Text and Photos by Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla
The HP Envy 14 Spectre is a heady combination of aluminum, rubber and Gorilla Glass. We also have the latest Core i5 or i7 processors and fast SSD drives.
HP has a design philosophy called MUSE (materials, usability, sensory appeal and experience). Using these guidelines, the company has aspired to create well designed PC’s that set themselves apart from the competition in look, feel and functionality. Looking at the HP Envy 14 Spectre, their latest 14-inch premium notebook (SRT $1399), it becomes evident that design played a huge part in its creation.
Aimed at the surging Ultrabook market (but a bit on the heavy side at 4 pounds) the HP Envy 14 features a 14-inch screen in a 13-inch notebook’s footprint.
The Envy 14 Spectre, like many of the Ultrabooks coming to market this year, owes part of its aluminum body, wide-trackpad, black chiclet-styled backlit keyboard and black glossy screen to Apple’s unibody MacBook Pro. Apple, after all, was the first company to design notebooks this way so a lot of credit needs to be given to Sir Jonny Ive and his team for creating such an enduring and universally loved design.
Closer inspection reveals that the HP Envy 14 has a lot of unique features of its own.
I fell in love with the black rubber treatment of the bottom case which adds substantial grip.
HP has lavished this notebook with Corning’s ultra resilient Gorilla Glass, and lots of it.
The whole LCD screen and front case is encased in this special glass, as is the entire palmrest area beneath the keyboard is swathed with the magical glass as well.
The result of using Gorilla Glass is a unique and quality precision feel that makes the notebook feel more solid and reinforced.
The Envy 14 Spectre is one of the most solid and well constructed PC notebook’s I’ve used this year and this is coming from an avowed ThinkPad user. The rubber bottom is grippy enough and counters the top glass half which is treated so it isn’t too slippery.
There are thoughtful touches like the backlit keyboard which can sense when the user is near and grows brighter
In terms of performance, the Envy 14 Spectre delivers the goods. Starting with the lastest Core i5 or i7 processors, 4GB of base RAM, up to 256GB SSD (Solid State Drive) storage and a battery rated for 9.5 hours of use (we got a steady 7 hours of heavy surfing, music and YouTube playback with the screen turned up to 85 %).
The Beats Audio system with 2 high-performance speakers and subwoofer External jogger dial and Integrated HP Wireless Audio which makes it one of the better audio playback devices on a PC.
Notebooks aren’t known for stellar audio playback unless you are using headphones or are plugged into powered external speakers.
HP has been pushing the envelope on what can be achieved with audio in slim notebook bodies and no one has come close to the loudness, clarity and quality of onboard audio on their Beats-powered models.
It is part speaker technology and part sound science, the audio output from the Envy 14 Spectre is above average and good enough to fill a dorm room or a home office.
Being a Beats product, the bass is more pronounced than the highs or midrange but this can be tweaked with software to an extent but if you’re serious about this stuff, check it out in store to see if the sound quality agrees with you.
Users looking for the thinnest and lightest Ultrabook should look elsewhere. The Envy 14 Spectre is more competitive as a 13-inch or even 14-inch notebook replacement, provided you don’t need the DVD drive.
Those interested in a capable and reasonably lightweight yet premium notebook will the HP Envy 14 Spectre a well rounded solution and a definite looker.
It certainly isn’t the cheapest option out there right now but presents one of the most unique blends of quality materials, functionality and battery life.
