HP loads its Envy systems with software you won't find on its other systems. Yes, you still have Norton Internet Security 2010 preinstalled and HP's quick-launch options, along with a pretty nice support app that will search for updated drivers and the like and offer PC cleaning and tuning suggestions. They can all be easily disabled or uninstalled. HP also includes and Stardock's MyColors app for skinning Windows. The default Envy theme is simple and attractive, and you can easily switch back to Windows 7's default theme, if you wish. Also included is Stardock's excellent app, which helps organize and manage desktop icons.

No laptop is perfect, and I've never seen a model that really gives me everything I want in a system. I'd rather HP had kept the optical drive out of the Envy 14 and included a larger battery to improve the system's longevity, and I prefer individual physical buttons on the touchpad to the one large integrated surface. Still, for a person like myself that wants a laptop of reasonable size and weight with plenty of muscle (including the ability to play the latest games), a high-quality display, and great style and build quality, the Envy 14 really fits the bill. Yes, "better" laptops are out there for a lot more money, as are plenty of cheaper laptops that don't offer such consistently high quality, but precious few laptops hit the sweet spot in between as well as the HP Envy 14.