When HP brings any product in the market then we always expect it to be a quality product as HP has become a trademark of performance in the decade so That's not to say that all of HP's Sleekbooks ditch Intel processors, but given the choice between and AMD- and Intel-based model we quickly chose the former. After all, the 6z is the first Trinity-powered system we've had the chance to test, so we were naturally curious to see how it stacks up against recent Ivy Bridge machines -- and we imagine you are, too.
The Envy 6 sports a glossy 15.6-inch screen with a native resolution of 1366 by 768 pixels. While this resolution is pretty typical for a budget-priced laptop, it's still disappointingly low-res for a 15.6-inch screen. Screen resolution aside, the Sleekbook's screen looks pretty good: it's fairly bright, with good contrast and accurate colors. Off-axis viewing angles are also good.
Video looks and sounds good on the Sleekbook. You will see some artifacting and choppiness in HD video clips, but overall it's pretty bearable to watch. The HP's speakers, which are located above the keyboard, are comfortably loud and, thanks to the Beats Audio enhancements, sound fairly full. You won't be able to have a raucous drum-and-bass party with these speakers, but they're well above the category average.
At 4.75 pounds, this laptop isn't a featherweight, but then again, its 15.6-inch display does make it one of the larger thin-and-lights we've seen. With a thickness of 0.78 inches, the 6z walks the line between Ultrabook and mainstream systems. The Dell Inspiron 15R is a fatter 1.18 inches, for example, while the 15-inch Acer Aspire V5 measures in at 0.9 inches. Still, it can't hold a candle to a proper ultraportable like the 15-inch Samsung Series 9, which measures just 0.58 inches. Whatever weight class it belongs in, for a $600 laptop the 6z boasts a pretty sweet design, not to mention solid build quality. The aluminum lid and keyboard deck sport a black, brush-textured finish, while the red soft-touch bottom provides a tasteful pop of color (it makes it pleasant to hold and use in the lap as well). Save for some requisite Beats branding above the keyboard and in the upper bezel, you won't find many embellishments or adornments here. All told, it's one of the more understated designs that HP has unveiled over the past few years.
USB 2.0 port sits on the Envy 6z's right side with a secure lock, headphone and microphone jacks, and the AC adapter. The left side of the notebook houses a pair of USB 3.0 ports, HDMI, a 5-in-1 card reader and an expanding Gigabit Ethernet port.
Sleekbook 6z features a 15.6-inch LED-backlit, 1366 x 768p display. The screen registered 149 lux on our light meter, failing to meet the 260 lux mainstream category average. On the other hand, this showing was enough to edge out other 15-inch notebooks in the Sleekbook's price range, including the VAIO E15 (141 lux) and Gateway NV (144 lux). The Timeline M3 Ultrabook registered a higher 160 lux.
The panel's viewing angles were decent enough from the front, but colors started to wash out anywhere past the 45-degree mark. As we watched the "Total Recall" trailer, there was a high level of detail, as we could see the deep furrows in Bokeem Woodbine's forehead and a single tear trickle down Jessica Biel's face. In a darker bar scene, though, we noticed a fair amount of fuzziness with washed out blacks and grays.
So stop talking and do some pratical stuff !
- Very Good battery life.
- Good sound.
- Good touch-pad and buttons.
- Stylish.
- keyboard will disappoint you.
- poor screen.
- Anything can't be upgraded.
