There is not much I need to say about the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook that has not already been evident from the leaks, announcements, and general hype surrounding this thing.
18 April, 2021 | Uncategorized
There is not much I need to say about the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook that has not already been evident from the leaks, announcements, and general hype surrounding this thing.
It is a beautiful device. It’s fast, with enterprise-grade specs — one of the first Chromebooks, in fact, to support Intel’s vPro platform. And yet, the exceptional nature of the chassis really lays bare, more so than any other device I’ve tested this year, one of the biggest complaints I have about the current Chromebook space: ChromeOS. As much as I love using ChromeOS, and as much progress as it’s made over the years, it’s not ready for the business world — and it’s not ready for devices that, even in their cheapest form, cost well over $1,000.
Chromebook enthusiasts have been waiting for a device like this. They’ve been waiting for quite some time — the last lustworthy, high-end Chromebook was Google’s own Pixelbook in 2017. And I think HP has probably done close to everything it can to make an incredible enterprise machine.
I’ll run you through the good things. It’s light, at just 2.8 pounds (just 0.1 heavier than the MacBook Air, though it’s a good deal thicker) with a sturdy magnesium / aluminum hybrid chassis. It looks and feels just like HP’s premium Windows Dragonfly line, with an excellent 3:2 display (including a 1,000-nit option and a Sure View Reflect privacy screen option), fantastic Bang & Olufsen-tuned speakers, a surprisingly sharp 5MP webcam with a physical shutter, and an optional rechargeable USI pen that magnetically attaches to the chassis.
Even the port selection is fine (relative to the port-starved world that ultraportables currently live in), including an HDMI as well as two USB-Cs and a USB-A.