Voodoo Envy Set to Ship in August

Remember the ultra-sexy, high-end Voodoo Envy laptop we reported about last month? Well, Voodoo has recently updated its Website to now include a rudimentary configurator for the Envy. 

Unlike traditional configurators (like you'd find on Dell's site), the Envy page currently features a matrix made up of three different types of users ("Casual User," "Power User," and "Road Warrior") with three different configuration options for each user type--thus providing a total of nine possible configurations, ranging in price from $2,099 to $3,399. (Click on the image to the left to see the different Voodoo Envy configuration options.)

Once you choose your configuration option, you are then taken to a page where you select the laptop's finish. The default finish is "Black Weave," but you can choose one of three "Voodoo Core Colors" for an additional $500, or one of the 11 "Voodoo Classic Colors" for another $600.

Unfortunately, you can't actually place an order for an Envy quite yet. You have four options at this point:

We chatted with a sales representative and he informed us that "payment for the orders will be accepted in the next couple of days" and that "shipping will start by end of Aug [sic]."

The Envy could easily be considered a boutique laptop: designed to cater almost exclusively to those with money to burn. From a pure specs perspective, there are far less-expensive laptops out there with the same raw components pedigree. The appeal of the Envy, however, is in its small form factor, special features, sleek design, and its high bling factor. You can think of it as a full-featured, Windows version of the MacBook Air.

The Envy's weight starts at 3.373 pounds (depending on the configuration), and measures 0.70x12.65x9.04-inches (HxWxD). It features a carbon-fiber case with a 13.3-inch, LED-backlit screen. One of the Envy's unique features is its multiple-gesture touchpad--similar to that found on the MacBook Air. The Envy also includes an innovative approach to networking with its "Voodoo Aura PowerConnect": when an active network cable is attached to the Ethernet connection on the Envy's power brick (yes, there is an Ethernet jack on the power brick), an automatic point-to-point wireless connection is established between the power brick and the laptop. The Envy also includes the "Voodoo IOS,"which offers quick-boot access to an Internet browser and Skype. While we haven't seen it in action yet, we're fairly certain that "Voodoo IOS" uses DeviceVM's Splashtop OS--the same light-weight CMOS-based OS that Asus calls "Express Gate" and uses in some of its motherboards and laptops. 

There is no doubt that many will find the Envy truly techlicious. However, we predict that other than those with large amounts of disposable income, few of us mere mortals will be convinced to part with our hard-earned cash for the bragging rights to own an Envy. But we can dream. (For information on Voodoo's equally priced-right-out-of-our-reach realm, check out our news post on the Voodoo Omen desktop gaming rig.)