I initially ordered this laptop after some research and finding that while some reviews exist for the base model of this laptop, none address this particular model/version. The laptop arrived in perfect condition, Amazon packed it well inside the shipping box and the product box from HP was extremely well designed. Though small this box was made for shipping! All the parts were secured well in place and the laptop itself was surrounded by custom designed foam pieces that ensured it would not be damaged in transit and any drops/bumps would be very well absorbed. When you first open the box you will be welcomed by a quick start guide, which I always find very handle about the fastest way to get me up and running without having to read the entire manual. Also enclosed was the laptop, the battery, and charger. Simple and straight-forward..perfect.
Upon installing the battery, plugging in the laptop and booting, I was welcomed by the Windows 8 setup screen, and the process went very smoothly until it was almost complete (approx 2 minutes) at which point it encountered a setup error and stated that it had to completely restart and try again. While discouraging, I watched as it seemed to fix itself and restart the setup, again asking for my information but this time setup went off without a hitch. If this happens to you, don't worry, as it will end up fixing itself and I have read that other versions of HP Laptops have this same issue.
Aside from the setup error, everything on this laptop is working well and exactly how it should. It's very quiet and well put together. Everything is solid and to this point I haven't had any issues whatsoever once up and running. This laptop, like all HP Laptops comes preloaded with a bunch of trial software games, most of which the typical user won't use and it was the first thing I uninstalled, however all manufacturers are doing this these days, so it should be expected.
A few additional features to note: This laptop does have a little bit slower processor, but it should be noted that it's a quad core, so don't let the slower listed speed deter you, as it essentially has 4 of them. This particular version of the laptop comes with 6gigs of RAM, which is awesome because these days, most manufacturers only put in the smallest amount possible. Additionally, one of my favorite features of this laptop is that it does have the fingerprint reader just below the 10 key pad, which allows you to program your fingerprint, any finger you choose or multiples, and use that as a "one-key" style access to both your Windows password as well as other passwords for websites that you go to, such as your e-mail or banking. Instead of logging in, you just go to the login page as you normally would, and just swipe your finger over the reader. Immediately it confirms your fingerprint, enters your login and password as you initially programmed it, and wah-lah, your're in like flynn!
All things considered, I would highly recommend this laptop to both friends and family. It's fast, does an awesome job of quickly loading apps and requires virtually no effort to use. One download I would also recommend to install (if you love Windows 7 and were just forced to come to Windows 8, as it's preinstalled) is called Start8. A quick Google search will bring it up and it will give you a start button again as well as a start menu in the bottom right corner.
I have only had this laptop for a short time, but I will update this review if I have any issues! However, in my opinion and research a must buy at an insanely reasonable price!
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I previously had a DV7 pavilion which i gave to family member (never had any issue with it) and looked for a new system so choose this one.
The system so far is quite fast with great sound (first system with beats sound, most new laptops sound quality is so poor).
The system does not feel or look cheap and the screen viewing is good (not great because it ships with an auto adjusting brightness which is annoying, but easily changed)
Most people are complaining about windows eight look and usage. While i agree that for most if not all windows 7 and earlier users there is a learning\ adaption curve but in my humble opinion windows eight it is actually better and has a lot more features.
I still do not like some of the pre-installed software that HP systems in general come with but once again they can be uninstalled easily.
Overall this system so far has impressed me in performance, and I am still learning more features of windows 8 that are delightful. I have tested a few games like World of Warcraft MOP, Diablo 3 and Crysis 3 and all played surprisingly well on very high or max settings.
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Hp simple-pass is fantastic. Brushed-aluminum case makes this laptop look so cool. The AMD A8 processor with 6 GB is fast enough to do Minecraft game. My kids, Minecraft manias, like this computer very much. They told me that this one is faster than my laptop(core i5 second generation with 6gb). One downside is that a unknown(at least for me)brand memory(ram)is installed: ADATA (i've never heard) 4gb + Hynix 2gb. But, in terms of a working condition, No problem.
Honest reviews on HP Envy dv7-7238nr 17.3-Inch Laptop
Overall, this laptop is pretty good. It's fast, quiet, and cool (even during a video encoding for 10 minutes with 100% CPU utilization).
I haven't found many pieces of software I'd call "crapware". I've only uninstalled Norton Security software.
The fingerprint processor is fast and very convenient.
The sound quality is wonderful: rich sound and very loud. I will not need external speakers even if I want to use the laptop for entertaining a small party of friends.
There's one thing I HATE: the damn touchpad doesn't process single taps well. It often ignores them and also jerks the mouse cursor around during the taps. I've recently updated the driver for it from the HP site, but that didn't fix the problem. I will report this to HP and will wait for a resolution.
Another thing that bothers me: this seems to be similar to what Aphex242 has reported here. I can't seem to have my older HP laptop and this one connect to my network wirelessly at the same without a period of time of disconnection. When one or another tries to connect to the router (CISCO), the one that was being connected loses its connection. And my Comcast modem loses its connection to the network. After 2 3 minutes, the connection gets restored, and both computers become able to be connected to the net.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for HP Envy dv7-7238nr 17.3-Inch Laptop
Delivery was upgraded to Overnight, although there would have been no charge for two day ( Prime). Arrived with no damage. I say "it depends on what you pay" for this laptop, because it's just not worth over $550.00. The AMD processor is a quad core, but the "speed equivalency" of this quad core processor is about that of an Intel Core i3, although the core i3 will probably come with Intel 4000 series built on graphics(new and improved integrated graphics), while this HP model's AMD RadeonHD 7640G is rather weak. And, no, I am not trying to play medium or high power games, but this Radeon and 17" display looks rather washed out, color wise, in comparison with Lenovo's equivalently priced 17" laptop. The very glossy glass on the 17" display is extremely reflective, so a partially darkened room is recommended.
Battery life? You're not really looking for any decent battery life for this, are you? This laptop should be considered a desktop replacement, and nothing else!
The Optical Drive is very fragile/flimsy! IT does not slide in and out very easily, so you must be careful when opening and closing the DVD Drive.
The keyboard, while including a keypad, is not nearly as easy to type on as the full "travel" keyboards on higher priced laptop models. One bright spot on this model is the sound: superb Beats audio.
Another area where competing laptops in this class fall short: most have 10/100 wired ethernet ( RJ-45) only, however this model does include the wireless a/b/g/n standards, and it also includes 10/100/1000 ( gigibit) ethernet port.
The hard drive speed is 5400rpm, so if you can find an equivalent laptop with a 7200rpm Hard Drive included, I would opt for it, as it will affect the general speed of the notebook ( boot times, hard drive I/O times, etc).
This model comes with 1-2GB module and 1-4GB module, for a total of 6GB memory. The maximum memory is 16GB ( two slots available). Now, If you go to the Kingston site, the configuration info for this model advises that in order to run in DUAL CHANNEL MODE (faster), memory must be installed in PAIRS To go to the max: 16Gb with two 8GB modules, will as of this writing, cost a little over $100. The installation of two 8GB modules was one of the easiest memory upgrades I have ever done ( and I have done over 200 laptop/desktop memory upgrades in the past 5 years). The bottom door is secured with one screw. Once it is loosened, the door slides a bit, and its OFF.
Another note: this comes with Windows 8, so be forewarned! No downgrade options are offered. And, make your "recovery disc" set as soon as the OS loads and is usable! Personally, the Windows 8 "tiles" paradigm does not work for me, so I loaded START 8, as a desktop replacement for Windows 8 ( 30 day trial, $4.99 to buy). Makes dealing with Windows 8 much easier: you can then get used to, and learn it at your own pace.
To sum up, this Hp Envy 17" screen model is an OK value for under $550. I would have given it another star if the price was closer to $500...and one more star for every $50.00 below that price, just for value. It will handle Adobe, and other Office applications with no problem...my wife plays Minecraft mainly with this one, and she loves it for that. IMHO, the graphics capability could be better, and the colors more vibrant, but, hey, thats me! I am more used to the Intel 4000 graphic series built in video, but at this pricepoint, PC vendors make it extremely difficult to get the decent graphics, fast ( 7200 RPM) hard drive along with gigabit wired ethernet and a 17" screen on a single laptop. The major obtacle to better performance for this midel is definitely the SLOW HARD DRIVE. If you are doing a Configure to Order on the HP site( or ANY manufacturer's site for that matter), regardless of what model you choose, ALWAYS opt for the 7200RPM hard drive.
If you can get this model for $500 or under, bump this review to 4 stars! Consider the extended warranty!
