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Forget the Ultrabook: here comes the HP Sleekbook

Wednesday, May 9th, 2012

HP has added to its laptop range with a pair of new devices that straddle the line between Ultrabooks and traditional notebooks.

They’re both Envy models, with the smaller Envy 4 boasting a 14in screen and the larger Envy 6 including a 15.6in panel. On the outside, at least, both devices just about provide the dimensions we’re used to seeing from Ultrabooks: the smaller of the two is 20mm thick and weighs in at 1.8kg, with the latter barely any thicker and only a little heavier.

It’s on the inside where HP has made most of its changes. Envy 4 and 6 Ultrabooks include Intel processors, but the model we’ve sampled deployed a Core i3-2367M – a relatively modest chip and, crucially, a Sandy rather than Ivy Bridge part. HP assured us that Ivy Bridge models will also be available.

The storage situation is little clearer: the Envy 4 can be bought a with either a 32GB mSATA cache drive and 500GB hard disk or with the 500GB hard disk on its own, and the Envy 6 offers a 120GB SSD as well as variations on the other storage configurations: either a single 320GB hard disk or the same hard disk augmented with its own 32GB cache driver. If you’re buying a hard disk model, though, that means the laptop will have to make do with a Sleekbook sticker rather than Ultrabook branding.

Curiously, HP is also offering some of its Envy 6 these machines with AMD processors – and, with Intel tightly controlling its own laptop format, these are also being marketed as Sleekbooks.

Models on display here in China use the latest AMD APUs: the A10-4655M is a 32nm Trinity part, runs at 2.3GHz across two cores, and includes a Radeon HD 7620G graphics chip. Gamers don’t just have to settle for the fine graphics chip included in AMD ’s APUs, either – Intel-based Envy 6 models will be available with an AMD Radeon HD 7670M inside.

Thankfully, the exterior is less confusing, with both machines boasting near-identical design. Black or silver metallic-effect plastic is the order of the day on both the interior and lid, and it makes for a classy-looking machine, even if it can’t match up to the sleek design of the Spectre XT.

Ergonomics and build quality, meanwhile, feel like a mixed bag. The wrist-rest feels more than strong enough, with little give to be found on either side of the trackpad, and there wasn’t too much give in the Envy 4’s lid – although the increased size meant the Envy 6’s lid bent and flexed more. Both the 14in and 15.6in models include 1,366 x 768 resolution screens and, while that felt a little too low on the larger Envy, quality appears to be good throughout.

The keyboard is comfortable enough, although some might not like the slightly bouncy base and soft typing action, and the trackpad wasn’t perfect either – it’s certainly responsive, but its clicking action felt a little too light for our liking.

Beats Audio is included on both machines, with HP claiming the pair of speakers and subwoofer will provide superior sound, but our brief test produced music that, while good, is little better than we’ve heard from other mainstream and high-end laptops.

Both Envy machines provide Ultrabook-style dimensions and, in some cases, Ultrabook-style performance – even if they’re actually Sleekbooks – and HP is pricing both of these machines accordingly. Envy systems bearing the Ultrabook logo will start at £649, making them some of the cheapest Ultrabooks on the market, and Sleekbook versions are £100 cheaper.

We’re pleased to see a major manufacturer including AMD’s APUs in its laptops after a period of Intel Core-based dominance, and it seems like Trinity is up to task; despite being unable to compete with Intel on sales or marketing clout, combining CPU and GPU into one chip certainly makes sense in a laptop of this size.

It remains to be seen, though, whether the lower price makes up for the Envy 4 and 6’s ergonomic issues, with questionable build quality evident across some of the models we’ve seen. HP’s Envy 4 and 6 Ultrabooks and Sleekbooks will be available in June. Until then, tell us what you think in the comments – and let us know if you’ve got your head around the Ultrabook and Sleekbook names, too.

HP has added to its laptop range with a pair of devices that straddle the line between Ultrabooks and traditional laptops.

They’re both Envy branded models, with the smaller Envy 4 boasting a 14in screen and the larger Envy 6 including a 15.6in panel. On the outside, at least, both devices just about provide the dimensions we’re used to seeing from Ultrabooks: the smaller of the two is 20mm thick and weighs in at 1.8kg, with the latter barely any thicker and only a little heavier.

It’s on the inside where HP has made most of its changes. The Envy 4 and 6 Ultrabooks include Intel processors, but the model we’ve sampled deployed a Core i3-2367M – a relatively modest chip and, crucially, a Sandy rather than Ivy Bridge part. HP assured us that Ivy Bridge models will also be available. (more…)

Tags: Envy, HP, Sleekbook, ultrabook

Posted in: Hardware

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Forget the Ultrabook: here comes the HP Sleekbook

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