Gadgets & Gizmos

HP’s Envy 17 was originally released as a thin and stylish alternative to Apple’s MacBook Pro range (see page 63). The HP Envy 17-1195ea now includes AMD’s HD3Dtechnology, a direct rival to nVidia’s 3D Vision – seen on all its rivals in this group test – and the result is a desirable media machine ideal for keeping the family entertained.
AMD has used the same stereoscopic system as nVidia, with glasses that use active shutters to produce the 3D image. AMD’s HD 3D technology is not as widely supported as nVidia’s though, with just over a dozen games currently compatible. Bear this mind if 3D gaming is a priority for you, although major titles such as Batman: Arkham Asylum and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare can be played in 3D.
We suffered no discomfort wearing the glasses for extended periods. We were also highly impressed watching 3D video, and the picture is pleasingly crisp as well, and a lot brighter than the nVidia 3D Vision-equipped laptops in this group test.
Credit for the great picture goes to the 17-3-inch widescreen display which, along with the Alienware and Sony, features a Full HD  resolution – the sharpest you can find on a laptop. The Envy also features audio courtesy of HP’s Beats technology (see page 56), which is just as impressive.
The Intel Core i7 processor is more than capable of multi-tasking resource-heavy software, while the dedicated ATi graphics card also produces strong performance and is ideal for photo and video editing. However, the Envy’s Achilles heel is its usability. While it has a firm and usable keyboard, we found ourselves frustrated by the touch pad and its integrated mouse buttons. Pushing the corners of the pad to simulate left and right mouse button clicks is a stiff and awkward experience.
At 3-4kg, the stylish, metallic chassis is one of the lightest laptops in this group. Unfortunately, the left-hand side gets extremely hot during use. The 152-minute battery life ably beats the Asus, but falls behind the other laptops here.
The 500GBof storage is also beaten by both the Asus and Sony, but is still are available, including a Display Port in addition to VGA and HDMI connections. Four USB ports, including a USB 3.0 option, can be used to connect peripherals.
With its strong performance and vibrant display, the Envy 17 is in many ways a fantastic 3D multimedia machine. Its 3D compatibility may not match nVidia’s 3D Vision at present; however, we expect the gap to quickly narrow. You should bear in mind the flawed usability and hot chassis before buying though.