HP (Hewlett-Packard) has not enjoyed that much success in the market due to the fact competition in the technology market is very tight and rigid. There is a chance that this could all change as HP unveiled their new Ultrabook dubbed as Envy 14 Spectre during the 2012 CES (Consumer Electronics Show).

HP described the Envy 14 Spectre as "the premium consumer Ultrabook" and based on its design and performance, it is indeed in the "premium" level. One of the most notable features of the HP Spectre is the "glass design" in the body and touchpad of the Ultrabook. The glass is hardened Gorilla glass and it is shatter resistant. This type of glass is also found in other gadgets particularly in iPhone and other high end smartphones. The Envy 14 Spectre has a 14-inch, 1600×900 pixels Radiance display which users could find extremely useful. It also has a width of 13 inches, depth of 8.7 inches, and thickness of 0.8 inch (closed position). The glass design in Envy 14 Spectre makes this model much heavier (1.71 Kg) as compared to other Ultrabooks.

The word "premium" could also be applicable on the specifications that could be found inside HP's new Ultrabook. This model utilizes Intel Core i5-2467M processor which is already suitable for the normal tasks done by a person. If this is not enough, users could opt to get a Core i7 version. It also has 4GB of RAM for the standard model and this can be upgraded to 8GB of DDR3 RAM. The Envy 14 Spectre also has 128GB SSD module that users could choose over the usual HDD storage found in other notebook. The SSD can also be upgraded to 256GB. In terms of OS, the Spectre would be utilizing Windows 8 once it is already released in the market. The demo unit shown at CES 2012 utilized Windows 7 Premium 64bit. In terms of battery life, HP assured that this model can last up to 9 hours but no actual test has been performed in order to test this claim by HP. Other features of the Spectre includes backlit keyboard c/o individual LED, USB 3.0 port, a mini DisplayPort, 3.5mm microphone/stereo combo jack, HDMI, gigabit Ethernet, and NFC reader.

The Envy 14 Spectre was officially revealed in the public at CES 2012 and many people attending the event responded positively to the Ultrabook's glass design. Many people assumed that since it was a glass design, it would be more vulnerable in terms of durability but since it made up of Corning's Gorilla class, this concern is easily addressed. HP labels this Ultrabook as a "no compromise" machine when it was unveiled in the public. This is due to the features and specifications included in the Envy 14 Spectre. Despite the positive reception of this Ultrabook, many people were not that welcoming when they learned that they have to pay at least US$1,400 to purchase this device.

HP's Envy 14 Spectre will be available in the US market on Feb. 8 for US$1,399 for the base configuration. HP has yet to release any official announcement about the availability of Envy 14 Spectre in Australia.