HP – Envy 2-in-1 14″ Full HD Touch-Screen Laptop – Intel Core i7 – 16GB Memory – 1TB SSD – Natural Silver

Pros: not too big and not too small for classroom use, has enough storage space for everyday use especially if you’re using M360, processor is fast enough for what a student needs. Geek Squad warranty is decently priced. Cons: If you’re a engineering major, gaming or running serious graphics software this isn’t your laptop.

Had this for a few weeks now so I thought I’d write a review. I’m a longtime fan of HP laptops as the build quality and value for your money is very consistent. I saw this model on sale for $660 for open box so I snatched one up before it quickly returned to its normal price of $1079 a few days later. Overall, I’m very happy with this laptop. The build quality is solid. It’s quick and snappy and exactly what I needed. I love how compact and lightweight it is which makes it easy to take around with me. And the battery life is decent and usually lasts me at least 4-5 hours with lots of video playing. Longer if it’s just regular browsing and email. It’s a nearly perfect laptop. So my only complaint is the speakers where I believe HP has missed the mark. I’ve owned a number of HP laptops in the past and typically they’ve had the B&O branded speakers placed right above the keyboard. However for some reason with this model they decided to place them on the bottom underneath the laptop. The problem with this is the audio has a tendency to get muffled, especially when placed flat on a desk. I assume this decision might have been due to a lack of space for internal components but I do hope HP eventually corrects this in the future and puts the speakers back on top near the keyboard. I typically use bluetooth earbuds though so this drawback doesn’t really affect me much. And if it does start to really bother me then I’ll probably just end up getting a bluetooth speaker for it. I do recommend HP’s Care Pack extended warranties. They will add one or two years extra to your 1 year standard warranty and also give you coverage and peace of mind against accidental drops or spills or electrical surges. And the best part is if you get the “Risk Free” one and you don’t end up using the warranty then you can get 100% of your money back at the end. Fantastic program that I get for all my family’s HP laptops. Wait for them to go on sale though because HP regularly offers like 30-45% off the Care Packs. (try code “HPSA33”) So, other than the small nitpick with the speakers I give this model a 10/10. Nice job on this one, HP. Well done.