HP Envy 23 Recline: modern desktop

Recline HP Envy 23 is a desktop all-in-one with touch screen 1080p, jointed support, HDMI input and excellent multimedia.

Recline Envy 23 is the latest in home HP in the category of personal computers hybrids: a new generation of hardware, which attempts to overcome the limitations of traditional desktop PC (now regarded by many as an old product) going more and more towards that which is the freshness and the flexibility of the experience touch and mobile, as suggested, inter alia, also by the same operating system Windows 8.1.

With this new all-in-one, HP has, however, wanted to bring this innovative philosophy even further, creating a product with very specific characteristics in terms of design and experience of general use, and certainly interesting for the consumer segment of the public .

Technical details and equipment

The technical details of the ‘HP Envy Recline differs greatly depending on the configuration, which also vary in terms of size of the screen (we can choose between 23 “and 27″). The version we tested is the one that collaborates with Beats Audio and features as technical an Intel Core i3-4130T 2.90 GHz, a dedicated GPU Nvidia GeForce GT 730A 1 GB, 4 GB of RAM, a webcam HD 720p and 1 TB hard drive at 5,400 rpm, all obviously built in a beautiful 23-inch IPS LCD screen and 1,920 × 1,080 pixels of resolution, equipped with touch technology to 10 points.

To underline the absence of any optical drive: a solution now quite common in compact devices, and probably well commensurate to the needs of the target audience.

In terms of ports and connections, we find two USB 2.0, two USB 3.0, an Ethernet port, the ubiquitous SD card reader, Wi-Fi antennas and Bluetooth, a headphone and microphone combo jack and a dedicated output for the connecting an external subwoofer

Finally, perhaps the most interesting detail: an HDMI input, allowing you to take advantage of this all-in-one as a screen to connect other video sources (game consoles, etc..). The version we tested dell ‘HP Envy 23 Recline offered also included an adapter for the AVerMedia’ TV antenna, with its pre-installed software, and an interesting media remote, and of course the usual wireless mouse and keyboard.

We are therefore faced with a technical equipment without doubt very comprehensive and interesting, not so much from the point of view of brute force, as in the aspect of versatility.

Flexible Design

The same versatility is also enhanced by the recovery and design of this HP Envy Recline 23, which counts on a floating bracket which, besides giving the name to the entire line, is able to vary its angle to allow different configurations of use : beyond the classical vertical position, we have the screen horizontally too, to get a more in-style tablet, or even bring the screen until it protrudes from the edge of the desk.

In combination with the Windows OS 8.1 and its strong focus on touch, this feature makes the ‘HP Envy 23 Recline a desktop very flexible: you can, for example, use the desktop environment through the usual mouse and keyboard commands, for then bring the screen quickly and confidently (thanks to the joint optimally calibrated and offset) and take advantage of the experience of touch Windows 8 meter. The hybrid nature of the last Microsoft OS will probably continue to not get a part of the public, but in this all-in-one solution we have found one of the more natural and pleasant.

Even the build quality is high, with the use of materials from the good feeling and a generally very nice design, rounded corners and elegant contours. Mouse and Keyboard Included are certainly cheaper, but still perfectly usable and not too “cheap.” The total weight of this all-in-one is about 13 pounds, which makes it perhaps a little ‘portly for the category and not undermine a minimum portability, but it certainly will not create any problem in the classic desktop environment.

Performance and multimedia

In terms of performance as well, the ‘HP Envy 23 Recline offers a well performance commensurate with its technical details. In the tested version, the processor is a quad-core desktop (and therefore not a mobile chip as seen in other competing products), but it is certainly ambitious, as well as the allocation of RAM, rather narrow.

For an all-in-one, however, the performances are good and provide a user experience without special hiccups or slowdowns. In particular, the boot time is very quick (about 20 seconds) and performing the normal daily tasks (browsing, social networks, etc.) is satisfactory. For those who want more, you can opt for higher performance hardware equipment (up to Core i7 CPUs and 16 GB RAM), obviously at a higher cost.

In the field of gaming the results are modest, but not to throw away: the GeForce GT 730A equipped allows you to play titles relatively new and complex, as long as you set the resolution to 720p and graphic details to medium-low. The gameplay in 1080p is obviously out of the question, but expect more from an all-in-one in this price range would be excessive.

Really excellent, however, is the multimedia. First, the quality of the screen and speaker built-in audio is excellent: the first is sharp and offers good color reproduction, with a fairly wide viewing angle; the second returns bass and full-bodied robust enough for the category and, of course, can rely on the use of a separate subwoofer.

A good starting point this must be added the TV adapter and the external media remote, which transform the ‘HP Envy 23 Recline in a very comprehensive instrument and in many ways unique. The usability of the TV function with the built-in software is good, though not without its inconsistencies (the list of channels has not been recognized in the correct order, for example), and it is certainly appreciated the ability to record programs on HD in a simple and immediate.

The last touch about multimedia is the aforementioned HDMI input, allowing you to use this all-in-one as an external screen to which you can connect any device with a compatible video output, and transforms the ‘HP Envy 23 Recline in a real factotum.

Verdict

Recline HP Envy 23 is definitely an all-in-one desktop interesting characteristics, as well as one of the best representatives of this new generation of hybrid PC, thanks to its versatility and its design guessed.

The technical details of the version we tested is well commensurate to the needs of the consumer audience and provides a generally positive experience, but who also expected to be used in demanding environments such as gaming or graphic recommend you consider one of the higher configurations.

The price / performance ratio is affected, of course, the compact form factor and design ambitious, but in the category of all-in-one ‘s Recline HP Envy 23 is a highly competitive, especially for those who want to take advantage of its multimedia abilities and touch capabilities of the OS Windows 8.1.

HP Envy 23 Recline: modern desktop