HP Envy 13 Review

HP Envy 13

Now that house windows 7 is commencing to near the gap with Apple's working system, it is only fitting that it runs on products that appear closer to Apple's vaunted design. amid the first to method this perfect could possibly be the HP Envy 13 (starting at $1,699; $1,899 as configured). In the two appears and performance, this plan meets or exceeds all of its house windows competitors. However, the Envy 13 fees $500 a superb offer greater compared to 13-inch MacBook Pro. For that premium, HP returns you with faster performance, switchable graphics, a brighter screen, and as very much as 14 several hours of battery existence (with the optional slice). However, the Envy 13 features a few flaws that otherwise stay away from this plan from getting the ultimate ultraportable.

As is our wont, we're crafting up this evaluation concerning the laptop computer itself, providing us using a exceptional vantage point for getting in all belonging in the direction of laptop's triumphs and flaws. The whole laptop computer runs extremely awesome in the direction of touch, specifically within your palm rest, which could be textured with an odd (but not distracting) pattern of dug out squares. The curved material borders that runs near to the laptop computer arrives to some instead sharp edge, comparable to that of the MacBook Pro, and is also slightly unpleasant if our wrists are laid heavily throughout it. Ports-wise there's extremely small to retain keep track of of, using a energy plug and SD card slot concerning the left (the Envy 13 truly arrives with its consumer guide on the 2GB SD card, a wonderful touch), and two USB ports, HDMI and hybrid audio tracks plug for headphones and / as well as a mic about one of the most ideal side. very comparable in the direction of MacBook, there's truly a touch of opportunity for pinching your do it yourself within your dropped hinge, although HP opted for vents concerning the left and most ideal facet belonging in the direction of laptop computer as opposed to up by means of the hinge -- certainly to great effect. The enthusiast is generally on, but quiet adequate to not turn in to a bother. The back again belonging in the direction of lid is plain gunmetal, with only a touch of indication of which way is as very much as help us appear throughout the small lip to lift the show available -- it's held in place with a just-right magnetic latch. The complete laptop computer is very brightness "enough" for that size, balances nicely on the lap, and could possibly be carried one-handed available very quickly for that impromptu relocation from armchair to couch.

The ENVY 13 and 15 are packaged in new "green" however trendy cardstock carton bins producing utilization of minimal ink. To additional HP's environmentally-friendly goals, the only paperwork involved within your packaging is generally a simplified set up poster. All extra documentation - within your consumer guide in the direction of ensure guides - are contained on the SD card within your box. The energy adapter, VGA show adapter and optional outside Blu-ray generate meet neatly within storage space spaces below the notebook.

As noted above, the Envy 13 features a full-size island-style keyboard. Its plastic material dark keys are smooth and cozy in the direction of touch, and snap back again responsively when pressed. There are no dedicated multimedia buttons, however the purpose essential operations come going to be reversed, which means you no extended should press Fn so that you just can adjust the volume, alter music, and so forth; it is a welcome change.

Port assortment is disappointing concerning the Envy 13. you receive a SD card slot, two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI out with one another with a combo audio tracks jack. this could be merely depressing thinking about that most 11-inch notebooks provide more. Frankly, granted the worth belonging in the direction of notebook computer on top of that to the quantity of unused space near to the edges, HP could on the very minimum include one a superb offer more USB port on top of that to FireWire or eSATA. on the a superb offer more good be aware there are three huge heat vents concerning the sides and back, so on the very minimum overheating shouldn't be considered a problem.

Overall we're extremely conflicted concerning the Envy 13. Hardware smart it's one of our favored laptops ever, however the trackpad practically destroys all of that great will built up over another factors -- no subject how exceptional a laptop computer is, if it's unpleasant to interact with concerning the go (without an outside mouse), what's the point? We also phone for to say that house windows 7 doesn't make this laptop computer insane delicious in any particular manner. It's unquestionably a much better OS than Vista, but it's not so very much much better to produce it a tremendous reselling point within our publication as well as a lure for individuals who don't typically stroll your house windows path, thinking about that several belonging in the direction of conventional pitfalls are nevertheless present. All we are able to say in summary could possibly be the actuality that people wish HP manages to update the trackpad motorists very, extremely soon, and that other PC makers steal a touch from HP's and / or Apple's in other respects, thinking about that it appears to turn into working.

Asus Zenbook UX31 Review

Asus Zenbook UX31 Review

Windows customers don't should hide in shame whenever they see somebody whip out a MacBook oxygen on the neighborhood Starbucks. The ASUS Zenbook UX31 is recognized getting a slim, stylish Ultrabook that not merely packs a robust root i5 processor and 128GB SSD into its 3-pound unibody aluminum chassis, but a high-res 1600 x 900 show and fantastic audio. The super-thin laptop computer also wakes up from sleep almost as quickly when you lift the spun-metal lid. starting at $1,099, the UX31 is among the the sexiest house windows notebooks we've actually seen, also it costs $200 much less compared to 13-inch MacBook Air. look at on to take place throughout out if this apparel can hold reducing the champ.

It's way as well easy to dismiss Ultrabooks as MacBook oxygen wannabes. And yet, while the UX31 adds just adequate pizazz to be sure that you'd in no way mistake it for Apple's wafer-thin lappie, it could be one of the most Air-inspired contender we've observed so far. Mostly, it's that all-metal build, spacious, buttonless trackpad and razor-thin silhouette that whittles reducing to some severely sharp edges. In fact, for individuals who possess a gander at our comparison gallery reducing there, you'll see a complete great offer more of the similarity in between the oxygen and UX31 compared to S3, which tapers, but in an amazingly much less pronounced way. Still, while they're equally swaddled in aluminum, the 2.9-pound UX31 feels denser compared to 2.96-pound Air. (The S3 weighs a smidge more, at three pounds, but we couldn't for that lifestyle of us inform the variation when we held that in one hand also to the UX3 all through the other.)

Now that we've acknowledged that fruity 800-pound Gorilla all through the room, we just phone for to say... the UX31 is stunning in person. right here at Engadget, we see a complete great offer more options in an amazingly day than we have time to evaluation and in general, it behooves us to hold a detached, almost clinical method to managing gadgets, lest we get distracted with the toys piled considerable on our desks. using the UX31, though, we couldn't help but really feel struck with the tremendous craftsmanship. It just feels like an exceptionally solid, well-made product. The dim gray, material lid features a pattern of etched concentric groups that lends it a modern, commercial look, backed up with a brushed aluminum deck and smooth material keys. Even the bezel feels tough, while the lid is markedly sturdier compared to S3's.

The Zenbook UX31 features a chiclet-style keyboard that shares the rectangular tile layout from the MacBook oxygen 13-inch, but adds a brand brand new luxurious element with material keys. while the keys have exactly the exact minimal height and shallow keystrokes since the MacBook Air, the backlight is sadly absent. The glass-topped touchpad is smooth and expansive, measuring 5 inches diagonally. The broad touch surface area facilitates multitouch gestures, and although it has unique excellent and left mouse button buttons, it also features a clickpad. The bottom excellent and left corners—which serve as almost silent mouse button buttons—click a complete great offer more effortlessly compared to clickpad surface, developing the use from the clickpad optional for individuals who want the a complete great offer more common come upon of the common trackpad.

The phase concerning the UX31's material keys can be the reality which they eventually bodily appearance much better than they feel. Now it's true, this keyboard is as sturdy since it seems, also to the keys possess a not-too-slippery finish off that feels just excellent below the fingers. They even create a quiet, low-pitched seem -- continually a marker of seem create quality. And yet, we didn't do our finest typing here. such as the S3's keys, these just don't have adequate travel. As we typed, the keys typically failed to register our presses if we moved as well quickly or dug our fingers in as well lightly. We made fewer mistakes when we made a concerted work to press keys firmly before to relocating on, but what experienced touch typist wishes to accomplish that? We slugged through, eventually typing the bulk of the evaluation on it, but man, do we create a tremendous amount of spelling mistakes -- ironic, in an amazingly way, offered the fact that Enter, Backspace and excellent Shift keys are all amply sized. (Tab, Caps Lock, left Shift and arrow keys are tiny, but for what ever induce we found this layout much less cramped compared to S3's.)

You can't see the speakers inside the UX31, but they make their presence felt. Audio, by Bang & Olufsen's ICEpower and ASUS SonicMaster, radiates from beneath the keyboard, and is also not merely surprisingly loud, but really beneficial thinking about the limitations from the UX31's size.

The cymbals and guitar riffs inside the Yeah Yeah Yeah's "Y Control" experienced been pretty free of demand of distortion even at max volume. Bass wasn't overwhelming, but was present. Curiously, the speakers would induce the whole deck to reverberate, specifically on thumping dance tracks, just like September's "Cry For You" and LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem." Overall, the UX31 provides a complete great offer more robust seem compared to 13-inch Air.

Dell Vostro V131

Dell Vostro V131 Review

Most businesses strive to create distinctions among their small-business and customer pc lines, occasionally in the direction of phase of making complete new styles that aren't around otherwise. the majority of those business laptops aren't of the great offer attention in the direction of standard person, but occasionally a sleek design and design as well as an ideal cost create a pc attractive to practically anyone. The Dell Vostro V sequence is becoming that way for us for nicely over a twelve weeks now. These slim ultraportables resemble distant cousins belonging in the direction of Adamo, but start at a fraction belonging in the direction of price. The only catch: the last type we reviewed, the slim Vostro V130, experienced a battery lifestyle that was much as well short, as well as a low-voltage processor that wasn't fast, either. the brand new Vostro V131 addresses each processor and battery life, with new second-gen standard-voltage main i-series processors as well as an ideal offer much better battery performance, while preserving an aggressive price.

The V131's chassis is just as lavish as that of the Dell Latitude laptop. Its Aberdeen Silver enclosure is founded of magnesium—a powerful metal that's also employed in enterprise-class laptops such as the Dell Latitude E6420 ($1,788 direct, 4 stars) and Lenovo ThinkPad X220. Press the palm of your hand on best belonging in the direction of lid, and you'll uncover the fact that V131 held firmer compared to aluminum-based HP Probook 5330m ($899.99 direct, 3.5 stars). At 13 by 9.1 by 0.8 inches (HWD), it's about as slender since the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 ($1,499 direct, 3.5 stars) and HP 5330m—all of which, such as the V131, lack an optical drive. The huge 65WH battery offers the V131 a slight lift away from your back, regardless of the actuality that not as steep of the slope since the Dell 3350's 8-cell battery. Its four-pound frame falls among the Lenovo X1 (3.7 pounds) and Dell 3350 (4.8 pounds).

The V131 features a exceptionally very good array of ports. It not merely has one USB 3.0 port, but two; it also has HDMI, an 8-in-1 card reader, one USB 2.0, and VGA. I would've liked to ascertain one more USB 2.0 port - or no much under a docking station port so people could possess the choice of more. Other than that, some possible purchasers may be meet away in the deficiency of the SmartCard reader, but this laptop does possess a fingerprint reader - to make certain that may replace it in some terms, which consist of common laptop security. The laptop can be missing a DisplayPort - which may nicely or may nicely not be considered an enormous offer generally since it has VGA and HDMI instead.

The 13.3-inch display features a native resolution of 1,366x768 pixels and features a matte coating, which may help safeguard in opposition to glare. We wish we could say we loved the show more, but color and pictures clean out exceptionally swiftly at even moderate viewing angles. regardless of the top borders belonging in the direction of Vostro V131 looking like it has stereo speakers, it only features a mono speaker. It reaches an acceptable amount and seem exceptional isn't overly tinny, but most individuals will choose headphones.
The integrated Webcam features a 1,280x720-pixel optimum resolution, and looked an ideal offer much better than average. The array microphones integrated from the Dell Vostro V131 are also much far better compared to standard laptop; our recorded voice sounded crisp and distinct.


The finest complaint concerning the Dell V130 was its tiny 30WH battery, which lasted a paltry three several hours within our MobileMark 2007 battery test. Dell addressed this getting a bigger 65Wh battery from the V131, as well as the payoff was huge. Its MobileMark rating of 8:27 doubled that belonging in the direction of HP 5330M (3:49) and practically tripled that belonging in the direction of V130 (3:02). Its amazing show was only bested in the Dell 3350's 80WH battery, which lasted 9:32.

The variations among merely a tiny business and business pc employed getting an ideal offer more clear-cut, but now the lines are blurring. The Dell Vostro V131 is becoming updated to consist of the standard-voltage main i5 processor and huge 65WH battery. It has most belonging in the direction of features found in its business siblings and doesn't cost practically as much. The only tiny business pc which has the V131 beat is its sibling, the Dell 3350, whose battery is extended lasting and all round cost can be an ideal offer more budget-friendly.