HP’s new ENVY 4 Ultrabook has landed on the SlashGear test bench this week. Complete with a sleek and impressive design, dual-stereo Beats Audio speakers, and Intel’s 3rd Gen Ivy Bridge dual-core i5 processor. Back in May we received our first glance at the new ENVY Ultrabook, but today we’ve given it another look in a quick hands-on video. More details, pictures, and specs are available after the break.
HP’s new ENVY 4 and 6 Ultrabooks have recently hit the shelves and to start things off we’ve unboxed the ENVY 4, and got our paws all over this new aluminum wrapped laptop. HP’s equipped these new Ultrabooks with a sleek design, impressive power under the hood, and kept them well in range of Intel’s “Ultrabook” standard. Coming in under 4 lbs (3.86 to be exact) and only 0.78″ thick the ENVY 4 is what we’re looking at today so here’s our quick unboxing video:
HP ENVY 4 Ultrabook hands-on & unboxing
As you saw from the video above, the specs are rather decent for an $800 machine. You’ll get a clear and vivid 14-inch Brightview LED 1366 x 768 display, 1.7 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor (3317U), 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 500GB HD (no SSD here) 3 USB ports, Ethernet, HDMI, SD slot for storage, integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000, and more.
The build quality for our initial impressions are nice, but certainly no MacBook Air. It’s topped in a midnight black brushed aluminum, and finished with a soft-touch matte coating on the sides and bottom — which nicely fits the Beats Audio red color scheme. All of this comes in under an inch being only 0.78″ thick and weighing less than 4 lbs.
Of course you’ll be running on Windows 7 x64, and you’ll probably want to upgrade to Windows 8 — or will you? The HP ENVY 4 Ultrabook has a nice sleek design, a slim bezel around the 14-inch LED display, a mildly powerful processor under the hood, and we’ll surely be taking it all for a spin in our full review early next week. The lack of an SSD for storage is my only concern compared to the competition, but this does come in at a decent price. Stay tuned and let us know if you have any questions for our full review.
When we looked at the 13-inch Samsung Series 9, we lamented that there was only one version on offer: if anyone wanted more than a Core i5 and a 128GB drive, their dreams were crushed. Samsung must feel that there’s hope for us yet, as there’s now a higher-end spec that slots in a 1.9GHz Core i7 and doubles the storage to 256GB. That’s good news to us, even if the 4GB RAM ceiling will still have some avid Ultrabook fans turning elsewhere. Springing for the new flagship will set shoppers back by about $300 more than the previous top of the line, or $1,700 — still pricey relative to the competition, but much more palatable you’re searching for a premium Windows 7 ultraportable and aren’t willing to budge on screen size.
We dug into Microsoft‘s recently updated SkyDrive efforts in a review earlier this year, and it looks as if the company’s still intent on improving things based on user feedback. The newest update to SkyDrive for Windows (version 16.4.6003.0710, for the number crunchers) includes quite a few under-the-hood improvements that are said to bolster “performance, reliability, and compatibility.” But beyond that, you’ll also see a much-requested status window; put simply, this guy gives users a glanceable view at whether or not their SkyDrive is in sync, and displays the time at which it was last updated. In the event that a sync is still ongoing, you’ll also see the number of megabytes and files you have remaining to sync. Finally, Microsoft has refreshed the SkyDrive logo — not surprisingly, there’s a pinch of that Metro styling throughout.
Let’s have a peek at the Acer Aspire S5, the ultrabook with the mechanical “MagicFlip” dish in the back with ports that whirrs out when you need to plug in and don’t need all that pesky space this near-thinnest on the market notebook works with. It’s just 0.6-inches when it’s all folded up, and pressing that button in the upper right of your keyboard brings down a flap in the back that has a set of ports you’ll only otherwise get with a laptop twice this one’s size. Inside the S5 you’ve got Windows 7, a 3rd generation Intel Core i& processor, and the whole device looks just fabulous – but is it worth the massive price tag it comes attached with?
Chassis
This device has Acer’s nicest casing for a notebook they’ve ever released, with a lovely off-black for the entirety of its body, the Acer logo up top, bumpers on the bottom, and a smooth shell all around, you’ve got a real looker on your hands. The display is a 13.3 HD Widescreen CineCrystal LCD and is perfectly bright and ready for whatever kind of HD action you’ve got in store at 1366 x 768 pixel resolution, while the whole unit weighs in at a measly 2.65 pounds total.
The speakers on this unit are reasonable, but certainly aren’t good enough for hardcore gaming or listening to an opera – you’ve got a headphone jack for that.
So it’s light, the speakers are OK, the display is lovely, and the whole unit looks nice – does this mean it’s a winner?
It doesn’t mean that we’ve got a winner entirely. The Acer Aspire S5 is a device that must be aimed at those on the go with the desire to work on tasks that are mostly based in the keyboard area. There’s a bit of an issue with the arrow keys, and the trackpad is far from perfect – head down to the Keyboard and Trackpad section of this review for more on those bits. Meanwhile we’ve got a bit of a bone to pick with the top of the notebook.
If you press down on the top of this notebook, the center bends down a concerning amount. There’s a considerable amount of give here, and though I don’t imagine that a notebook with the high quality construction this one has is going to break any time soon, it gives the impression that it’s just a bit flimsy. On the other hand, the heavy-duty metal construction all around the device makes for a nice feel as well as a really nice look from any distance.
MagicPort
The MagicPort is activated with a large button in the upper right of the keyboard area, and it can be activated whether or not the device is powered on itself. Though we’re not sure why you’d want to open this tray up while you’re powered down, it is something to think about. This tray also comes open automatically to reveal extra air holes if the ultrabook gets too hot while you’re playing some hardcore games or processing large bits of video.
And the sound this MagicPort makes when it opens – it’s crazy. It’s like a buzz-creaking sort of situation that does not sound nearly as healthy as it really should. Of course that has no baring on the fact that the tray does, in fact, work perfectly well, and is pretty darn cool looking when it comes down to it. Inside the tray you’ve got a full-size HDMI port, two USB 3.0 ports, and a Thunderbolt port.
This last port isn’t going to do you a lot of good in the short run as there certainly isn’t a massive Thunderbolt port industry for PCs at the moment, but you can bank on it being useful in the next year or so – that’s future-proofing if we’ve ever seen it.
Keyboard and Trackpad
The keyboard here is rather nice to tap on, the keys are well space, they hammer down nicely, and the whole unit seems to be ready for the long haul. The only problem here seems to be the arrow buttons in the lower right. Acer assumes that you will not be using these buttons very often. This is a major problem for me, as I use the arrow buttons all the time in corrections of text and navigating through application icons, and selections in lists throughout a normal working day.
Though the keyboard is great, the arrow buttons are going to be a bit of a problem unless you’ve got tiny mouse fingers. If you’re coming from a MacBook, you’re going to have a giant problem getting used to these arrow keys as yours have been large and separated enough for constant use via Apple for years. Expect to use the wireless mouse that Acer has included in the package instead of your arrow keys, and watch out for the trackpad, too.
This mouse is rather run of the mill, but does connect via Bluetooth perfectly well and will be an OK companion for your A5 through the future. Of course it is a bit concerning that the trackpad on this device is less than perfect. It’s pretty close to being a suitable companion to the cost of this notebook, but it’s not quite perfect enough to give a two-thumbs-up. If you’re used to the trackpads that have come on Acer notebooks for the past year or so, you’ll be fine.
Benchmarks
This device runs an Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, works with a 3rd Generation Intel Core i7-3517U Processor with 4MB L3 cache, up to 3.0GHz with Turbo Boost technology. You’ve also got 4GB Dual-Channel SDRAM and a 256GB solid state drive under the hood. For visuals you’ve got Intel HD Graphics 4000 and Mobile Intel HM77 Express is running smooth as well. All of this equals a generally impressive ultrabook ready for games and processing normally reserved for devices that are twice its size.
It all comes down to the benchmark, on the other hand – have a peek at our Geekbench results here and feel free to compare to the rest of our Laptop Reviews as you see fit.
Benchmark Score – Acer Aspire S5-391
Section
Description
Score
Total Score
Windows x86 (64-bit) – Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Integer
Processor integer performance
6139
8226
Floating Point
Processor floating point performance
11175
Memory
Memory performance
7408
Stream
Memory bandwidth performance
6845
Have a glance at some of the system specifications on this model too, while you’re at it.
System – Acer Aspire S5-391
Manufacturer
Acer
Product Type
Notebook
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Motherboard
Acer Venus
Processor
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3517U CPU @ 1.90GHz
Processor ID
GenuineIntel Family 6 Model 58 Stepping 9
Processor Frequency
2.40 GHz
Processors
1
Threads
4
Cores
2
L1 Instruction Cache
32.0 KB
L1 Data Cache
32.0 KB
L2 Cache
256 KB
L3 Cache
4.00 MB
Memory
3.84 GB DDR3 SDRAM 666MHz
FSB
99.8 MHz
BIOS
Acer V1.01
Wrap-Up
In short, this ultrabook is one of if not THE thinnest notebook you’re ever going to want to own, and with a look and feel like this, you’ll have a great time picking one up. The pricing is a bit concerning when compared to other ultrabooks on the market right now that can do essentially all of the same things this one can at just a bit larger a cost in the actual physical size department. But consider this: you get what you pay for, and if your aim is to grab a thinnest-in-class yet high-quality notebook with power enough to play top-quality games and work all day long on web and local-based type-heavy tasks on Windows, you’ve got the best there is right here.
You can pick up the model we’ve got here, the Acer Aspire S5 S5-391-9880, at Acer’s online store for a cool $1399.99 USD, and it’s in stock right this minute. Also check our our Acer Aspire S3 with Core i7 Review for an ultrabook that’s just a bit larger.
Whether you see Windows Vista and Windows 7 Gadgets as handy tools or a blight upon a pristine desktop, you might want to shut them off for safety’s sake. Mickey Shkatov and Toby Kohlenberg have found that the desktop widgets’ web-based code have flaws that would allow malicious Gadgets, or even hijacked legitimate Gadgets, to compromise a PC without having to go through the usual avenues of attack. Microsoft’s short-term answer to the vulnerability is a drastic one, though: a stopgap patch disables Gadgets entirely, leaving just a barren desktop in its wake. There’s no word on a Gadget-friendly solution arriving before Kohlenberg and Shkatov present at the Black Hat Conference on July 26th, but we suspect Microsoft’s ultimate answer is to move everyone to Windows 8, where Gadgets aren’t even an option. We understand the importance of preventing breaches, of course — we’re just disappointed that we’ll have to forgo miniature stock tickers and weather forecasts a little sooner than expected.
Microsoft’s slick Surfaceslates might be the Windows tablet consumers have been waiting for, but business folks? Motion computing hopes to keep their attention, refreshing its enterprise slate with a 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Atom N600 processor, a 128GB SSD and Bluetooth 4.0 support. The 10.1-inch slab, dubbed the CL910, retains the 15.5mm frame of its predecessor, as well as the old hardware’s USB port, SD card slot and Gorilla Glass protected 1,366 x 768 panel. $1,260 buys a tablet loaded with Windows 7 Professional, but will be eligible for an upgrade when Redmond’s Metro overhaul hits shelves. Hit the break for the official press release, or check out the slate for yourself at the source link below.
Love the ASUS Transformer? Then I am sure that you will love Fujitsu’s new Stylistic Q702/F tablet! Here as well the Stylistic Q702/F comes with a removable keyboard that will let you enjoy your tablet either like a computer or either like a regular slate! However, unlike the ASUS Transformer, the Stylistic Q702/F is powered by an Intel Ivy Bridge Core i5-3427U, 4GB of RAM and a nice 64 or 128GB SSD as well as a 11.6” 1366×768 screen. Other specs includes USB 3.0, WiFi, HDMI, SD, a 5Mpix …
Windows 8 may be on the horizon with a fall 2012 release, but Microsoft’s current OS, Win 7, just became the world’s most prolific PC operating system, passing the 50-percent threshold last month. According to StatCounter, Windows 7, which overtook XP around the time of its golden anniversary last fall, has made its way onto 50.2 percent of the world’s computers, compared to 29.9 percent for Microsoft’s eXPerience during the same period. Launched in 2001, XP remains in the runner-up position, but shows a steady decline along with Vista, which never had much of a share to begin with. Oddly enough, iOS also appears as a modest portion of StatCounter’s chart, which we presume represents iPads, which in this case fall within the same category (the company tracks mobile operating systems separately, where Android has ticked slightly ahead). If you own a PC running Windows 7, you can rest assured knowing that you’re in good company. And we imagine that an even greater number of those current XP users will depart come 2014, when Microsoft has pledged to discontinue support of the aging millennial. Hit up our source link below for all of StatCounter’s charts.
We’ve seen a fair share of space-saving nettops pass through our very own crowded halls, so what’s one more to add to the list? Especially when it’s one being flaunted as the most eco-friendly, energy-efficient PC. That’s exactly what ASUS thinks of its EeeBox EB1030, which aside from sporting a relatively minimalist design (as is usually the case with nettops), it’s also boasting Intel’s latest batch of Cedar Trail CPUs. To go along with those Atom processors (1.86GHz), ASUS is making this mini machine as configurable as it could get, giving users the option to load it with up to 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive combined with 32GB of SSD goodness. Ports-wise the unit’s pretty standard, offering options such as an HDMI, VGA, microphone, audio jack, card reader and four USB two-dot-ohs. Of course, the amount of cash you’ll have to shell out will depend on the setup of choice, with pricing set to start at€296, or around $370 in American dollars.
Microsoft has been promising a cheap-and-cheerful upgrade path to Windows 8 for those who buy new PCs. But what about that five-year-old PC in the basement? If the historically well-connected Mary Jo Foley of ZDNet is right, the upgrade path will go further back — much further. Although upgraders will still want Windows 7 if they need to carry over absolutely everything, tipsters claim that settings can transfer from releases as old as Windows Vista SP1. Those with truly ancient PCs (we’re looking at you, corporate customers) can even bring over personal files from an OS as dated as Windows XP SP3. Like we saw last time around, some of the 7-to-8 upgrade rules are a bit Byzantine — 7 Professional users can’t step down to the non-Pro Windows 8 release, for example, and it’s equally verboten to change language editions or move from 32- to 64-bit code without a full-scale reinstallation. The extra-long olive branch will be slightly unusual for Microsoft if it’s confirmed, but then the company is also trying to move along a user base that in some cases has clung to XP for more than a decade. Redmond is no doubt eager to get rid of our dependency issues.
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