Hp Envy 13
Even a cursory glance will tell you the HP Envy 13 is a very nicely made premium 13-inch laptop. It’s a solid slab of aluminum and magnesium, etched with interesting visual details, and filled with capable components, such as a dual-core low-voltage Intel CPU and discrete ATI graphics.
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Intel Core 2 Duo 2.13 GHz
3072 MB DDR II SDRAM – 1066 MHz
250 GB – (5400 rpm)
Width 12.6 in
Depth 8.5 in
Height 0.8 in
Weight 3.8 lbs
It’s also clearly a shot across the bow of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, even if Hewlett-Packard leaves that challenge unstated. The edge-to-edge glass over the display and oversize multitouch touch pad all add to a Mac-like look and feel. Unfortunately, the Envy 13 is priced more comparably with ultrathin systems such as the Dell Adamo or even Apple’s MacBook Air, starting at $1,699.
For a laptop with a 2.13GHz SL9600 low-voltage Intel CPU, the Envy 13 performed admirably, coming close to matching the performance of Apple’s 13-inch MacBook. An ultrathin system like Dell’s Adamo, which uses an older U9300 processor, was much slower, highlighting the importance of finding the right balance between performance and power management. In anecdotal use, we found the Envy 13 to be quick and responsive, and it likely benefited from skipping Windows Vista in preference of Windows 7. (cnet.com)
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+ Slick, modern design; big touch pad; bright display; premium support services.
- Very expensive; heavier than it looks; no backlit keyboard; limited ports and connections.