HP has released details and shown off their new Envy 17 laptop this week. The biggest feature of this new product is that it includes a Leap Motion controller.
Many companies have been moving away from laptop computers in exchange for more work in the phone/tablet (phablet) market. But HP seems to be taking a different route, instead instilling some of the more popular features from other genres to the more traditional laptop model.
The most talked about feature of the Envy 17 is definitely Leap Motion. This is a motion activated mouse that allows you to interact without touching the computer itself. This is in addition to already having a touch screen, which is sure to be another perk that will draw people to the device.
As for the display specs itself, it will be a 17.3″ LED screen with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. Between the touch screen and the Leap Motion, the user interaction is fluid and smooth, though there is a touch pad if you would prefer to use a regular cursor.
It boasts a Intel Core i7-720QM 1.60 GHz Processor with Turbo Boost, which they say will go up to 2.80 GHz. It will have a full 6 GB RAM, and 750 GB hard drive. The graphics card is a ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850, so this would be an ideal laptop for anyone looking for a good gaming platform or just a media-centric device. Between the graphics capabilities and the screen resolution, everything will look gorgeous and HD.
All in all, I have to admit to being surprised. It has been a long time since HP has done anything but piss the average user off with their sub par systems. Yes, I am woefully biased from experience…bitter, bitter experience.
But this looks like a genuinely awesome gaming and media laptop with high end hardware and some great capabilities. Plus, it is much lighter and sleeker than they usually go for, which means HP might have actually made a laptop that is portable. You would think that would have come naturally to their products in the past, but anyone who has had to lug around some of their other models know that it isn’t usually the case.
The Verge got their hands on one, and they did offer a warning to consumers: Leap Motion may be cool, but it sucks up battery life fast. Preorder begins October 16, 2013 and this Envy 17 Leap Motion laptop will be priced at $1,049.
Source: HP
