HP Envy Transfer Assessment – Thurrott.com

HP doesn’t get sufficient credit score for its design experimentation, however the Envy Transfer emphatically makes the case that innovation is alive and smartly within the PC marketplace. This pleasant PC reimages the all-in-one (AIO) as a conveyable instrument that may be simply used all through the house.

Design

HP wins giant with the design of the Envy Transfer: It is a a laugh, particular PC that elicits smiles from everybody who sees it in motion. Sure, it’s principally plastic, however the Shadow White colour with its environmentally pleasant grey splotches of recycled fabrics is exclusive on this house, and the material speaker duvet on the backside entrance appears to be like stylish.

There are different neat design touches, too. The built-in take care of that hangs off the highest again of the PC has a leather-like strap and a strong take care of, and it clings to the instrument magnetically when now not in transit.

There’s additionally a material pouch at the backside rear of the PC that holds the keyboard in transit in a cuter-than-necessary manner.

After which there are the spring-loaded retractable toes.

The toes, my God, the toes.

By no means has such an harmless characteristic extremely joyful such a lot of other people. While you stroll as much as the HP Envy Transfer, it resembles a normal all-in-one with its mostly-screen design and wi-fi keyboard. However while you seize the take care of placing from the highest rear of the PC and select it up, the magic starts. The ones two toes swivel and disappear below the bottom.

But it surely will get higher: While you decrease the Transfer onto a difficult floor, like a table or desk, the 2 toes swivel again out, perpendicular to the PC, to reinforce it. This transformation is so easy and easy that it’s virtually comical. Alternatively, it’s going to now not paintings on a softer floor in any respect.

Those toes glance most likely too small and skinny however they supply a strong base that is helping the PC face up to overt makes an attempt to push it over in both path. I guess a devoted two-year-old with maliciousness in thoughts may just make it occur, however I by no means had any worries that it will topple. You’ll be able to additionally tilt all of the PC again only a hair if you wish to have a greater view.

The button and port placement also are considerate. HP put the growth ports at the backside of the instrument, on either side, the place they belong. The facility button is at the peak of the fitting aspect of the PC, the place your hand is going naturally (despite the fact that I in most cases simply woke it up through tapping a key at the Bluetooth keyboard.) The amount buttons are at the decrease left aspect, above the USB ports, and there are brightness buttons (which replica devoted keys at the bundled keyboard) at the proper aspect, above the HDMI-in and tool ports, at the side of a video supply switcher. (Extra in this within the subsequent segment.) There’s additionally a big privateness transfer for the webcam at the peak heart of the PC that’s a lot more uncomplicated to make use of than identical switches on laptops.

Show

I exploit 27- and 28-inch shows at my table, however the HP Transfer’s 23.8-inch IPS show is a pleasant step up from a 16- or 17-inch pc and used to be a pleasure to make use of. It kind of feels preferably suited to domestic use with its Quad HD (2560 x 1440) decision and multi-touch features, and it throws off an affordable 300 nits of brightness for the reason that it’s going to hardly mission out of doors. Sure, the show includes a 16:9 facet ratio, which would possibly appear somewhat anachronistic on this technology of 16:10 pc shows, however all of my desktop shows are 16:9 and this felt herbal to me.

What the show lacks is any roughly colour accuracy, however then this PC is aimed an informal computing—internet surfing, mild productiveness paintings—and isn’t suitable for inventive pros. I feel it’s a super selection for its meant audiences.

That mentioned, I want there used to be a bigger model: I might believe a 27- or 28-inch AIO for private use, and having the ability to lift it out to the kitchen desk or residing is a plus. And I want it didn’t take a seat so low: In comparison to a pc, the display screen reaches upper within the vertical, nevertheless it falls in need of just right ergonomics with its peak edge sitting about six inches too low (for me). Should you take a seat in entrance of this for lengthy sessions of time, you’ll want to broaden neck pressure. The facility to tilt the display screen/PC again somewhat doesn’t assist in reality.

To be truthful, I guess the children that use this PC often, and the adults in a relatives who use it sparingly, shall be positive.

In a pleasant contact, the Transfer helps video-in by the use of an HDMI port on its backside proper that shall we the PC act as an exterior stressed out show. I examined this the use of a PC pc with a USB-C to HDMI dongle and an HDMI cable, and it labored splendidly. There’s even a video enter switcher button proper above that HDMI port that permits you to toggle the show between the inner PC and an exterior video supply. Well executed.

Inside parts

Just like the Intel NUC I nonetheless leave out, the Envy Transfer is mainly a pc in conceal, on this case one this is powered through a thirteenth Gen Intel Core i3-1315U or i5-1335U processor. Those are low-end, environment friendly 15-watt portions which are paired with low-end built-in Intel UHD graphics and now not the more recent Iris Xe graphics. Certainly, the Core i3 possibility is identical CPU utilized in the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus I lately reviewed. That is most certainly unfounded, however I’m cautious of the use of a Core i3 U-series processor in a Home windows PC. The Core i5-1335U within the evaluation unit used to be completely applicable in day by day mild productiveness duties of the type one may be expecting from a shared relatives PC like this: Internet surfing, e-mail, mild photograph enhancing, phrase processing, and so forth.

Serving to issues, HP additionally configured the evaluation unit with 16 GB of RAM, which I think is the baseline for any PC at the present time. It’s additionally the utmost quantity imaginable within the Envy Transfer, which has a base configuration of simply 8 GB. There are extra alternatives with garage alternatives—256 GB, 512 GB, or 1 TB of PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD—and right here, once more, HP went with the highest-end selection. I might as smartly have been I spending my very own cash, and expectantly a long run replace or model will be offering extra expansive processor and RAM alternatives.

I by no means stressed out the Envy Transfer all that a lot—I feel essentially the most tough workload it continued used to be a large report replica associated with my contemporary photograph assortment consolidation paintings—and so there used to be by no means any noticeable fan noise. HP puts two huge air flow ports on both sides of the webcam privateness transfer at the peak of the PC to assist with warmth dissipation, and the corporate works its now-usual wizardry through overwriting the inner energy control controls in Home windows with its personal extra refined choices that steadiness efficiency, fan noise, and cooling. This effort turns out to have paid off.

Connectivity

Connectivity is forged and quite fashionable: Relying at the configuration, you are going to get Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E wi-fi features, and each include Bluetooth 5.3 as smartly. The evaluation unit has the extra succesful Wi-Fi 6E phase, and it paired effectively with my Eero 6E Professional mesh wi-fi community.

Ports and growth

Expandability is suitable given the desires of the objective marketplace, and let’s now not disregard {that a} bunch of wires placing off the PC would intrude with its distinctive portability. There’s one USB Sort-C and one USB Sort-A port at the left aspect, either one of which provide 10 Gbps of information switch pace; the Sort-C port additionally helps DisplayPort 1.4a for video-out.

At the proper, you’ll in finding only a unmarried growth port, a full-sized HDMI 1.4b port that best helps video-in and sits above the proprietary HP charging port. As famous above, you’ll be able to use the HP Envy Transfer as an exterior show too.

Those ports are all at the backside of the instrument the place they belong, which used to be the fitting selection.

Audio and video

The Envy Transfer sports activities two 5-watt audio system which are hidden at the back of a beautiful cloth grill at the backside entrance of the PC and tuned through Bang & Olufsen. Configuration is minimum and lackluster: You’ll be able to manually make a choice from track, voice, and video modes within the myHP app, however there’s no automated configuration for particular content material varieties. After all, one shouldn’t be expecting Dolby Atmos at this worth level, and audiophiles aren’t the meant target audience.

That mentioned, the AV revel in is strangely just right, given what we need to paintings with. The audio system blast transparent and strangely loud, they usually don’t distort on the higher limits of the amount vary. And the stereo separation is affordable. Paired with the fitting video content material, the whole revel in is very good. If the rest, track in some way sounds even higher: Trendy tracks like Def Leppard’s All We Want and the remastered songs in Van Halen’s The Assortment II stuffed the room with robust, blank, sound.

Hybrid paintings

The Envy Transfer supplies a top quality and widescreen 5 MP webcam, and whilst I used to be anxious that the low peak of this PC would lead to a jowly perspective, I used to be stunned to find that wasn’t the case. You’ll be able to regulate the attitude through tilting all of the PC, I assume, however I left it in its commonplace upright place. The webcam is subsidized through HP’s AI-based Enhanced Digital camera revel in that permits you to configure the decision (as much as 4K/UHD) and auto body, backlight, low-light, tone, and look clear out changes. You’ll be able to additionally blur the background or make a choice from quite a lot of backgrounds, together with presets and your personal.

I will be able to’t consider many within the Transfer’s audience would ever use this selection, however Enhanced Digital camera additionally allows you to upload a 2d webcam and blend the 2 in combination in fascinating layouts, together with in fact a picture-in-picture possibility. Should you’re domestic ill with the children, this PC is an ideal selection for video conferences.

For audio, the Transfer provides a normal Realtek microphone array with background noise removing and convention and private microphone modes (configured in myHP). I examined the audio high quality through studying a part of this evaluation to the Sound Recorder app. It used to be strangely just right, and not using a distortion and just right quantity ranges from my place about two toes from the display screen.

Keyboard and touchpad

HP bundles a white all-in-one Bluetooth wi-fi keyboard and touchpad with the Envy Transfer and the one just right factor I will be able to say about it’s that it kind of suits the colour and design of the PC it’s paired with.

From there, it’s all downhill.

The keyboard is all plastic and it has an affordable appear and feel, and HP in some way didn’t trouble to check the thrill splotchy glance of the PC, going as a substitute with a stark white colour. The keys are horrible, with lengthy throws and an affordable plastic really feel, they usually’re extremely loud. There also are some lacking keys, like Print Display, and no backlighting in any respect.

Perhaps I’m being too harsh, given the objective marketplace. However children wish to sort faculty studies and papers, too, or even a relatives sharing one PC merits a just right typing revel in. I couldn’t use this keyboard for any duration of time, and I didn’t. I used a special keyboard to write down this evaluation.

I do like the thrill mesh pouch at the again of the PC that you’ll be able to use to stow the keyboard when sporting it round. However this pouch additionally serves to spotlight a neglected alternative right here: There’s a variety of room at the again of the Envy Transfer for a pouch of no matter measurement and form, and HP will have to have designed the keyboard in order that its built-in touchpad used to be in entrance of the keyboard with a wrist leisure. The present elongated design feels unnatural: Nearly nobody makes use of a touchpad off to the fitting aspect of the keyboard. And as soon as they are attempting this one, they’ll by no means need to accomplish that once more.

Safety

The HP Envy Transfer helps facial popularity by the use of its webcam, which turns out supreme for youngsters and members of the family, nevertheless it unsurprisingly does now not supply a fingerprint reader. There’s a big, obtrusive, and easy-to-use webcam privateness shutter at the peak heart of the PC, however no solution to simply mute the microphone: But some other key lacking from that horrible keyboard.

Sustainability

HP, like the opposite top-tier PC makers, is making ever-more sustainable gadgets, and the Envy Transfer advantages from this development with 55 % post-consumer recycled plastic total, ocean-bound plastic in its speaker enclosures, 100% recycled polyester within the audio system and pocket cloth, and 45 % recycled steel internally. However as an all-in-one PC, it doesn’t seem to be in particular serviceable, and not using a obtrusive solution to open the chassis and get admission to its innards.

Portability

That is the primary time I will be able to recall working battery existence exams on a desktop pc, however there have been few surprises given the HP Envy Transfer’s huge, high-resolution show: I noticed somewhat over 3.5 hours of real-world battery existence whilst checking out, which will have to be positive for its meant use round a house, the place energy is at all times readily to be had. The bundled 90-watt energy provide can speedy fee the Transfer’s 6-cell 83-watt-hour interior battery to 50 % in about 45 mins, which is likewise applicable. For the reason that charger is proprietary, you don’t have to fret about the use of up the USB Sort-C port whilst charging.

Is it moveable? I imply, positive. The item weighs somewhat over 9 kilos, and it’s smooth to select up and lift round, assuming you’re now not an overly small kid. Simply you’ll want to discover a strong, flat, onerous floor for it: You’ll be able to’t use the Envy Transfer in mattress or on a sofa until you don’t thoughts leaning it in opposition to one thing and taking your probabilities.

Device

HP’s user PCs be afflicted by an abundance of crapware, however the Envy Transfer is available in at the mild aspect, with superfluous Adobe provides, Dropbox promotion, and the reviled McAfee LiveSafe. There also are 9 HP utilities and two Intel utilities (together with the Unison telephone hyperlink app), and despite the fact that I query the desire for HP’s OMEN Gaming Hub app in this PC—I’m guessing it’s about promoting you Nvidia GeForce Now—maximum of HP’s additions are someway helpful.

As an example, myHP supplies a front-end for configuring the PC’s audio, video, show, and tool control options, but in addition not obligatory display screen time and display screen distance notifications. HP Toughen Assistant is available for up-to-date drivers and common reinforce help. And the Enhanced Lighting fixtures app, whilst somewhat goofy, supplies a ring-light-like impact for video calls.

Total, this isn’t terrible for a shopper providing.

Pricing and configurations

A base Envy Transfer configuration—with a Core i3 processor, 8 GB of RAM, 256 GB of SSD garage, and Home windows 11 House—is simply $750, which sounds moderately cheap. However I will be able to’t suggest a Home windows PC with not up to 16 GB of RAM, so the appropriate base configuration, as I see it, is set $800. Upgrading to a Core i5 processor provides some other $100, the garage upgrades will run some other $70 to $150, and you’ll be able to improve to Wi-Fi 6E for simply $10. The maxed-out evaluation configuration prices about $1060. (Or about $1130 with Home windows 11 Professional.)

On the higher finish of the associated fee sheet, you could be tempted to pit the Transfer in opposition to an entry-level prosumer pc, which would supply extra robust internals and higher battery existence, however a way smaller show. That call is as much as the person however I think that the Envy Transfer is the fitting selection for the ones with more youthful children, or most likely {couples} or younger households with best fundamental computing wishes. Those that desire a pc will know that and select accordingly.

Suggestions and conclusions

I’m now not a candidate for this PC, and my children are actually adults and not residing at domestic. But it surely’s onerous to disclaim the attraction of this for youngsters or younger households, and my kids would have liked to have had any such PC once they have been rising up. The HP Envy Transfer delivers a a laugh, family-friendly design with distinctive around-the-home portability capability, an ideal show, and simply sufficient efficiency to satisfy the desires of that target audience, and it’s a just right worth for the cash total. Handiest the keyboard is a letdown, however this seems like a solvable drawback, and I’d love to look HP make bigger this product relatives with a couple of extra alternatives. You already know you need one.

At-a-glance

Execs

• A actually moveable all-in-one PC for households
• Amusing, pleasant design with crowd-pleasing options
• Superb multi-touch show
• Terrific audio/video and hybrid paintings capability
• Just right worth for the cash

Cons

• Affordable and horrible keyboard and touchpad