Final thoughts and rating
It's easy to fall in love with the HP Envy 14. The notebook is visually stunning, and its high-end guise is matched by a powerful internal combination of Intel's Core i5 processor and AMD's Radeon HD graphics.
Usability is excellent thanks to a bright, clear display and one of the best notebook keyboards on the market, and HP has ironed out many of the issues surrounding earlier Envy models. The new 14in system stays cool in use, its trackpad is improved, and it's available for a penny less than £1,000.
Designed as a PC alternative to Apple's premium 15in MacBook Pro, the Envy 14 costs £500 less and feels almost as good. But the £500 saving does carry a few provisos; the Envy 14's trackpad is improved but still far from perfect, and both the display and battery life are inferior to Apple's machine.
But perhaps that's exactly where the 14.5in Envy needs to be. Instead of going head-to-head with Apple on price and features, this second-generation notebook poses an arguably more interesting question; do you want to go all-out with a MacBook Pro, or would you prefer to save a third by buying the next best thing?
The Good
Looks and feels like a thousand-pound machine
Excellent performance
Great keyboard
The Bad
Radiance display no longer an option
ClickPad can be frustrating
Average battery life
HEXUS Rating
HP Envy 14
HEXUS Where2Buy
The reviewed HP Envy 14-1050EA can be purchased from PC World and Currys.
HEXUS Right2Reply
At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.
