When HP first launched their aluminium-build Envy laptop range back
in 2009, it was clear that they had their sights squared solely on 
Like its predecessors, the Envy 14 has a lush aluminium chassis that,
while weighty at around 2.6 kg, is reassuringly sturdy. A curved finish
to the edges again brings to mind the unibody MacBook Pro computers,
though we found the lip where our wrists rested just a little too sharp
for our delicate skin. The laptop lid has a large red "Beats" logo
sitting in the middle of the matte black coating which, while certainly
eye-catching, may not be to everyone's taste.
The great island-style backlit keyboard with red detail was a dream
to type with. Smooth and well spaced, we could easily see ourselves
tapping away without any discomfort for long stretches. The trackpad
however gave us some concern. The mouse buttons are built into this pad,
with only a red line rather than a physical marker dividing them. It
was far too easy to push the wrong one, or for our thumb to lean out of
the cursor movement zone and hit the buttons, sending our pointer
everywhere but where we wanted it. It's a real shame, as the rest of the
build is damn good.
The laptop squeezes in a generous amount of ports and connectivity
options for a machine its size. A HDMI port is bolstered by a
mini-display port, 3 USB 2.0 ports (one shared with an eSATA port), an
Ethernet connection, headphone and mic jacks and a 2-in-1 card reader.
802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi is built in, along with Bluetooth and a HD webcam
just above the screen.
The real magic of the HP Envy 14 Beats Edition however sits under
the hood, where enough processing and graphics power to trouble a
reasonable desktop resides. An Intel
Core i7 720QM processor (clocked at 1.6 GHz, with "Turbo Boost"
overclocking of up to 2.8 GHz) paired with 4GB of DDR3 RAM meant that we
could happily multi-task with multiple intensive programs, such as
Photoshop, video playback and Flash content simultaneously with barely
any stutter at all. The fans, while a little noisy, did a great job of
keeping the system at a comfortable heat too, so you shouldn't have to
worry about char-grilled thighs when working. Note that you'll also get a
copy of Windows 7 Home and Student edition, as well as Adobe Photoshop
Elements and Adobe Première Elements with the £1399 price tag.
Graphics duties are carried out by an ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 5650
chip with 1GB of dedicated DDR3 memory. Again, the HP Envy 14 impressed
here, passing at a quick glance as a pretty decent mobile gaming rig
too. We played a fair chunk of Mass Effect 2 and Borderlands at
system-stretching settings and the Envy 14 fared reasonably well. A
DVD+R/RW optical drive will also help for installing games if you're not
a fan of digital downloads, as well as being an obvious aid in backing
up files stored on the 500GB hard drive. Be under no illusions that this
will match dedicated gaming laptops from the likes of Alienware, but it
was reassuring to know that it would hold its own should you need a
portable gaming fix.
The screen was also well suited to media and gaming playback. While
the 1366 x 768 resolution wasn't particularly impressive, the 14.5 inch
LED screen managed to keep up with the capability of the graphics card,
with good colour accuracy and deep blacks. The screen finish is a little
glossy though, so you may want to keep it out of direct light if
possible. Battery life was acceptable, if nothing to write home about,
averaging around 200 minutes at a full charge.
HP are keen to push the audio capabilities of the Envy 14, what with
the "Beats Edition" moniker and Dr Dre's blessing. They've put together a
bespoke stereo system that gives a really warm sound, far more rounded
than you'd usually expect from a laptop. The Envy 14 Beats Edition also
comes packaged with a pair of "Beats by Dre" Solo headphones, especially
tuned to work with the system. Plug them in to the headphone jack and
they go frighteningly loud thank to the placement of the soundcard
adjacent to the input socket. Keep them at a safe volume and you'll find
the laptop and Solo headphones are a real joy when used in tandem,
particularly resonant if you're into the booming bass of hip-hop sounds
that Dre made his millions with. Keep in mind that the headphones alone
are worth around £150, and that slightly frightening price tag looks far
more reasonable.
While the weight and poor trackpad (meaning you'll always feel
inclined to carry a mouse around) knock a point off in the portability
stakes for the HP Envy 14, this is a seriously high-powered machine. The
i7 processor in our £1399 set-up was blisteringly fast and more than
capable of handling intensive multimedia and multi-tasking, while the
ATI Mobility Radeon 5650 graphics chip makes this a machine even gaming
connoisseurs won't turn their noses up at. Add in the clever audio tech
and you've got a very capable desktop replacement. We're sure the good
Dr Dre himself would approve.
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