Best laptop 2021: Mac, PC, and Chromebook compared

November 02, 2021

OS: Windows 10 (Home, Pro) | CPU: Intel Core i3-1115G4, Core i5-1135G7, Core i5-1145G7 vPro (G2 only); Core i7-1165G7, Core i7-1185G7 vPro (G2 and Max) | GPU: Intel UHD Graphics (Core i3), Iris Xe Graphics | RAM: 8GB, 16GB, 32GB | Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB | Screen: 13.3in. IPS, 1920 x 1080 touch screen, 400 nits; 1920 x 1080 touch screen + HP Sure View, 1000 nits (only option on Max); 3840 x 2160 touch screen, 550 nits | Wireless: Bluetooth 5.0, 802.11ax (WiFi 6), 4G LTE (option), 5G (option) | Ports and slots: 2x USB-C/Thunderbolt 4, USB 3.2, HDMI 2.0, Nano SIM (for optional WWAN) | Cameras: HD (720p) + IR (G2), 5MP + IR (Max) | Audio: 3 mics (G2), 4 mics (Max), 4 stereo speakers, 3.5mm headphone/mic jack | Battery: 38Wh, 56Wh | Dimensions: 304 x 198 x 16mm | Weight: 0.98kg (G2), 1.13 (Max) | Price: G2 from $2,572 (i3-1115G4), $2,770 (i5-1135G7), $2,984 (i5-1145G7), $3,124 (i7-1165G7), $3,421 (i7-1185G7); Max from $2,409 (i7-1165G7), $2,622 (i7-1185G7)

Mobile professionals ask a lot of laptop designers: a usable and performant combination of lightweight, flexible configuration, sturdy build, connectivity, security, battery life and design credibility. It’s a tall order to shoehorn all of that into one product, but HP gives it an exemplary go with the 13.3-inch Elite Dragonfly. We were extremely impressed with the first-generation Elite Dragonfly, and at CES 2021, HP announced the Elite Dragonfly G2 and Elite Dragonfly Max, based on Intel’s latest 11th-generation processors, which are both now available.

The Elite Dragonfly G2 ticks most of the boxes for mobile pros who don’t mind paying for a premium device: prices for the (just) sub-1kg G2 start at $2,572 for an entry-level Core i3 model, but can rise to over $5,000 if you max out on the options. It has an elegant sub-1kg chassis with MIL-STD 801G robustness and a 360-degree FHD (non-touch/touch) or UHD (touch) screen. The spill-resistant, backlit keyboard has a good, firm action and is not too loud, while the glass multi-touch touchpad works smoothly, as do the integrated mouse buttons. Options include mobile broadband (4G LTE or 5G), a Wacom AES 2.0 Pen and integrated Tile tracking, and there’s an electronic privacy slider for the HD (720p) IR webcam. Video calls are well served by the combination of the webcam, 3-mic array and 4-speaker system, and both standard (38Wh) and long-life (56Wh) batteries are available — the latter to serve the power-hungry 4K (UHD) screen.

Read the review: HP Elite Dragonfly G2 review

The Elite Dragonfly Max is only available with Core i7 processors and lacks the 4K screen option. It also has four rather than three mics (2 world-facing, 2 user-facing) and a 5MP IR camera with a manual rather than electronic privacy shutter. The G2 and Max both have two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB 3.2 port and an HDMI port.

Even though mobile professionals have been considerably less mobile during the coronavirus pandemic, ultraportables and convertibles remain a growth area in the PC market, and there are many devices out there. If the Elite Dragonfly G2 doesn’t do it for you, here are four more highly regarded contenders, in order of increasing screen size:

Article source: https://www.zdnet.com/article/best-laptop/#ftag=RSSbaffb68