HP Announces New Laptops for 2009

wow...HP would get a win there.
i7+dual SSD+4830HD+thin and light+up to 16 RAM!=win!

I really hope this comes with a 5770HD instead of 4830HD. The 5770HD sports GDDR5 and a 128bit bus, and should outperform the 4830HD. (supposedly, the 5000HD series come out the same time as Win7, so I would not be impressed if I happen to see laptops debuting with 5000HD inside)

 

I've read the Envy 15 will carry the Mobility Radeon 4830 (128-bit bus with GDDR5). It should allow very good performance with decreased power consumption and heat output.
As to the screen resolutions, 1366 x 768 and 1920 x 1080 will be available. I hope they introduce a middle ground 1600 x 900 too.

Hope it helps

 

The HD 4830 uses GDDR3 over a 128-bit bus width. Only the HD 4860 and 4870 are supposed to have GDDR5. The screen resolution will be 1600x900 for the Envy 15.

 

How do you know the resolution they will carry?
And yes, the 4830HD is GDDR3, but AFAIK it is 256bit.

 

I think it's fairly certain now. See here for example:
http://www.topproduct.nl/hardware/n...0ea_Notebook_PC/id/3552757/specificaties.html

 

Does anyone know if you will be able to configure the HP DM3t with the Intel option and a discreet graphics card?

An article I read mentions this laptop has Intel, ATI and Nvidea options as far as graphics.

Seems like the Intel CULV processor needs some help in that area. Almost looks like the AMD NEO option with the card would be better performance wise.

What do you guys think?

 

http://ati.amd.com/products/mobilityradeonhd4800/4860_index.html

HD 4830 is 128-bit and DDR3/GDDR3.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10352407-1.html

HP calls the 15-inch version, "the company's fastest consumer notebook PC ever." The 1-inch-thick, 5.18-pound system will feature an Intel Core i7 CPU, four RAM slots for up to 16GB of memory, dual SSD hard drives, and ATI Radeon HD 4830 graphics. The display resolution is 1,600x900.

So hopefully stick with that that resolution...

 

The Envy 13 looks great...but I have question regarding its power potential.

What's the power of the processor on this thing like (Intel Core 2 Duo Processor SL9400 running at 1.86GHz)? Along with the discrete GPU, is this strong enough for photoshopping and lots of multitasking?

I've been wanting to purchase a premium laptop...as my last 3 laptops have all died or become virtually unusuable prematurely because of poor quality control issues.

I've seriously been considering ordering a Sony Z...but those ongoing battery drain issues are deterring me. Otherwise, I can't seem to find a good laptop that combines power with excellent build quality and portability.

Hoping this is could be the one!

 

The SL9400 is more than enough for those tasks.

 

Indeed. Heres another one:
http://www.nordichardware.se/nyhet,16454.html

I'm probably gonna purchase an Envy 15 Seems to be awesome, and to be honest I don't care if it looks alot like a MBP

 

OMG!!!; Drool, Drool, and more Drool...I think my next notebook will be an HP.

 

HEY!!!!!!
Finally HP got rid of those designs on the lid!
Kudos!!
Interesting thing, the DM3 supports switchable and hybrids ONLY when using AMD Neox2 and ATI, mostg likely it is a Neo Turion x2, a 4200HD (hopefully) and a 4330HD.

 

basically a better macbook pro

1. better graphic card
2. better cooling due from proper venting

 

BETTER CPU please. An i7 vs a C2D!! (E15 this is) And dual SSDs!

 

Probably less than 1% of users would actually pay for dual SSDs.

The Dual HDDs is a nice option though.

The i7 is cool I guess, but unless I was encoding HD video it wouldn't do me much good. It will be interesting to see if they keep the temps under control on a 15 incher aluminum lappie with a high end GPU/core i7.

That said, the 4830 seems kind of underwhelming for the best HP has to offer. Unless the HDX series gets refreshed, the Envy will be trying too hard to be like a Mac to offer the performance of an Alienware/Asus/Sager models.

Then again, maybe a 17 inch Envy is on the horizon, and its packing something with a little more kick.

 

Perhaps the HDX series disappear, and the Envy take their place, note that the lid has the HP logo on them.

 

4830 is indeed a little underwhelming if it is the best HP would offer out of all its notebooks

but imagine what it is like if a company has its flagship GPU as 9600mGT!!

 

Wow.....my Latitude is actually jealous for once lol Whoever said HP envies Apple is spot on there......is about time they caught up to Dell as far as product lines are concerned. I bet these will do well.....

 

To clarify something about the GPUs carried by HP.
HP consumer notebooks are aimed at multimedia purposes, that being said, even a GMA4500MHD would do it, they are not a gaming brand, like Sager, AW, Asus, etc, but a multimedia, like Dell, they offer somewhat good GPUs, that get the job done, and are not meant to be gaming rigs (originally).

Therefore, the flagship, carrying a GT130M (upgradeable from 9600M in personalization), was more than enough for the needs the laptops is aimed. On the other hand, it is good to see a slightly more powerful GPU now, but this is by no means a gaming rig. HP does stick good CPUs, but average GPUs.

 

I saw too many Macs in person, and no! it makes me hate the design even more.

That's your opinion, not a fact! And I don't see any reason why other companies should appreciate their competitors.

Right! this is imitating not innovating. HP can never think about it before Apple for that reason. Now if they really want push innovation, they would have come up with some different ideas, not creating a "far relative" of a crappy Mac.

Now of course, Apple took the idea from Sony for the keyboard...

 

Wait wait. Crappy Mac no. Mac cant place an i7 in a MBP without getting yourself a frying pan.

 

I thought both the 4830 and the 4860 had GDDR5 (just at different clocks). I was wrong and I stand corrected.
As for the resolution, I can't seem to find the source for 1366 x 768 but I'm happy to see someone reporting 1600 x 900 (as I see it, the golden one for 15.6").
The Envy 15 packs quite a bit more power... a good recommendation to all those looking for a "non-OSX gaming MBP".

Cheers!

 

C'mon Serg, that makes no sense. Why on earth would it have an ATI 4830 if it wasn't a gaming rig? Thats not just a 'maybe I'll play Diablo III' card, thats a high end GPU.

So, it stands to reason that they put high end GPUs in their machines because they expect people to do some gaming. If theres one thing you learn from the dozens of 'Need cheap laptop for college and gaming' threads, its that many casual users do want to play games.

I just think if they're putting a Core i7 inside, they might as well go ahead and put a GTX 2-- inside as well.

Unless you think the average user on needs a Core i7 for powerpoints, watching movies, and playing iTunes?

 

Point taken Texas.
I was trying to find a good answer basing on what HP consumer is.
The GTX 2xxM is too warm and consumes to much, while the 4830HD IIRC consumes less.

Boy, I wish a 5830HD inside...lol then I would work my ... off and buy it. lol

 

How would such a thin notebook handle such high CPU's and GPU's, that's also in aluminium, which leads the heat out to the chassi right?

 

That's the big question. Especially since recent HP models have had quite some heat problems.

 

I don't really get why all the notebook/gadget forums are full of damnation because this looks like a MBP.Yes, it's obvious they copied the physical design. And yes, i agree with you, as an overall design concept, it's not really that innovative.

But for me, someone who just wants a decent windows laptop...what's the big deal really? if you don't like the physical designs of apple, fine, then you won't like this laptop (if you place a high value on aesthetics).

But as someone who does like the recent macbook pro design, but prefers a native windows laptop...then this looks likes a pretty decent option.

And it's not as if there is no innovation. Comparing the 13 inch models, the Envy is is about .7 pounds lighter (because of the coated magnesium body and lack of optical drive...which is a plus in my books). Going by the specs, the screen seems to be amazing, with 400nit and excellent color range. Again, going by the specs, the standard battery life is great at 7 hours. And the extended slice is certainly innovative, and offers up to 18 hours. On the downside, the price is certainly higher...but some are willing to pay if this really fits what all what they are looking for.

So yes, it looks like MBP....it is worth mentioning in passing. But it would be great to see more comparisons on actual technical specs / build quality in comparison to a range of other laptops, and less on the fact that its physical design is a bit of clone...to me that is the least interesting aspect of this new offering.

 

Have you noticed that HP is the only one offering on ALL models long battery life now?
Have they found a way to get a long long battery life?
18 is incredibly amazing! 7 is extremely good, and the E15 is supposed to get 6.
So HP has long battery life, even if they carry an i7. I wonder what they did...

 

www.hp.com/go/ENVY

 

Bout time! I tried that site earlier when the news broke on Engadget and the damn thing gave me a 404 error...

 

That 18 hours of battery life is with a battery slice.

This is not a new concept, Dell has been using it with their Latitude models to claim up to 12 hours of battery life.

Problem? They are heavy, and they slide underneath the entire notebook while sticking out the back, adding an extra 9 cells or so to the battery that is in already. Unless the Envy has a way to minimize this disadvantage, it defeats the purpose of marketing it as a slim/thin machine.

What I don't like about the design is it is so shamelessly ripped off from a Mac. It doesn't even TRY to stand apart. It might as well be a Ford with the same body as a Ferrari with a new paint job. Sure, it will drive you from A to B, but who wants to be caught driving around in a shameless knockoff? Not me...

I am very skeptical about this battery life with a high end GPU and the Core i7. Without switchable graphics, they have to be sugar coating those numbers.

 

HAH! What I said!

Note how this machine is aimed at multimedia, not gaming. Yes, you can game, but it is aimed towards something else.

EDIT: I have found a possible fatal flaw on the E15.

Note where the air vents are found. THAT IS A PROBLEM!

 

I hope this won't be a problem.

Seems to be air vents on 3 of 4 sides, though

 

that is a big design flaw if the fans are in the front seeing as it has to be a problem cooling that machine when it's highly spec'd

 

You're going to quote the advertisement?

They just said that an ATI 4830 was good for watching Blu Ray. You know full well that can be accomplished on integrated graphics.

The Dell Studio XPS 16 says the same thing about its ATI 4670, which is funny that they advertise them as multimedia machines, when deep down they are just normal laptops with nice screens , good design, and discrete graphics.

So, again, that ATI 4830 is on there for gaming. There is simply no other reason to have it.

Anyways, that is poor choice for vent placement. The Envy 13 has a whole left side of it that is BLANK. Ouch.

 

I agree. It's serious overkill for almost anything besides gaming.

 

The 18 hours (with the slice) is only on the Envy 13. The Envy 15 would achieve (only) 7 hours with the slice. While it is claimed that the Envy 13 will reach 7 hours with just the standard battery.

If that holds up (for the Envy 13), that is still commendable with the standard battery. The 18 hour battery life with the slice...while I agree it will add weight and reduce ease of mobility a bit...is very useful for certain contexts. For myself, it will be great for long-haul, transcontinental flights that I take a few times a year. Also, I often work in places with very bad power supplies and frequent power cuts....so again, this will allow me to stay productive while still having a capable, mobile laptop. I realise I'm not the typical user, but I'm sure others will also find 18 hours on a well-equipped laptop beneficial.

And I think the comparison of Ferrari (MBP) vs. Ford dressed up as a Ferrari (Envy) a bit of a strawman. Depending on the specs you are looking for, can't the Envy be seen as a better product, even if the physical design is a bit of clone?

I need to be careful that I don't sound like a fanboy I'm still interested in seeing what other new products / refreshes come out in the next month or so before I order, but the fact that this is a bit of a design clone does nothing to dissuade me from purchasing. If it's well equipped and meets all my needs, and comes in a thin form factor and is lightweight along with long battery life...well that meets my needs pretty well!

 

The one posted is the 15!!!!!! The i7 and 4830HD!!!
It must be a real disaster if those are the vents!!! You block them by having the laptop on your lap, result BOOM! (hahaha). But seriously, that seems like a huge design flaw on the E15!

Yeah, yeah, I know Texas...it is the advertisement. The 4830HD is a gaming GPU, and the 4500MHD is quite capable too. I know. But my point is that (for the ones who dont know on the subject) buy the higher end GPU for Blu Ray and HD. It is pointless, I know, but most consumers dont know what they are buying.

Still, THAT is a huge flaw! The E13 does not seem to have this, having only the speakers in the front, facing down, another design flaw if you ask me.

 

I think the front 'vents' on the E15 are the speaker ports. That's where they are on the E13, and I don't see any other speaker ports on the E15, so I'm assuming they're in the same place (albeit larger).

 

HP Envy with Apple DNA....

 

No no, those are on the corner. Look the three lines in the front side edge? Those are the speakers! The others are vents I think.

 

Does anyway know if the 15.6" comes with a backlit keyboard?

This is my next latop. I was going to get an Dell XPS 16 when the i7 Quad comes out, but now I'm getting this thing. Dual HDD's and slim design without black glossy fingerprint dust magnet. This thing looks very promising!

 

Keep in mind, aluminum has its tradeoffs. It gets warm, and this is looking to me like a perfect storm for uncomfortable temperatures (aluminum, poor vent placement, thin, quad core, high end GPU).

Only time will tell. If they can pull all of that off, my hat will be off to them. But, somehow, I just doubt HP will be the first ones to squeeze high performance, low temperatures, long battery life, into a thin/light package. If this was Lenovo or Dell, I would be a little less skeptical...

 

oh..you're right Serg. I guess that i7 Quad really needs a robust cooling system. I agree though...quite a bad design to have hot hair blowing out at you. Maybe they're intake vents?? If they're not, no way would I ever consider the E15 (though I'm already much more inclined toward the E13...)

 

Even if they are intakes. You put it on your lap and you block it, and air flow becomes none. You get yourself a frying pan!!
And as Texas says, it has all the components to become a non-lap-laptop!

One other that intrigues me is the ProBook, which is already set as "coming Soon" in the HP Website...

EDIT: I mean the DM3 with switchable and hybrid graphics with ATI and AMD Neo or Intel and NVIDIA.

 

Lenovo I can understand but going by all the stories I've read about the heat in XPS 1330, Studio XPS 13, XPS 16 I don't think Dell is that good at heat management (or battery life which usually goes together).

Sony is another company that is very good at heat management in my opinion.

 

I'd like to install a WD 1tb HDD into the second hdd slot. But, those 1tb HDD's are a little bigger than standard. People reported them fitting into MacBooks though, do you guys think they might fit into the HP Envy 15?

 

Laptop is not out yet, so not many tech specs have come out.
If it fits in a regular HDD bay, there should be no problem though.

 

The SXPS line has been troubled by the design of its cooling system, no doubt. I count on Dell to learn from their mistakes in the next models.

Aside from the Studio XPS line, Dell usually does above average from what I've seen. The Studio lines have all managed heat and battery life well (6 hours on the 14z and 5-6 with the 1555).

 

I wouldn't be surprised if they WERE speakers though. HP has been using front end speakers forever. Even back when there were no dual core laptops. My brother's V2000 (Turion single core baby!) has them. My nx9420 had them. My EliteBook 8730w has them. HP just really, really likes front facing speakers.