<p>Mmm so I've narrowed down my search to these 2 laptops.. they are almost identical in specifications and price (about 900-1k USD, i5 2.4GHz, radeon 5650). I'm leaning heavily towards the Envy 14 as it looks better, has (what HP says) better battery life (supposedly 12 hours with the GPU turned off), and has a backlit keyboard. I guess the only thing going for the ideapad in terms of specifications is lighter weight (4.63lb vs 5.25).</p>
<p>However I've been hearing frequently on this forums that HP laptops suck and don't last long and have tons of problems and have terrible customer support and so forth... and Lenovo ones are more durable and better for students. What is the truth in these rumors?</p>
<p>Get the Envy 14. Lenovos are only known for their durability because of their Thinkpad line. Ideapads are just as good (or bad) as any other mainstream laptop out there.</p>
<p>Mmm what exactly is so durable about a thinkpad?</p>
<p>As far as I know, they use better quality hardware, and I know that the Thinkpad T series uses a special metal “roll chassis” in its design. There’s a video on Youtube showing a T-series laptop being thrown against a wall and still working.</p>
<p>The thinkpad t series has a metal roll cage just like a race car’s roll cage. It basically has metal reinforcements inside. And they have good cooling systems, optimized hardware, special lenovo programs. They sacrifice looks for practicality.</p>
<p>I heard the original y450 had lots of heat. And it’s plastic with no roll cage. Go with the aluminum envy 14. (but read the reviews first ^__^)</p>
<p>Envy 14 doesn’t come out until June 17 - no reviews to read =(</p>
<p>the Envy 15 had heat problems but HP supposedly fixed them with the 14 and 17</p>
<p>mmm metal reinforcements that protect it from being thrown against a wall… wouldn’t that make it way too heavy to carry around all the time?</p>
<p>No, the Thinkpad has a pretty reasonable weight.</p>
<p>The Envy 14 actually comes out on June 27 – even later! While you’re waiting, you should definitely check out the new HP dm4. It comes out this Wednesday (May 19), has a brushed aluminum finish, and will get you a lot of the same specs as the Envy for hundreds of dollars cheaper.</p>