For intensive engineering tasks, the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) with its M1 Pro chip provides superior performance, and its mini LED screen offers higher resolution and refresh rate, which could be more enjoyable for detailed work or media consumption. The HP Envy 17, however, has a larger screen, which might be advantageous if you prefer a more spacious display. The MacBook Pro is praised for its build quality and offers better battery life but at a typically much higher cost. The HP Envy is less expensive and includes a touchscreen, a feature absent on the MacBook. The MacBook Pro is more portable, making it a better choice if you need to carry it around frequently. The HP, being heavier, is less portable but compensates with more connectivity options, like an HDMI port and a number pad on the keyboard, making it suitable for presentations and data entry. 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 Envy 17
The HP Envy 17 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021).
Key differences
General Use
8.4/10
7.5/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
479.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for general use, while the HP Envy 17 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) excels in portability, battery life, and screen quality, with a high-resolution Mini LED display, making it very good for general use especially when on the move. In comparison, the HP Envy 17 offers similar RAM and CPU but its larger screen, albeit with lower resolution and quality, and heavier build suit users who prioritize a bigger display and numeric keypad and can compromise on battery life and portability.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
7.4/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for engineering and design, while the HP Envy 17 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) excels in engineering and design due to its robust Apple M1 Pro processor and high-quality Mini LED screen, contributing to impressive visual accuracy and powerful computing performance. While the HP Envy 17 also supports these tasks with a capable Intel processor and ample screen size, its standard IPS display and integrated graphics are less suited for highly intensive design work, despite offering a larger screen and a dedicated number pad which can be beneficial for some engineering applications.
Content Creation
8.4/10
7.5/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
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 Envy 17 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
7.5/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for software development, while the HP Envy 17 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
6.8/10
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
329.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the HP Envy 17 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro's screen excels in general use and engineering due to its high resolution, exceptional brightness, and wide color gamut, providing crisp images and accurate colors for detailed work. However, its lower refresh rate is less ideal for 3D applications where smooth motion is crucial. On the other hand, the HP Envy 17 offers good overall screen quality for everyday tasks and engineering designs but falls short for gaming and 3D work, likely due to its lesser refresh rate and color range compared to specialized gaming or 3D-focused displays.
Battery
13.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The HP Envy 17 has 8 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
5.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has very good portability, while the HP Envy 17 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the HP Envy 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,905
$1,000
$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 Envy 17 costs $1,000.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and HP Envy 17 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The MacBook Pro 14 has a high refresh rate and a powerful integrated GPU, making it well-suited for 3D applications, but its macOS may limit game compatibility, while the HP Envy 17's standard refresh rate and decent GPU perform fairly in gaming and 3D, with Windows providing broader game support.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and the HP Envy 17 compare to other laptops
"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."
"In our test, the HP Envy 17-cr0079ng presents itself as a balanced multimedia laptop. Thanks to its solid CPU performance and dedicated entry-level GeForce, it can also be used for playing video games, as long as the demands aren't too high. Those looking for more can find it in the Dell XPS 17 for example."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) or the HP Envy 17
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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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.
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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.
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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.