Alan Kay, the brain behind Dynabook talked about laptop weight before the word laptop came into common usage. I remember reading in “The Race for Perfect” by Steve Hamm♦ when researching the ThinkPad X300 a story about him testing weight that people would be willing to carry:
“Using a book as a model, Kay taped together a cardboard mockup of what the Dynabook computer might look like, and filled it with lead shotgun pellets until he decided that he
had reached the limit of what people would be willing to carry around. The optimal weight he decided on: two pounds.”
Two pounds for reference is 907 grams or under one-kilogram. It wouldn’t be for decades after Kay’s measurements that computers would be that light.
At CES this year, there are several manufacturers chasing after the one-kilogram laptop. Both HP and Lenovo have put new entries into the ring to challenge the LG gram. Here is a short breakdown of these two challengers.
HP Elite Dragonfly Max
Reportedly coming in under one kilogram is the HP Elite Dragonfly Max. Little is currently known about the Dragonfly Max beyond what is in the table below. Out of all of the laptops, it is the only one that hasn’t been released and pricing isn’t currently available. I’ve included the fine print regarding its inclusion into this comparison in the chart below.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano
Not shying away from the lightweight competition is the long-rumoured and awaited X1 Nano. Unlike the HP Dragonfly Max, fully spec’d out only puts it 1g over the one-kilogram mark. While it might lack in ports, it has the nicest screen available between the three models and is also tied for the thinnest on the list. It is also the only one that features Thunderbolt 4 and a touch screen.
The first laptop that most people think of that made the weight part of the branding is of course the LG gram, which I talked about in an earlier article here. The only one that is fair to compare by weight is listed below:
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano | HP Dragonfly Max | LG gram 14 (14Z90P) |
|
| Display Size | 13-inch | 13.3-inch | 14-inch |
| LCD |
13.0″ 2K Touchscreen (2160 x 1350) IPS, glossy touchscreen with Dolby Vision™, 450 nits, 100% sRGB 13.0″ 2K (2160 x 1350) IPS, anti-glare with Dolby Vision™, 450 nits, 100% sRGB |
13.3-inch HD (1920 x 1080) display | WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS, DCI-P3 99 percent (Typical) |
| Aspect Ratio |
16:10 | 16:9 | 16:10 |
| Weight |
|
Under 1kg. Weight will vary by configuration. UHD panel or HP Sure View Reflect, 32GB memory base units, WWAN, 4-cell battery, and 512GB SSD or higher not available on configurations starting at less than 1kg. | 999g (2.2lbs) |
| Size |
|
Not currently known. | 313.4 x 215.2 x16.8mm (12.34 x 8.47 x 0.66 inches) |
| Battery | 65Wh | 4 cell. Not currently known. | 72Wh |
| CPU | 11th Gen Intel® Core™ Processor |
11th Gen Intel® Core™ Processor |
11th Gen Intel® Core™ Processor |
| GPU | Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics Intel® UHD Graphics |
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics Intel® UHD Graphics |
Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics Intel® UHD Graphics |
| Memory | 8/16GB |
Up to 32GB | 8/16GB (LPDDR4x) |
| Storage | M.2 SSD slot (NVMeTM) 1TB Max | M.2 SSD slot (NVMeTM) 2TB Max | M.2 Dual SSD slots (NVMeTM) |
| Colour | Black, Black with Carbon-Fiber Weave on top cover (available on Touch models only) | Dragonfly Blue, Black | White, Silver, Black |
| Keyboard | Backlit | Backlit | Backlit |
| I/O Port |
2 x USB4 Thunderbolt™ 4, Headphone / mic combo |
USB 3.1 charging port, 2 x USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports, HDMI 1.4b | USB 4 Gen3x2(x2, USB PD, ThunderboltTM 4), USB 3.2 Gen2x1(x2), HDMI, microSD/UFS, HP-Out |
| USP | Fingerprint Reader, Optional: WWAN LTE 5G / LTE 4G CAT9, WLAN: WiFi 6 AX201 802.11AX (2 x 2), Bluetooth® 5.1, Hybrid infrared (IR) / 720p HD with webcam privacy cover |
Optional 5G, 5MP webcamera |
Fingerprint Reader, DTS X |
Please note I have attempted to leave the text untouched in terms of how it was formatted in the original press releases.
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