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HP claims the Envy has shaved 0.06in off Apple's already wafer-thin Air, producing a laptop that is just 0.7in thick, and 1.54 kg in weight.

While much of the drama of lego-weight laptops has already been stolen by Steve Jobs's Manila envelope theatrics, and Lenovo's optical drive-equipped X300, it remains an impressive achievement.

Built on Intel's Centrino platform, the Envy boasts a backlit 13.3in display, gesture touchpad and carbon fibre case available in black or white, with a range of customisable designs and specifications. Past

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the pretty casing, there's also a solid feature set including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, integrated mobile broadband, HDMI port, a USB port, a second shared USB/E-SATA port and a VGA webcam.

The Envy also takes advantage of the handy Splashtop tool, an instant-on operating system that allows users to connect to the internet without needing to boot into Windows first. Splashtop has already appeared in a number of Asus laptops and looks to be on the precipice of ubiquity, as more manufacturers wake up to its potential.

The Envy should also be applauded for making the uninspiring power block interesting, by allowing users to plug an Ethernet cable into it and turn it into a point-to-point wireless router, handy for those road warriors stuck in hotels with patchy wireless connections.

Like the Air, though, there's no internal optical drive, but it does ship with an external drive in the box. It trumps the Air by allowing you to replace the battery - proof that function need not necessarily be sacrificed for form.

On the downside, extra function always brings extra cost and the Envy will ship with an eye watering starting price of $2,100 in the US, with no word yet on whether it will even make it to the UK.