With a machined aluminum body that makes it resemble an Apple MacBook, the 1080p HP EliteBook Folio G1 (starting at $999, $1,469 as tested) is a business laptop that doesn't look like one. It rivals our top pick for business laptops, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, and the MacBook in packing the most technology into a small laptop, and makes a better value proposition than its almost-identical sibling, the HP EliteBook Folio G1 (4K UHD), by trading its 4K touch screen and 256GB of storage for a savings of almost $300, while still giving you features like USB-C connectivity, a fanless Intel Core m7 processor, and plenty of RAM.

Design and Features
Although the EliteBook Folio G1 offers different screen options, most of the features don't vary much between the models. For a detailed discussion of the system's body, and other characteristics that are the same regardless of which unit you choose, check out our review of the 4K UHD version.

View All 5 Photos in Gallery

This version of the EliteBook Folio G1 comes in a black case that's almost identical to that system's, and it has nearly the same compact measurements (0.49 by 11.5 by 8.23 inches, HWD), though it weighs a little less (2.14 versus 2.36 pounds). Its 12.5-inch 1080p HD non-touch LCD screen is a bit of a step down from the top-of-the-line model's 4K UHD (3,840-by-2,160 resolution) IPS display. Text and visuals are more detailed and sharper on the 4K screen, but 1080p is fine for most business tasks like email, word processing, and video conferencing. The 2,304-by-1,440-resolution screen on the 12-inch MacBook and the QHD+ (3,200 by 1,800 resolution) screen on the 13.3-inch Dell XPS 13 Touch (2016) both have more room than the EliteBook's display. That said, 1080p is a fairly common resolution for business laptops; among others, it's used on the Acer Travelmate P645-SG-79QV.