Reviews

My Review of the HP Probook G5 450 i7

Abdallah Yashir Ramsing

Jun 6, 2019 • 3 min read

The HP g5 450 Probook is a business notebook that delivers excellent performance and have a good design for it's value.

Specs

Intel Core i7-8550U
NVIDIA GeForce 930MX
256 GB PCIe NVMe Value SSD + Additional 512 GB added
16 GB total system memory
HP premium keyboard with Spill-resistant and Backlit
39.6 cm (15.6 in) diagonal FHD UWVA anti-glare flat LED backlit(1920 x 1080)
Weight starting around 2.10 kg

IPS screen

Programming with an IPS screen is a must nowadays - because with it's refined clarity and high density, our eyes undergo less strain.

For me using such a screen is like reading newspaper. I can focus for long amount of time without having to take breaks solely because of the fatigue of my eyes. Experts however recommend following the 20/20/20 rule; that is, taking a break every 20 minutes and look at something at least 20 yards for 20 seconds.

Moreover, having matte screen presents another huge benefit compared to traditional glossy screens that reflect a lot of background light. With prolonged use, many people like myself suffer from headaches and have difficulty to concentrate.

Additionally, font rendering is outstanding in an IPS screen. Consider the following:

Operator Mono - VueJS - Visual Studio Code

Keyboard

The HP ProBook has an excellent keyboard with backlight which helps when working in low light such as at night. With comfortable key travel, I enjoy writing and programming with it. Compared to the Acer Swift 3 keyboard, which I use at home, this one is a bit lacking in accuracy.

Touchpad

The touchpad is also effective in case you don't have or want to use a mouse. I don't however recommend prolonged use as your palm will get irritated from the casing which has no slant, in contrast to the MacBook Air for instance. Thanks to the gestures, I like using the touchpad, particularly when moving around, but I cannot keep using it for the whole day without my right palm irritating.

For the size of the laptop, I find the touchpad a bit small, therefore less enjoyable and accurate.

Graphics Card

The HP ProBook as well to having an integrated Graphics Card, also has a dedicated one for rich graphical tasks such as Video Editing and Graphics design. For my daily use though as a Full Stack Developer with most work on the backend side, I use docker with nodejs - therefore not requiring the dedicated card.

Additionally, the one reason I've grown to appreciate programming and Web Development in particularly almost a decent before is that you don't need a powerful computer to do it, in contrast to AutoCAD or Animated Graphics for instance. Even with a low cost budget friendly computer, by installing a Linux distribution such as Ubuntu, you can learn and improve your coding skills.

Practicality

You can open the lib with one hand similar to MacBook. I initially thought it as a gimmick but it's actually highly practical as you don't always need both of your hands free; you can for instance open the laptop lid with one hand while carrying the charger with the other.

Moreover, in my experience, the battery length is generous, considering I work with docker which takes a lot of resource. Docker is basically like running another OS with their separate and independent libraries. With my usual workflow, the battery usually lasts between 4 to 6 hours.

As a business laptop, it's relatively light to carry around.

Conclusion

The HP ProBook is an excellent business laptop that is not too heavy with excellent battery life and superb screen. The SSD is refreshing to work with.

Links

https://laptopmedia.com/review/hp-probook-450-g5-review-getting-better-and-better/