HP Envy 13 reviewed - nearly as good as a MacBook Pro

We’ve been lusting after HP’s new all-aluminium Envy laptops since they were announced a couple of weeks ago, and now the jammy gits over at Gizmodo have managed to get their hands on one.

The parallels between the HP Envy 13 and the 13in ‘unibody’ MacBook Pro are apparently very clear (though Gizmodo puts it less diplomatically), even down to the high quality packaging. The Envy’s metal case is combination of metal and magnesium and while this makes it a touch lighter than the MacBook Pro, the build quality isn’t quite as high — Gizmodo say’s its very good, but doesn’t feel quite as solid as Apple’s effort.

Gizmodo also praises the Envy 13’s screen, which is very bright and displays a much wider range of colours than the competition (that’s 410 nit and 82% gamut, if you’re interested).

One feature that that didn’t go down well was the trackpad. Like the MacBook Pro’s, the Envy 13 has a button-free design that uses the whole pad for clicking. This, apparently, works well enough, but the multi-touch gestures are a letdown — they’re awkwardly implemented and don’t always work.

The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 graphics seem capable enough, but Gizmodo didn’t get around to running any formal battery tests. Its anecdotal evidence suggests that the 4-cell battery Envy 13 should be good for around three and a half hours of “everyday” use and HP says that the optional clip-on battery ‘slice’ will add another 10 hours.

[ Gizmodo]