Engadget: Review – HP Envy 17 Laptop
HP’s Envy 17 laptop is powerful, sleek, good looking and has a great screen. Is it the perfect desktop replacement? It comes close, this reviewer says.
“When it comes to selecting our favorite mainstream Windows laptops these days the HP Envy 14 is pretty much at the tippy top of the list. (Hey, we don’t just give anything away to our college-bound readers, you know?) But while the 14-inch version of the magnesium-alloy laptop may have impressed us with its new backlit keyboard and internal organs, we’ve still been aching to know how the bigger and badder Core i7-powered Envy 17 stands up. With a 1920 x 1080-resolution 17.3-inch display, 1GB of ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850 graphics, a USB 3.0 port and Blu-ray drive, can you really blame us? There’s no doubt that the Envy 17 is one epic desktop replacement, but for $1,599 (the starting price is $1,299) we’ve got to tell you you’re not purchasing perfection. Just what holds back the Envy 17 from being the be-all end-all multimedia monster? We’ll divulge all in our full review after the break.
Look and feel Those familiar with the other Envy laptops won’t find the 17 to be all that unique in terms of design, but that doesn’t mean we’re tired of the line’s magnesium alloy chassis, etched lid, and aluminum edges. How could we possibly get sick of one of the best looking laptops out there? Like the Envy 14, the overall manufacturing quality is top notch — the metal hinges keep the screen from wobbling and the metal palmrest feels solid to the bone.”
