HP Envy 14 Laptop
Price: $NZ2999
The HP Envy 14 is the rare gem in the boring world of portable computing that proves the exception.
The Envy line of laptops breaks away from the pack with clean lines, modern styling, and performance to back it up.
The Envy 14 boasts a clean metallic body in a uniform shape.
Considering the powerful specs, the body is surprisingly thin, measuring at just over 2.5cm.
Weighing less than 3kg, it's not the lightest thin notebook, but isn't heavy enough to warrant complaint either.
The Envy 14 isn't lacking in features, with a slot-loading, dual-layer DVD-RW drive, front speakers, plus HDMI and a mini DisplayPort for use with an external monitor or HDTV.
The Envy 14's vibrant 1600 x 900 widescreen display is perfect for watching HD films, playing games, and more.
Even the webcam operates in HD.
Under the hood, HP employs the latest trick in mobile computing, switchable graphics.
When in normal mode, the Envy 14 runs off an integrated Intel GMA HD graphics chip, but users have the option to kick it up a few notches by switching over to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 video card.
This drains your battery quicker, but allows for graphics-intensive gaming, smoother HD video, and overall performance improvements.
The Envy's audio also makes a big splash thanks to Dr Dre's Beats Audio technology.
The external speakers only sound slightly better than average, but when you plug in headphones the Envy 14's sound quality skyrockets.
Users can even tune their headphone settings independently, thanks to the useful Beats Audio software.
Other notable specs include an i5 processor, about 4.5 hours of battery life (using integrated graphics), 4GB of Ram (expandable to 8), and a great island-style backlit keyboard.
The touchpad is much improved over previous HP notebooks, allowing for multi-touch gestures and easy disabling when typing or using an external mouse.
The Envy 14 is the best all-around laptop we've tested in years.
It's the perfect solution for someone looking for a fashionable mobile PC that admirably handles daily tasks, multimedia, and the occasional gaming session without requiring a forklift to transport.
