Lusting Over The HP Envy 17

I want one. Real bad.

My 13″ Macbook is nearing its mortality limits and I can no longer take it with me anywhere. I have a backup HP Mini but I have to admit it was a silly impulse buying thing. The only thing redeeming value of that contraption is that it’s ultra-portable.

I have been in the market for a 17″ laptop and although I would most definitely prefer a 17″ Macbook pro over anything, circumstances won’t permit me from getting one in the near future.

The HP Envy 17 however is not a pipe dream. Well maybe it is for me in the very near future but most certainly after a few months of scrounging and once-a-day meals I should be able to get one. This laptop boasts of a 17.3″ diagonal screen. That’s enough for a lot of people. On top of that it has a 2.26Ghz processor, a 4Gb Ram, a 320Gb hard drive and a 1Gb video card that should be more than sufficient for a lot of games.

I guess that some folks would just go for whatever is available. I believe however that the size of the screen plays a whole lot of difference. After gone through a few laptops in my live, I have to say that the size of the screen should be a big consideration in one’s purchase plans.

Another consideration, and this is something that has just come in recent months is a keyboard backlit feature. This is the light that shines below your keyboard keys. This is very handy when you work in your bedroom and you have a gorgeous girl sleeping in your bed and you don’t want to disturb her rest by turning on the light. This way, even without lights, you should be able to see the keys due to the light emanating from below the keypad. I think this is one of the truly useful innovations in todays laptops. Of course the HP Envy 17 has it, which only makes it all the more appealing.

HP Envy 17 starts at $1,399 for the basic configuration. If you need to add additional bells and whistles, of course the price goes up dramatically depending on your preference.

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Full Specifications of the HP Envy 17 (From HP.com)

Power plus beauty

This powerful beast easily handles the most demanding apps, and it looks ultra modern to boot. You get:

• An Intel Core i5‡ processor with Turbo Boost, upgradeable to Core i7 with Quad Core
• Simplified daily PC activities with genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850 graphics with 1GB of ultra fast DDR5 VRAM and DirectX 11 support for the best gaming performance
• 4GB DDR3 system memory (expandable to 8GB)
• A dual hard drive that supports up to 1TB or an optional 160GB Solid State drive flash module for better battery life
• HP ProtectSmart, which detects if your laptop is dropped and automatically locks the hard drive to prevent potential data loss
• A slot-loading DVD burner6 or optional Blu-ray ROM drive7
• A comfortable, island-style, backlit keyboard with numeric keypad and oversized clickpad
• A 6-cell Lithium-Ion battery (up to 2.5 hours1), or you can upgrade to a 9-cell (up to 3.75 hours1)

Fast connections

The ENVY 17 offers a wide range of high-speed ports and wireless connections. You get:

• Intel draft Wireless-N Wi-Fi2 with optional Bluetooth
• Integrated 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN for a high-speed connection
• An HDMI 1.3c port for connecting a monitor or HD TV3
• A Mini-Display port for connecting a super HD display
• A SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port for data transfer up to 10 times faster than USB 2.0
• Three USB 2.0 ports (one is shared with the high-speed eSATA combo port)
• A 5-in-1 digital media card reader
• HP QuickWeb for connecting to the Web, e-mail, and other apps in seconds4

An exceptional experience

Packed with cool functionality and high-tech touches, this series includes:

• ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology, which lets you connect up to three external displays, tripling the viewing space
• The simplicity of a clean-looking desktop with only the applications you want
• Preinstalled Corel PaintShop Pro and Corel VideoStudio for photo and video editing
• Norton Internet Security 2009 (includes 60 days of complimentary live updates)4

Superb music and video

The ENVY 17 provides the best music and video experience you can get from a laptop:

• A smooth, edge-to-edge 17.3″ (diagonal) HD3 screen with 45% color gamut for crystal-clear viewing
• An optional 1080p Full HD screen with super sharp 1600 x 900 resolution and 72% color gamut
• Premium Beats audio and a triple bass reflex subwoofer for music with virtual surround sound
• An HP TrueVision HD webcam (low light) with digital microphones that optimizes video for any light setting

Entertainment at your fingertips

Our exclusive, preloaded MediaSmart software puts the digital world at your fingertips. Why leave entertainment at home when you can take it anywhere, anytime? Enjoy HD movies, listen to your favorite playlists, edit videos and upload to the Web, plus share memories with family and friends, wherever you go.

You may want to read the following related posts as well:

1. Toshiba Satellite P505 – S8011 | Another Giant Laptop
2. WD TV Live HD Media Player Now Compatible With Windows 7
3. Nokia N97 – iPhone Killer
4. UGTDO* – EOS REBEL T1i DIGITAL SLR CAMERA
5. Adventures With The HP Mini
6. Nokia’s Latest XpressMusic Phones
7. Nokia Laptop?

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