Citing research that shows shoppers are drawn to the PC they want at first sight, HP has announced a series of its Envy laptops inlaid with authentic wood. The design of these Wood Series machines is certainly eye catching, as we had a chance to see at a meeting in New York prior to their unveiling at Computex. The wood design has been rolled out to several Envy laptops, including the Envy 13, the Envy x360 13, the Envy x360 15, and the Envy 17. These laptops will be available this fall, with pricing to be announced as the launch draws closer. For now, we've got some great photos to show you of these slick wood finishes, which come in multiple colors.
Wood You Look at That?
While multiple Envy laptops are part of the Wood Series, HP only brought along two Envy x360 models to our meeting to show us firsthand. Here are two of the three available color options: a Nightfall Black with Natural Walnut Envy 13 x360, and a Natural Silver with Pale Birch Envy 15 x360. The third wood and color combo, Ceramic White with White Birch, didn't make the trip.
The Real Deal
The wood is 100 percent real, which is good news on two fronts. For one, it makes the product look and feel sleek. The other aspect is that every one of these laptops will be unique, because the wood is following a natural grain and pattern, not made from a cookie cutter.
The design is really striking on first impression. The wood accent looks slick, isn't overdone, and has a smooth finish to it. If you think it may be rough or uncomfortable, I found it surprisingly soft and pleasant to touch. I personally prefer the White Birch, but the black and dark wood is also a classic.
The design is really striking on first impression. The wood accent looks slick, isn't overdone, and has a smooth finish to it. If you think it may be rough or uncomfortable, I found it surprisingly soft and pleasant to touch. I personally prefer the White Birch, but the black and dark wood is also a classic.
And a Nice Feel
What's remarkable is that the wood finish extends not just to the wrist rest, but over the touchpad itself. This doesn't stop the touchpad from tracking smoothly (it worked just fine in my short trial run), and keeps the finish mostly unblemished.
Made to Last, and Splinter-Free
I'm not sure it would look so good if interrupted by a traditional-looking laptop touchpad. As for functionality, HP tested the touchpad's durability to last through the normal lifespan of a laptop, so you shouldn't worry about cracking...or splinters.
No Security Compromises
Despite the wood surroundings, the fingerprint scanner still makes the cut. Many users prefer this for quick and secure sign-ins.
Filled with Envy
Outside of the wood-specific design, these are the same Envy laptops as the all-metal versions.
Keeping the Convertibility
Nothing about the wood requires compromising on convertibility. You'll note the larger model can squeeze a full number pad onto its keyboard with the extra room.
Blending in From the Back
From the back, the system looks the same as the non-Wood Series models. This is for the best, as they're generally good-looking systems and adding wood to the exterior would be a touch too far, for me.
And the Back of Nightfall Black
The same is true on the Nightfall Black model, saving all of the wood for the head-on view.
Choose Your Chip
As far as components go, there aren't many specifics yet, but there is an interesting facet to one of the core components: The processor can either be from the latest generation of Intel chips, or a 2nd-gen AMD Ryzen CPU.
Packed with HP's Best Features
Outside of those specifics, HP is more general with the feature sets. The laptops include Amazon’s Alexa, Modern Standby, Wake on Voice, and Wake on Fingerprint reader. Also included is the built-in privacy screen, HP Sure View, and the HP Webcam Kill Switch solution, which cuts power to your webcam with the flick of a switch.
Wood You Show Me Your Ports?
Finally, a quick look at the ports. Here on the left of the 15-inch version are a USB port, an SD card slot, and a headset jack.
Right Side Ports
On the right, there's another USB port, a USB-C port, and an HDMI connection. The left-most item of interest here, about midway up the flank, is the aforementioned webcam kill switch.
Smaller System, Fewer Ports
The smaller x360 13 features similar ports, but things are a little different. The left side only holds a single USB port and a headset jack, with the SD card slot absent.
Bye Bye HDMI
Instead, the right side has downgraded to a microSD card slot. There's also no HDMI connection, but it still has the USB port, USB-C port, and webcam kill switch.
That's all the details and impressions I have for you so far, but check back for more info as the release approaches, as well as for full reviews of these laptops when available.
That's all the details and impressions I have for you so far, but check back for more info as the release approaches, as well as for full reviews of these laptops when available.