A standout business laptop, the HP EliteBook 840 G5 may be too pricy for some ($1,099), but it's still far less expensive than many consumer laptops, and it's one of the best business devices of 2018.

Fox News contributing reporter (current). I was a founding member of CNET news and editor at CNET, a contributing technology reporter for the New York Times, and a reporter and editor at the Asian Wall Street Journal Weekly -- the latter in Japan, where I lived for ten years. I have covered mobile devices, chips, displays, and cars and companies including Apple, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Microsoft, General Motors, Toyota, and Tesla. The author is a Forbes contributor.

The opinions expressed are those of the writer. Google Pixelbook. Apple, Hewlett-Packard, and Dell all offer solid new versions of their flagship 13-inch models. And Google has entered the fray with its Pixelbook. I’ve been using all four. So which one comes out on top?

(Note this is an update to a and adds the Google Pixelbook because of its significance in 2018. Changes have been made throughout, including a change to the rankings. And note that biometric and keyboard notes are at the bottom.) The configurations that I’ve been using are: The late-2017 with a 1.2-GHz Intel Core i5-7Y57 (7th Generation) 8GB of memory and 128GB of storage.

The with 8th Generation Intel quad-core processor (Core i7 855oU), 8GB memory, 256GB of storage. Quicken for mac alternative 2013 torrent. The with the same 8th gen Intel quad-core processor and a config of 16GB/512GB. And the with 7th Generation Intel processor (Core i5 rated base speed of 2.3 GHz), 8GB of memory, and 128GB of storage. I’m going to rate the laptops on six key metrics in order to keep the comparison as concise as possible.

HP Spectre 13: HP manages to squeeze a quad-core 8th Gen processor into a 0.4-inch thick chassis. Design: At 2.45 pounds, the HP Spectre is the second lightest (after the Pixelbook) and uses both machined aluminum and carbon fiber. The design is impressive because it squeezes a quad-core processor into an impossibly-thin 0.41-inch thick chassis. And it’s definitely a looker.

The Dell XPS 13 is about 2.7 pounds and its tiny display bezels and weaved carbon fiber palm rest give it a distinct look. The 13-inch MacBook Pro is just over 3 pounds but it’s built like a tank with its sturdy all-aluminum construction. The 12.3-inch Pixelbook’s thinness (a tablet-like 0.4-inches) and weight (2.4 pounds — making it even lighter than the HP Spectre 13) make it a totable wonder (something I definitely notice when I put it in my bag). Despite this, the all-aluminum chassis feels very solid/durable. Winner(s): HP Spectre and Google Pixelbook. The HP laptop is pushing the boundaries of ultra-thin industrial design but still delivers good (quad-core) performance. And HP redesigned the 2017 Spectre 13, using thinner display bezels, reducing the footprint.

The Pixelbook is a stunningly thin design that can match anything the Windows and Mac world can throw at it. And it has become my go-to laptop for trips because it’s easy to tote around and has great weight distribution (an underrated metric, imo). I’ll add that the Dell XPS 13 has become an icon for 13-inch laptop design with its thin display bezels and compact 12-inch laptop form factor. But the design is beginning to age a bit. When/if I get my hands on the redesigned (model 9370) that may change. The MacBook Pro still looks great and is also an iconic design seen in coffee shops and airports across the world. Apple 13.3-inch MacBook Pro.

Performance: I will focus on the biggest gap in performance. That is the gap between Spectre/XPS and the MacBook.

In other words, HP and Dell have updated their offerings with the latest Intel 8th Gen quad-core. Apple has not: the latest MacBook Pro 13 uses 7th gen dual-core processors. This is a pretty big deal because, for the first time, svelte 13-inch laptops are able to tap into Intel quad-core performance. Instagram for chrome mac. Will the average consumer notice the performance gap between the 8th-gen Spectre/XPS and 7th-gen MacBook? Probably not. Will the more performance-conscious notice?

That’s the key takeaway for me. That is, the 8th gen quad-core feels faster (to me) and is a lot faster if you go by raw benchmarks. MobileTechReview is (7:40 mark in the video) for some operations. That’s big for a gen-to-gen comparison. Winner(s): Both HP and Dell because they’ve gone quad-core while maintaining ultra-slim form factors with good battery life. That said, I wouldn’t go so far as to call the MacBook’s 7th gen Intel processor a slouch. And on every-day tasks, it’s more than adequate.