I'll start out with what I really like about this laptop. I like, actually, I love how quiet this computer is. I can't stand when the fans are so loud you can't think but so far, this one is so quiet, I can barely hear it when running.
I also like the aluminum body, the last model I had was all plastic and started breaking fairly quickly. the metal body makes it feel stronger and more substantial and also limits the flex I've felt in other similarly thin laptops on the market.
I also like the lighted keyboard, it really helps when in low lighting environments.
This computer is very fast and doesn't seem to have a problem running several applications at once, including uploading and downloading while running other apps. the only thing limiting me now is my less than spectacular wifi strength, which has nothing to do with the pc.
The fingerprint ID is nice and works much better than the old one on my Pavilion DV6. I haven't had this Envy long but I hope the ID function will keep working consistently.
The sound is also much much better than I've experienced on any other laptop I've owned. it does start to break up a bit on max volume but being able to adjust the levels individually does help a lot.
The touchscreen works well and while the free stylus pen they sent with it works pretty good, I feel it could probably be a little more accurate overall. maybe I can dial it in by adjusting the settings?
What I don't like so much? First thing is the fingerprints. I read about people complaining the surfaces are fingerprint magnets and boy, were they correct. you can't touch this thing anywhere without leaving obvious and annoying fingerprints. I feel that if they offered this in a lighter color, a silver or aluminum, fingerprints would be much less of an issue. I spend at least 3 minutes cleaning it after each use, which doesn't sound like much until you're on your 5th or 10th day doing it and then it starts to get super annoying.
I also read about the difficulty others had in trying to open it. They were right, it's like the designers never actually tried opening it after designing it. it's awkward and clumsy and you almost have to have long fingernails to be able to wedge in between the cover and base. The front edge is also very sharp and when leaning on my hands, it hurts after only a minute. Again, it seems like the design team didn't spend enough time actually using it before they began producing it.
The bundled bloatware/unused apps is a little annoying in that there are frequent pop-ups asking me to upgrade or sign up. I can probably get rid of them so not a huge negative.
The screen output is a little dimmer than I'd hoped but I did read about this before buying and was aware so not a surprise. I believe there was an option to upgrade on a different Envy model but apparently not on the 15". It's not a deal breaker but for realistic photo work, it is a bit disappointing. I found that many competing brands and models had a higher nits ratings than the 15" Envy but I still found the Envy to have more desirable features overall so went with it over the others anyway.
Overall, I am pretty happy with the HP ENVY 15" so far.
i just starting using thjs last week and I absolutely love it. It is so easy to log in using my fingerprint. It is fast and gets me where I want to be in seconds. The backlit keys are great for when I am typing at night. This laptop has such a quick response time. My other laptop is a dinosaur compared to this!
One very minor cosmetic blemish hardly worth mentioning. The laptop functions perfectly which is the most important part. Would buy again, the money saved is totally worth it. It pretty much looks and operates as new, no-brainer.
After reading all the reviews about the ryzen and how it functions, I was super excited. I don't really use it for graphics. Instead I need the processing for data analysis. It's good, but I wouldn't say amazing. The issue I do have is occasionally the video is unclear on it, but that may be my connection rather than the laptop.