The Apple MacBook Pro 14 is notably more expensive than the HP 17" Laptop, offering a balanced mix of portability and performance. Its smaller form factor, higher screen resolution, and superior color accuracy make it ideal for tasks involving visual media, while its longer battery life supports extended use. On the other hand, the HP 17" offers a larger screen and numeric keypad, which can be beneficial for productivity. However, it trades off screen quality and portability for a more affordable price. Choose the MacBook Pro if color-critical work and mobility are top priorities, or opt for the HP for cost savings and a bigger display. 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 Pro 14 (2021)
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the HP 17" Laptop
The HP 17" Laptop has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021).
Key differences
General Use
8.4/10
7.3/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
479.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
287.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.1/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for general use, while the HP 17" Laptop is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.8/10
6.2/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and HP 17" Laptop are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) with a high-refresh-rate Mini LED display and powerful M1 Pro GPU is better suited for 3D tasks, offering smooth visuals and efficient processing. In contrast, the HP 17" Laptop, despite having a larger screen and an adequate AMD GPU for fair gaming performance, lacks the higher screen refresh rate and robust GPU power, which, along with the limited software compatibility of MacOS for popular games, positions it as a less favorable option for gaming compared to the MacBook.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
6.8/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for engineering and design, while the HP 17" Laptop is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) boasts a more powerful CPU and GPU, superior display with higher resolution and brightness, and a longer battery life, making it very suitable for engineering and design tasks that demand high processing power and detailed visual work. In comparison, the HP 17" Laptop has a good CPU and GPU for general engineering and design work, with a larger screen size, but it has a lower resolution display and shorter battery life, making it less ideal for intense graphics work and extended periods without charging.
Content Creation
8.4/10
7.2/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for content creation, while the HP 17" Laptop is good.
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
8.3/10
7.1/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for software development, while the HP 17" Laptop 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.
Screen Quality
9.2/10
6.6/10
14.2in
SIZE
17.3in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
479.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
287.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the HP 17" Laptop for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14" excels in screen quality for general use and engineering due to its high-resolution display that offers sharp images and a bright screen enhancing visibility, alongside extensive color gamuts ensuring color accuracy for professional design work. However, its refresh rate is not optimal for 3D applications where smoother motion representation is crucial. The HP 17" Laptop offers decent screen quality for general use and engineering with a satisfactory resolution for everyday tasks and adequate color reproduction for design, but its weaker refresh rate and overall screen performance are less suited for the demands of gaming and 3D content creation.
Battery
13.5 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The HP 17" Laptop has 5.5 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
Very Good
Good
14.2in
SIZE
17.3in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.5 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has very good portability, while the HP 17" Laptop has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
6.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the HP 17" Laptop has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,905
$600
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has a price of $1,905 and the HP 17" Laptop costs $600.
"In the Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023, the M2 Pro is slowed down. From the improved 5nm process, the new M2 Pro is a very solid upgrade. Graphics performance has increased by about 25% in tandem with a clear improvement in efficiency. The processor has also seen a performance leap of up to 20%, but this is accompanied by an increase in consumption of up to 25%. Fundamentally, Apple its maintaining its advantage over AMD and Intel, particularly in optimized applications where the results are very good in view of the comparatively low power consumption."
"As far as starter laptops go, the HP Laptop 17 is a sound investment. Sure, it might not be the lightest of options, but what you get for the price is a well-rounded machine that fits multiple niches. Whether it be office duties that require you to multi-task between multiple programs, or study tasks in which you’ll spend hours browsing online, this laptop does it all. Plus, when it's time to unwind, you can watch your favorite shows or movies on a super-wide display. What's best of all is that you can do all this for about half a day on a single charge."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) or the HP 17" Laptop
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.
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