Reddit reviews HP ENVY 13-ab016nr Laptop (Windows 10, Intel Core i5-7200U, 13.3" LED-Lit Screen, Storage: 256 GB, RAM: 8 GB) Black/Silver

I agree with your comparison. It's why so many people continue to buy the Macbook Pro even though it's double the price of very similar windows options like the HP Envy 13.

Realistically, anyone could get by with the cheaper HP Envy 13 (or the Lenovo 720). But the premium products exist for those with more disposable money who are fine paying a much higher price for brand name, better build quality, and reliability.

The Surface will have a display that is worlds better, better pen support and palm rejection, better speakers, screen brightness, keyboard, etc. But a lot of these advantages will be pretty minor improvements, and there's not really any one benefit that makes it immensely worth the upgrade to the Surface Pro.

Also note, with the Surface Pro - you must buy the keyboard and pen separately ($150 and $100 extra respectively). I personally find this to be one of the most ridiculous decisions by Microsoft, but I'm sure they've done research behind it and determined it to be more profitable for them.

Overall, if you have a Best Buy near you I would suggest going and checking out both models since they should have them both in stock. Use them for a bit and decide which appeals to you more.

Both option you have there are pretty decent. The 13-ab016nr is currently on sale, where it is being discounted by$100. It has a nice i5 7th gen processor, 8 GB RAM , a fast 256 GB and importantly for gaming, it has the Intel HD Graphics 620 which will suffice in the gaming you do. It also has an very nice build quality, awesome battery life and nice display.

The ASUS ZenBook is a good laptop, you can compare it to the HP ENVY which is slightly cheaper and of a simlar build quality. The HP ENVY also has a better display and that might come in handy for your photo editing. But the asus is a good option as well.

Other than the small difference in price, display and weight all of which are negligible the laptops are almost identical

The HP ENVY 13-ab016nr is perfect for you its just $19 over your budget but the specs are great.It comes with an Intel Core i5-7200U processor which can complete all the tasks you have stated above, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD and its really light too 3.31lbs.

hi alex welcome to this sub... i've been doing some searching and found this amazing HP ENVY 13-ab016nr Notebook that ticks all your boxes easily. it comes with a great IPS display screen, great battery life, nice built, very light, 7th Generation Intel Core i5-7200U Processor, 256 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 ssd, 8GB LPDDR3 ram and the backlit keyboard you needed. or you can check out this ASUS ZenBook UX330UA-AH54 as a suitable alternative

How about this?

Other than this which is a great laptop, as well as this one I can't think of a lightweight, with long battery life, no 2 in 1, with 13.3 inch, if you can go a little bigger then I would recommend this Acer Swift 5 because it comes with everything you need , 7th gen i5 dual core CPU which is one of the best in the market and great for your usage, comes with HD 620 iGPU which is again one of the best and should be enough for your games on low to medium settings, 8 GB of ram for smooth multitasking, Good SSD storage of 256 GB for faster boot up and loading, Full HD IPS screen which is a must have for this price range, high build quality, lightweight at 2.9 lbs, with long battery life, and it is within your budget.


If you are interested in 2 in 1 then I would also suggest this Acer Spin 5 because it comes with everything you need ,7th gen i5 dual core CPU which is one of the best in the market and great for your usage, 8 GB of ram for smooth multitasking, Good SSD storage of 256 GB for faster boot up and loading, Full HD IPS screen which is a must have for this price range, high build quality, 2 in 1 features, long battery life, HD 620 iGPU, and it is within your budget.

Thank you! Is the build quality good? I want it to last at least 2 years.

I'm thinking this should be good for coding, programming, research and typing. Can it run VM Ware?

Lastly, what is your take on this HP and this Asus? Bit out of my budget, I know, but should I invest in them?

Yeah, thanks for the comment. I am definitely considering that one.

But some other I am thinking of are:

[Hp envy 13](HP ENVY 13-ab016nr Notebook (Intel Core i5-7200U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) with Windows 10 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LZKY7RB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_6I7KybD3YRR63)

Razer Stealth

The Hp envy 13 I linked to seems too good to be true for that price?

Yes it has a good keyboard........ For cheaper option you can get this one HP 13-ab016nr https://www.amazon.com/HP-13-ab016nr-Notebook-i5-7200U-Windows/dp/B01LZKY7RB
it doesn't includes the fingerprint scanner all other specifications are almost same.....

Are you tied to best buy? If not these are pretty great options and an excellent values:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M18UZF5/ref=sr_ob_18?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1483542378&sr=1-18

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LZKY7RB/ref=AC_PCLT_ILM?pf_rd_p=2776750222&pf_rd_s=detail-ilm&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B01M18UZF5&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=GPGNP22Z821P4CN2BQBE

Do you know how it compares to the HP Envy 13 which is around the same price on Amazon?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LZKY7RB/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

HP Envy 13 (2017 model) is lightweight and small, has a semi-hidpi screen, and runs Mint perfectly with kernel 4.10

US Price: $620
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LZKY7RB/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm really tempted to buy the HP ENVY 13. Looking for an ultra-portable with great battery life, SSD, and good display. Budget is exactly US$ 800. Narrowed my search down to the HP and the new ASUS UX330, but I'm leaning toward the HP.

Suggestions?

Macbook Pro 1479$

• i5-6360U
  
• 8GB of RAM
  
• 256 GB PCI-e SSD
  
• Retina Display (2560x1600)
  
  Half the price would mean about 740$
  
  HP Envy 13 699$
  
  
• i5-7200U
  
• 8GB of RAM
  
• 256 GB NVME SSD
  
• Full HD Screen (Models with up to 3200x1800 exist)
  
  ----------------------------------------------------
  
  I tried to find a device with a similar look and aesthetics. Both the Macbook Pro and Envy are thin, lightweight and powerful, both have metal chassis, good battery life and all that nonsense. The MBP has a better screen and that's about it. You can also get a more expensive envy at around 800$ with an i7 and a QHD+ display.

new HP ENVY 13 (Kaby Lake)

• Beautiful all metal design that actually paying attention to the details (e.g. ports alignment)
  
  
• Powerful enough for college usage (Intel i5, 8GB ram, 256GB SSD, full HD IPS display, long battery life, backlit keyboard, lots of ports, 3.3 lbs)
  
  
• Reasonable price (currently selling for $620 on US Amazon, as low as $499 when on sale)
  
  http://store.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/offer.aspx?p=c-hp-envy-laptop-range
  
  https://www.amazon.com/HP-13-ab016nr-Notebook-i5-7200U-Windows/dp/B01LZKY7RB
  

Also if you're still looking around, /r/SuggestALaptop is a good subreddit to visit and post for more suggestions.

The HP Envy is good as well, at a lower price point ($619).

edit: what is an URL shortener and why am I getting messages that my comment was removed? :(

Thank you for the list! I think there are, as of now, 4 options that I'm considering, and I need to go through reviews, etc. to figure out which one to go with. They all seem to have differing pros/cons (which include price differences), making it very hard to choose. If you have any specific recommendations/thoughts, that would be very helpful!

These are listed roughly in order of preference (as of now):

• ASUS ZenBook UX330UA-AH54: $699.00 on Amazon
  
  
• HP ENVY 13-ab016nr Notebook: $619.99 on Amazon
  
  
• Inspiron 13 7000 2-in-1: $799.99 on Dell
  
  
• Acer Swift 5: $749.00 on Amazon
  
  
  

Hi,

Not many good options in this price range: noteb search result.

You can see and change the search parameters using the "Refine results" button. You can also click on the laptops for more information. (EU/US) stands for Europe/USA only model.


I wish I could recommend the Asus, but the cheaper version only sells in EU, the IdeaPad is being phased out, you are left only with this one: https://noteb.com/?model/model.php?conf=4142115148124719612 buy link

It's a pretty nice laptop, with good build quality, good display and decent specs, just that it's 13.3 inch.

https://www.amazon.com/HP-13-ab016nr-Notebook-i5-7200U-Windows/dp/B01LZKY7RB/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1483406795&sr=1-1&keywords=hp+envy+13

Lovely!!

However, if I wanted to just consume media and do productivity, I found two that I like.

Asus Zenbook Ux330UA

https://www.amazon.com/UX330UA-AH54-13-3-inch-Ultra-Slim-Processor-Fingerprint/dp/B01M18UZF5/ref=pd_sbs_147_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01M18UZF5&pd_rd_r=X9PXMC1CVN6SY4EKRN2R&pd_rd_w=z45Wh&pd_rd_wg=iHObq&psc=1&refRID=X9PXMC1CVN6SY4EKRN2R

or
HP Envy 13

https://www.amazon.com/HP-13-ab016nr-Notebook-i5-7200U-Windows/dp/B01LZKY7RB/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1496778926&sr=1-1&keywords=hp+envy+13

The Asus ZenBook seems pretty nice. I was looking around this sub and also found the HP ENVY 13. They seem to be pretty similar, the ENVY is a little heavier though.

Do you think there's anything wrong with going for the HP ENVY over the Asus Zenbook?

HP ENVY 13
13" screen
Intel Core i5-7200U 2.5GHz
8GB RAM
256GB SSD
Has HDMI and USB, backlit keyboard.

ASUS ZenBook UX330UA-AH54
13" screen
Intel Core i5 -7200U 2.5GHz
8GB RAM
256GB SSD
USB, HDMI, SD card reader.
Not backlit, i think...

Sure.

HP ENVY 13-ab016nr Notebook (Intel Core i5-7200U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) with Windows 10 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LZKY7RB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fRHdzb7AD12HA

I've got a whole spreadsheet of different models. Let me know if you're interested and I can share that.

It's very Appley pricing.

The Surface Laptop line competes well with equal cost Apple laptops. They don't compete well with bargain priced Acer, HP, or Lenovo equivalents, but presumably the build quality is higher on the Surface.

For example:
https://www.amazon.com/HP-13-ab016nr-Notebook-i5-7200U-Windows/dp/B01LZKY7RB/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493773849&sr=8-1&keywords=envy+13
This is like the $1399 level Surface Laptop for about half the price. A bit bulkier, heavier, worse screen, but does the Surface really demand nearly double the price?

Well, remember this is full asking price. Full asking price for an i5 Surface 4 Pro 128GB 4GB RAM is $999 without a keyboard- you can actually get one on sale for $720 today. In fact, I've already found you can get a $100 education discount, and Best Buy is giving a $50 gift card if you preorder a Surface Laptop through them, so deals already exist, better deals may come around.

I think it's reasonable for what it is - top build quality premium design, not the best bang for the buck. If you want that, go buy a $370 Acer with an i5, and enjoy the keyboard flex and washed out screen.

So im Currently between the yoga i linked above, the Zenbook Ux330, and the Hp Envy 13. Im mainly debating between the weight, screen, and battery life

https://www.amazon.com/HP-13-ab016nr-Notebook-i5-7200U-Windows/dp/B01LZKY7RB/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1494210878&sr=1-1&keywords=hp+envy+13

i7-7500U isn't much faster than an i5-7200U. It isn't a "true i7" like the HQ-series, and it seems to be the only thing driving up the cost of this computer compared to cheaper versions. One of the main downsides to this laptop that I think is worth improving on considering the price its is low quality TN panel with poor contrast and viewing angles. Like the left side here: http://imgur.com/Sajajqc.jpg

-----

If you want the 15.6" size.....

One alternative would be the Ideapad 700: https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Ideapad-Notebook-Computer-i5-6300HQ/dp/B01MRTG0JF/

How does this Lenovo Thinkpad E570 config sound? Better display and also a nice keyboard.

• Click here for Corporate Perks discount
  
• Then this model
  
• CPU: You can pick the 7500U not for the CPU but because it gives you the NVIDIA 950M. If you want that GPU that is.
  
• Display: Pick 1920x1080 IPS. 1366x768 TN is poor like the one in the laptop you're looking at when it comes to quality, and the lower resolution also provides limiting screen realestate, but the 1920x1080 IPS is good.
  
• RAM: I would save $20 by leaving it stock, then going on Amazon and getting one of these to install into the empty slot on the bottom. Cheap, easy, and doesn't void your warranty. That second 4GB stick will upgrade the laptop to 8GB by going alongside the existing 4GB stick. Or get an 8GB stick to make it 12GB.
  
• Hard Drive: Select none, in order to auto-select the SSD.
  
  I do think the Acer gets better battery life than either of these two though. If you like that Acer and have this budget, I would maybe get the cheaper one with also an SSD, and maybe used the saved cost to replace the screen yourself. Any model mentioned here should work in this laptop too.
  
  If not gaming, you could config a Thinkpad T560 with the 1920x1080 IPS display and the big battery.
  
  -----
  
  If you don't specifically want 15.6", and you're not gaming, then maybe something more portable might be nicer:
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/UX330UA-AH54-13-3-inch-Ultra-Slim-Processor-Fingerprint/dp/B01M18UZF5/
  
• https://www.amazon.com/HP-13-ab016nr-Notebook-i5-7200U-Windows/dp/B01LZKY7RB/
  
  I'd stick to the FHD Zenbooks and Envy. The QHD+ ones aren't the real resolution (see /r/SuggestALaptop/ sidebar) and IMO aren't as nice due to that despite the fact that they technically still offer a bit more detail.

Thanks, ended up going with this one. It was a tough choice between this and the HP ENVY 13-ab016nr. I even had to make a pros and cons list! Very similar laptops, but the Acer won out. Thanks again.