Based on your needs, if portability and a premium design are important to you, the MacBook Air might be more suitable as it is lighter and offers higher build quality. However, if you require more storage and memory, the HP Dragonfly Pro provides double the storage and RAM compared to the MacBook Air, which can be crucial for multitasking and data-heavy applications. The Dragonfly Pro also includes a touchscreen feature which the MacBook Air lacks, giving it an edge for hands-on interaction. Both have similar battery life, but if you're looking for a slightly longer battery performance and a fanless, silent operation, the MacBook Air has an advantage. Consider the MacBook Air for general use and light engineering tasks with a higher screen quality, or the HP Dragonfly Pro if you need a touchscreen and better performance for engineering and 3D/machine learning tasks. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2022)
Very good for software development
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
Very good for general use
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.6/10
7.1/10
13.6in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
405.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" for general use, AI, engineering and design, and software development.
When selecting a laptop for general use, the Apple MacBook Air delivers superior screen performance with its high-resolution, bright display and premium panel type, making text sharp and colors vibrant. For engineering and design professionals who need precise color representation, the MacBook Air supports wide color gamuts ensuring accurate and consistent colors. However, for 3D applications where a high refresh rate is key for smooth visuals, both the MacBook Air and HP Dragonfly Pro fall short, as they prioritize resolution and color accuracy over the faster screen refresh rates preferred in gaming and 3D rendering.
Battery
15.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has 10 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Excellent
Very Good
13.6in
SIZE
14.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$899
$1,400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $899 and the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" costs $1,400.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP Dragonfly Pro 14" to be very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" excels in general use with its superior CPU and double the RAM of the Apple MacBook Air (2022), enhancing multitasking and demanding tasks, along with a larger, touch-enabled screen for a more interactive experience. While the MacBook Air offers a sleeker design with a lighter weight and longer battery life, making it more portable, it has a higher-quality display and silent operation which might appeal to users prioritizing multimedia consumption and quiet environments.
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
6.5/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
7.6/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is well-suited for engineering and design due to its Apple M2 CPU and 8-core GPU, which offer efficient performance and strong graphics capabilities, complemented by a high-quality, color-accurate screen which is essential for design work. In comparison, the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" leverages an AMD Ryzen 7 CPU with a Radeon 680M GPU, offering robust computing power and graphics, along with more RAM for complex multitasking, a slightly larger touchscreen display, and additional storage, which are beneficial for demanding engineering applications, but it's slightly heavier which affects portability.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.9/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and HP Dragonfly Pro 14" are both good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
8.0/10
7.8/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air (2022) to be very good for software development, while the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
"I’d say that the HP Dragonfly Pro checks off most of the boxes for this freelancer. It feels nice to use, is zippy and responsive, has great speakers, and even has a relatively sane price. Although it’s an unorthodox choice to pick AMD for this kind of machine, it’s clear that when Ryzen is given a chance to shine, it can kick a lot of butt."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
About HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
103,695
Recommendations made
22,468
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.