HP Envy 15 - 2nd Generation Impression & Review

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I had mention in my previous blog the road to my decision on purchasing the HP Envy 15. This is the 2nd generation of the new design HP Envy 15. The 1st generation was release towards the end of summer 2009. The 2nd generation was announced at 2010 CES and brought new breath to a fairly fresh laptop.

The 1st generation came with the Intel quad core i7 series processor (i7-720QM and i7-820QM). Under the hood as part of standard configuration was 6GB of DDR2 RAM, 500GB HD, 15.6" Brightview 1920x1080 resolution screen, ATI 4xxxx series GPU, and a few other stuff. They also have a limited edition BEAT model in complete black color with BEAT headset as part of the package. There are a few things I noticed in the 1st generation I consider a set back for the Envy. First, there was very limited on what you can configure to add/remove, as the result the price remain fairly high averages around $1999.00 brand new. Second, having cramp the larger 45nm Intel quad core i7 processor in there, they didn't provide a proper heat sink design. People have complained about heat issue with this laptop. Lastly, a few people dislike the fact it lack the Edge to Edge glass design. This laptop was released to compare itself against Mac Book Pro, having the lack of Edge to Edge glass clearly show superior of MBP over this laptop. With that, a lot of reviews you find out there today with lower rating are from the initial HP Envy 15 (1st generation).

HP Envy 15 - 2nd Generation Unleashed

HP ENVY 15-1150NR 15.6-Inch Magnesium Alloy Laptop (Silver)HP ENVY 15-1150NR 15.6-Inch Magnesium Alloy Laptop (Silver)I had mention in earlier post I was looking for a laptop to replace my old Asus Z71v. It was a good laptop, could've been better and I think Asus pretty screwed those who purchased by abandon support for it early, but that is a different topic for another day.

In my quest to find a laptop replacement, I had a certain requirement in mind. I was looking for something powerful enough, not boring, light, and fun. No, it is not the Apple Macbook Pro, which a lot of times I have strongly consider one. I came close several times on purchasing the Apple Macbook Pro just so I can run Windows and use it as a PC device. Awesome fashion look, gives me the functionality I need!

In my quest, I've looked at several laptop and have seriously nail it down to one of three. It was between the Sony CW Series, Dell XPS 16, or the HP Envy 15.

The Sony CW Series had the best price to feature ratio. If purchased directly from Bestbuy, for under $1000.00 USD, you can get a 14" laptop with i5-520m processor, blu-ray player, 4GB ram, 1600x900 resolution LCD. It met my need in a sense, but a bit thicker than i would like it to be. Also, I wanted i5-540m at the very least, if not i7-620m. Sonystyle CTO website doesn't offer the 1600x900 resolution LCD and have a slower / older video card instead of GT 330M Nvidia.

ASUS N61JQ-X1 16-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop (i7 Quad Core)

Asus N61JQ-X1 is a fairly powerful and versatile laptop. Under the hood is a powerful Intel i7-720QM processor. To the general consumer, it sound cool. But when you look at the spec, the Intel i7-720QM is actually a true QUAD CORE processor. Combine with Intel HyperThreading technology, within standard Windows OS, it see it as having 8 individual core to process stuff with.

Product Features

• Intel Core i7-720QM Processor1.6GHz w/ turbo boost up to 2.8GHz
• 4GB of DDR3 1066MHz SDRAM, 2 slots, 8GB Max
• 320GB Hard Drive (7200 RPM); Super Multi Optical Disk Drive; Wi-Fi 802.11 bgn
• 16-Inch HD LED LCD Display; 2.0MP Webcam; Bluetooth; HDMI Port; ATI 5730 Graphics Engine with 1 GB DDR3 Dedicated VRAM
• Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit) Operating System

Processor, Memory, and Motherboard

• Processor: 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7

Cases and Expandability

• Size (LWH): 15.4 inches, 10.6 inches, 1.5 inches
• Weight: 6.5 pounds

Key Features

• Powerful Intel Core i7-720QM processor with Turbo Boost and Hyper Threading Technologies for smart multitasking performance that adapts to your needs (Learn more)
• Color Shine 16-inch Edge-to-Edge HD LED-backlit widescreen for a vibrant and immersive cinematic experience (Learn more)
• ATI Discrete Graphics Engine (DGE) powered by Mobility Radeon HD 5730 graphics with 1GB VRAM and DirectX 11 support for the latest gaming and multimedia enjoyment (Learn more)
• Altec Lansing speakers enhanced with SRS Premium Sound produce crisp, clear audio reproduction (Learn more)
• ASUS SonicMaster design for more detailed and richer sound quality
• 320GB 7200RPM hard drive for fast, convenient storage and access to all your documents, music, videos, and photos
• 4GB of DDR3 RAM brings increased performance with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit pre-installed
• Multi-touch trackpad lets you intuitively navigate through web pages, documents, and pictures (Learn more)
• Chiclet keyboard with numeric keypad for increased typing precision (Learn more)
• HDMI output for easy HD video and audio connectivity to your HDTV or LCD monitors with HDMI input
• USB 3.0 Superspeed connectivity for up to 10x faster transfer speed than USB 2.0 (Learn more)
• High-speed wireless N networking (802.11 b/g/n @ 2.4GHz) with Bluetooth v2.1 + EDR (Learn more)
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit for a faster and more reliable operating system (Learn more)
• ASUS Infusion Technology for scratch-resistant protection
• 2.0 megapixel webcam for video chatting with friends and family
• 1 year global warranty and 1 year Accidental Damage Warranty* (Learn more)

Learn More

Latest in Mobile Graphics Technology

The N61Jq-X1 offers you the latest in mobile graphics technology with its ATI Discrete Graphics Engine powered by Mobility Radeon HD 5730 with 1GB DDR3 VRAM. It is a powerful DirectX 11-ready graphics card that lets you enjoy the latest HD playback and gaming along with the latest graphical interface support for Windows 7.

DirectX 11 brings big improvements to graphics with features that enhance realism and enable faster computing. Ready for the latest in entertainment, ASUS N61Jq lets you enjoy lifelike gaming and cinematic experience on-the-go.

With its dedicated 1GB of DDR3 video memory, the DGE lets you enjoy the latest hit games while on the go.

Buying From Manufacture Isn't Always The Best Thing?

I've been searching around for over a year now to replace my Asus Z71V laptop I purchased sometime ago. It was based upon the old Intel Centrino technology using Intel Pentium-M processor. As I search, I have a certain requirement in mind and recently settle on a one. I will go more into it once the laptop arrive. That will be a different blog.

For this particular post, it is about what I noticed and found. In the past, I had the mentality purchasing items directly from the manufacture is usually the best. Might not be the best price wise, but at least you get fresh new stuff inside. It turned out that is now always the case.

Let's take the Sony CW Series as an example. Apparently it is better to purchase it from retailer like BestBuy or online giant like Amazon. While the price might be comparable, the specification within the laptop differ.

If you purchase the Sony CW directly from Sonystyle.com using CTO (custom built) or pre-configured laptop, you are given a lower specification than if you were to purchase it from another source.

Sonystyle.com will give you the Sony CW Series with nVidia 310m video card and a lower resolution screen. If you purchase it directly from Bestbuy or Amazon, for about the same price (if not cheaper), you get a more powerful video card nVidia GT 330m and a much better LCD screen resolution of 1600 x 900!.

That is the same with Sony E/EB Series and other product/laptop from Sony. At Bestbuy, these are the wildly popular purchase in recent months. It comes with Intel latest 2010 i5 Core process (which is true 2 cores), a blu-ray player, a higher resolution LCD screen and the nVidia GT 330m video card. How does this laptop flair with gamers, totally rocks!!! I highly recommend this setup for anyone to is interested in purchasing a sub-$1000 laptop!

Cheers!

Motorola Droid - WIFI Tethering & Overclocking - Several Simple Steps!

Note: Wifi Tethering is not officially supported by VZW. By doing so, you might be ding by VZW. Use at your own risk.

Ever since Motorola Droid was first released, most people believe the USB Tethering solution isn't enough. Everyone wants the ability to WIFI tether. What exactly is WIFI tethering? This method uses your Verizon 3G single and turn your Motorola Droid into a network WIFI router. You can then hook up your apple iPod Touch, Sony PSP, or even your laptop to use the 3G speed.

I've been procrastinating doing this until someone could make it actually so simple, I don't have to think to get it to work. You know what, someone actually did! High credit goes to ChevyNo1 @ Droidforums.net for this. He was able to compile together a Windows executable that does all the work for you.

URL: http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-hacks/14389-wireless-tether-patcher-one-click-solution-2-x.html

If you enjoy his work, please do donate to him. This help motivate for bigger and better stuff in the future!

His paypal donation is at: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=GJYJRL97SAB3J

With this installation, you have the ability to install WIFI Tethering and overclock your Droid. There are currently 4 overclock speeds available (800Mhz, 900Mhz, 950Mhz, and 1Ghz). All of which are fairly stable from what I've gathered from other people using. I personally stick with the basic 800Mhz.

To get started, visit the URL above and download his latest version of Wifi Tethering. On your Motorola Droid, make sure you have USB Debugging enabled. Go to Setting -> Application -> and check USB Debugging.

Once you have the basic down, start by double clicking on the program and follow the easy steps it has. In less than 10 minutes, you will be done!

Try it out and let me know what you think!

Motorola Droid: Rooted and Upgrade to OS 2.1 (UNOFFICIAL Release)

The guys across the Internet been busy since the Motorola Droid was release. Their main goal was to get it rooted, so they can modify what came with the OS and maybe enhance the experience. The star and moon somehow aligned that around the time it was rooted successfully, Google released OS 2.1 for Nexus, thus allowing this whole awesome experience to be ported over to Motorola Droid.

I've gone through a few walk through and found this one to be the easiest to follow.

URL: http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-hacks/10247-how-install-2-1-easy-way.html

A few pointers on these steps.

• Step # 8, when you download droidroothelper.apk.zip, you just need to rename it and remove .zip, no extract required. 
• Step #11, the timeout might occur more often for certain people than other. In my case, I had to try it a dozen time before I can get it to mount successfully. Once it could mount, there is no issue with unmount and re-mount afterward. So if you don't succeed, try and try again. 
• Always check the post often for updates to the OS as they uncover new fixes. 
• Use a sturdy good quality USB cable. I've used a normal one and seems to get the USB mount disconnected often. You want to ensure you copy the file back and forth successfully and not have corrupt files or you will brick your phone.
  

There are other sites out there with files and instruction on how to root and upgrade your phone. Here are the others.

URL: http://androidforums.com/how-tips/29204-how-root-install-droid-2-1-a.html

The main developer who released all of these 2.1 is Greek35T at (http://alldroid.org/viewforum.php?f=253)

Share your experience and enjoy the new OS.

Motorola Droid: Android 2.1 Weather and News App from Nexus

Thanks to Benny879 @ Androidforums.com for finding this one.


Where To Find: LINK
More Droid Help: LINK

You can now install the Weather and News Apps found on the new Android 2.1 Nexus on your Motorola Droid. Here are screenshots of what you will get if you install it.

Download the zip file and rename it to .apk.Copy the file to your SD card via USB connection.

Go to Android Market and download the software called "APKInstaller" and use it to install this to your Motorola Droid.

Note: Before running APKInstaller, disconnect from the USB or else you will get a force error. 

Enjoy!

Motorola Droid - Firmware Update 2.0.1

T'is the season to be happy and rejoice! The newly released Motorola Droid that came with Android 2.0 originally now having a their first upgrade / update. The new version Android 2.0.1 is going to be release to the public sometime after Dec 10th, though a few have confirmed of receiving the update already. This time it is a double rejoice because they also release a new version of Google Map 3.3.1, but I'll leave that for a different story.

What's in Android 2.0.1 -> http://phandroid.com/2009/11/09/motorola-droid-and-htc-droid-eris-ota-updates-coming-december-11th/

Does the list look good? You want it before everyone else? You can! Thanks to iamkewl on androidforums.com, he post it is possible (http://androidforums.com/motorola-droid/25148-forced-2-0-1-droid-update-howto.html)

Download: https://android.clients.google.com/updates/voles/signed-voles-ESD56-from-ESD20.84263456.zip

1. Download the above files and save it to the root SD Card on your motorola droid as file name "update.zip"
2. Turn Off your Motorola Droid
3. To power on, hold the "X" on the keyboard and the power button to bring up the recovery screen.You will see a triangle icon with ! inside.
4. Press the volume up key and camera key at the same time to show the recovery menu.
5. In the menu mode you will see option "reboot system now", "apply sdcard: update.zip", "wipe data/factory reset", "wipe cache partition". Use the d-pad to highlight "apply sdcard: update.zip".
   
6. DO NOT SELECT "Wipe Data/Factory Reset" or you will lose all your data!
7. Select to install update.zip
8. Let it go through the install process. You will see " -- Install from sdcard ...", this is good it is processing. Allow it to finish. 
9. At the end of the process, you will see "Install from sdcard completed" and it will show you back the menu option earlier. Select Reboot System Now. 
   
11. You are now on Android 2.0.1!!! Time for some beer! 

Give it a try and enjoy! Share your experience and thought!

Here are some screenshots of what is new.