HP Envy 15-1050nr

A big brother to HP’s 13-inch Envy 13, this upscale 15-inch model crams more computing power into a midsize laptop than anyone outside of Alienware’s m15x. And while that system is a 10-pound monster, the Envy 15 manages to be both slim and reasonably lightweight, partially by ditching the internal optical drive–an unusual move for a larger laptop.

While the design and build quality are great, the $1,999 price is going to leave a little sticker shock, although that does include a second extended battery and an external DVD burner (a Blu-ray drive option is available if you order directly from HP).

As a svelte gaming/multimedia machine, we found a lot to like about the Envy 15, and it’s certainly designed to be a bit of a status symbol. But we also ran into a few rough edges–difficulties playing back Blu-ray Discs and using certain software–that we chalk up to the difficulties of being the first generation of a new product line.

The Envy brand was originally used as part of HP’s premium Voodoo line, but that Voodoo branding is now gone, leaving this a pure HP-labeled product. Like the 13-inch version of the Envy, this system features an aluminum body with a magnesium base, and the anonymous gunmetal gray lid contrasts nicely with a semi-random pattern of imprinted dots on the wrist rest.

For a 15-inch laptop, it’s very slim and sexy, comparing positively to the 15-inch MacBook Pro. When you add the secondary slice battery, which is a thin flat battery that clips onto the entire bottom surface, the entire package gets thicker, and it feels more like a traditional boxy 15-inch laptop.

Also like the Envy 13, the Envy 15′s interior is sparse, with a sunken keyboard made up of widely spaced, flat-topped metal-capped keys. Besides a simple power button above the keyboard, there’s also a line of quick-launch buttons to the left of the keyboard for actions such as launching a Web browser or HP’s MediaSmart software.

Speaking of software, the Envy 15 has a handful of issues and annoyances we encountered during our hands-on testing. Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, the default Web browser, comes with a hideous HP Smart Web Printing sidebar turned on, as well as a mostly useless HP toolbar across the top. These add-ons are easily disabled if you know how, but it’s annoying to force consumers to go through the motions to regain screen real estate.