why I placed the order last night when it was valid." She had the audacity at this point to say "Well, we do have a $150 coupon on your current order." Yeah, thats 400 bucks more than my original order. I said OK just cancel this order and go with the one I got confirmation on last night. She says "Sir, I cannot cancel an order once it is already in production" or something stupid like that. I asked to speak with a supervisor and she put me on hold for 5+ minutes but I'm at work so I finally hung up and I will have to call back at lunch time.

I'm getting really mad now so I might just tell American Express to put a stop on the payment unless they can say something that satisfies me very quickly.

good luck mate.