Hasta La Gadget!

This summer HP has brought on a beast of a business machine in the Z1 all-in-one Workstation, complete with an upgradable set of innards and all-in-one style. The display is a massive LED-backlit 27-inch IPS panel at 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution and inside you’ve got several configurations available straight from HP, each of them landing in at right around $2,700 USD in the end. You’ll be working with an Intel Core i3 processor, Windows 7 or Linux, and the whole machine is easier to modify than your sub sandwich – fabulous for the tech-friendly business owner.

Setup

This beast is heavier than you’ll ever want to wish to carry at a back-breaking 21.32 kg (47 lbs). You’ve got a beast of a display up on two different hinges, this allowing you to adjust both the angle and the height at which the display sits. Once you’ve got it where you want it, you’ll probably want to leave it alone, though, as the weight of this conglomeration of metal, plastic, and glass is not the easiest thing to move around.

The monitor sits on its two hinges mightily, both of them making sure that this heaving beast does not move even the slightest bit once its set in place. In addition to being able to set this computer up with its “traditional display” setup (on the stand it comes attached to) you can mount it to the wall with industry standard VESA mounts. This unit utilizes a 100×100 VESA mount pattern, making it easy to set up with 3rd party display gear.

HP has done an amazing job of making sure this computer both looks and feels fabulous with a black and silver metal setup both on front and back. While most workstation-aimed computers are made to sit out of the way or under a desk, this all-in-one unit looks great from all sides. The one odd point that appears off as far as aesthetics go is the power cord port which sits under the display – it feels like HP went so far to keep the front and the back clean that they nudged that rather unsightly cord to the underside.

Connectivity

That said, the rest of the computer is indeed rather clean looking. You’ve got your power button up top on the right, a system activity LED below that right near the eject button for your optical drive. The optical drive is always a Slot Load 8X SuperMulti DVDRW no matter what configuration you pick up, and it sits right above a 4-in-1 Media Card Reader as well. Next on the right is a standard Firewire 1394a port above two USB 3.0 ports and ports for Audio in and out. Each of these buttons and ports are super easy to access.

What’s not so easy to access – and perhaps rightfully so – are the ports below the monitor. This collection of ports includes the power port (as mentioned above), one standard DisplayPort in/out, digital audio via a S/PDIF port, audio in/out and subwoofer out, and a set of four more USB 2.0 ports. There’s also a hidden USB 2.0 port under the hood which HP has used up with a dongle that connects with a couple of packaged accessories: keyboard and a mouse – both of which are relatively high quality.

Software

You can work on this system with Windows 7 or HP provided Linux, the Linux builds including drivers from 32 and 64-bit OS versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 5 Workstation, RHEL 6 Workstation, and 64-bit SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop (SLED) 11 for your convenience. For Windows 7 you’ll either get 32-bit or 64-bit Genuine Windows 7 Professional installed right out of the box.

With a computer that’s made to be updated in the hardware universe for years into the future, you’ll also want to be sure you’ve got the software to back it up as well. Windows 8 will of course be able to be loaded here, and with HP Performance Advisor included in the out-of-box experience, you’ll have HP’s own software wizard to help out out along the way as you continue to optimize your system towards its constant full potential.

This machine also includes HP Remote Graphics Software, (loaded standard with every new-age HP workstation,) an environment which allows you to access your setup remotely from other machines connected to the web with ease. Just as it was with each of the other HP workstations we’ve tested over the past year or so, this machine plays nicely with a vast array of machines outside its build – Directory Mode allow you to access workstations throughout your office, RGS functionality works with pixels (as opposed to data) to expand your workspace to a wide variety of 3rd party monitors automatically, and the whole RGS suite works on both Windows and Linux.

This device also comes with ISV certification so you know its up to snuff according to the Independent Software Vendor set of tests – standard stuff! Along those same lines is the fact that this machine is Energy Star certified with 90% efficient power supplies, and each HP Z1 comes with a warranty that includes limited 3-year parts, 3-year labor and 3-year onsite service extendable up to 5 years with HP Care Pack Services – business friendly indeed!

Above and below you’ll see some additional components listed as well as our standard Geekbench benchmark results. This machine does extremely well for itself, both in benchmarks and in practice with everyday light and heavyweight tasks like video processing. And again, you can switch essentially every piece out and make it more powerful as you deem necessary.

Versatility

This machine is fabulous in its ability to be modified. Push the display down horizontal and lift the face up like the hood of a car and poof! Like magic, you’ve got a vast array of plug-n-play pieces at your fingertips. You can change out essentially anything under the hood at your leisure, and several expansion slots and bays are available for your DIY modifications. You’ve got one internal 3.5-inch bay OR 2x 2.5-inch bays, one MXM expansion slot for graphics (requiring NVIDIA custom cards, you may want to note) the base model uses Intel integrated graphics, but Quadro 500M, 1000M, 3000M and 4000M graphics cards are optional. You’ve also got 3 miniPCIe full-length expansion slots as well.

Four zones separate this device’s insides, with the 400w power supply, Quadro graphics card, CPU, and memory sitting behind fans and panels. Your power supply, hard drive chassis, and DVD/Blu-ray drive are easily removable, of course, and up to four 8GB full-sized memory DIMMs can be added as well.

Everything under the hood is able to be clipped in and out with ease using the simple to understand green arrows and hard-plastic holds. The hands-on video earlier in this review shows how simple it is to switch components in and out. Business owners pay attention here: upgrading your whole office will be so easy that you won’t need to hire Nick Burns to do it – for real!

Wrap-Up

This computer is a fabulous choice for an office in need of massive displays and Windows 7 (or Windows 8 later this year). You’ve got a perfectly solid build, HP has made the entire structure out of high-end components, and you’ll be able to modify this beast to your liking well into the future. As long as you’re not planning on lifting this monster up and lugging it around on a regular basis, you’ll be glad this was your business-oriented Windows choice for your next-generation standard workstation situation.

Video editors, web designers, graphic designers, and those working with massive files on the whole will find this machine quite satisfying.

Have a peek below at additional HP Z-series hands-on, review, and news posts we’ve published over the past two years, all the way back to the official launch of the series at an event we attended with HP!

HP Z1 Workstation Review is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

HP is forming a new Mobility division which will make another attempt and breaking into the tablet space. This much was confirmed in a internal memo unearthed by The Verge, and details HP’s plan to form what has been dubbed the “Mobility Global Business Unit.” At first, HP’s Mobility GBU will focus on developing consumer tablets, and will do so under the guidance of Alberto Torres, who most recently was in charge of Nokia‘s MeeGo products.

The memo itself comes from Printing and Personal Systems Group boss Todd Bradley, who says that Torres will be starting on September 3. After tackling the consumer tablet space, HP Mobility GBU will then “expand to additional segments and categories where we believe we can offer differentiated value to our customers.” Torres will not be taking the reins on HP’s incoming commercial tablet, as that will be staying with HP’s PC Global Business Unit, overseen by James Mouton. The same goes for HP’s notebook teams, but Bradley seems to suggest that the Mobility and PC GBUs will be merging (or at least collaborating) at some point in the future.

According to the memo, Torres’ initial duties will be to “accelerate our tablet strategy and begin to execute products against our consumer/SMB target.” It sounds like HP wants to ramp up on this second shot quickly, but it has a tough road ahead. Most of us can still recall HP’s difficulties with the TouchPad after all, and it’s pretty clear that the company will be doing all it can to avoid another failure like that.

Torres has a couple weeks left to go before he begins at HP, but we’re thinking that once he’s there, HP will waste no time in putting him to work. Even though the TouchPad can’t be labeled a smashing success, it did have some redeeming features, so the idea of HP getting serious about tablet development does get us excited. Stay tuned to SlashGear for more information, as we imagine that HP will be making some announcements not long after Torres officially joins the team.

HP looks to give consumer tablets another go is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Despite the culling of Palm’s offerings from its product portfolio, HP isn’t exiting the tablet space. Far from it. Evidence of a new tablet has been floating around since April, and we’ve even caught a couple glimpses of the so-called Slate 8. Now, The Verge reports that the company has created a Mobility unit within the Personal Systems Group dedicated to making such consumer hardware. According to a leaked internal memo, it looks like Alberto Torres, formerly chief of MeeGo ops at Nokia, will be the man in charge of the new division. The Mobility group will first focus on tablets, with a “soon-to-be-launched” initial offering, but it plans to expand into other product segments moving forward. The full leaked memo can be found at the source below.

Filed under: Tablet PCs

HP creates Mobility division to focus on consumer tablets, taps ex-MeeGo maven Alberto Torres to run it originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 13:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With Windows 8 just around the corner, HP has been flashing an unannounced tablet in an ad as of late. Now they’re beginning to acknowledge its existence in no uncertain terms, with some lofty talk. More »

HP has been offering plenty of glimpses of its upcoming Windows 8 tablet, but it so far hasn’t been doing much talking about it — or about Microsoft’s own entry into the tablet market with Surface, for that matter. That’s now changed thanks to an interview senior sales VP John Solomon gave to CRN, however, where he promises that HP will have more to share about its business-minded tablet “pretty soon.” What’s more, unlike some other big OEMs, Soloman says that HP doesn’t see a problem with Microsoft’s Surface plans. He says that he thinks Microsoft “was basically making a leadership statement and showing what’s possible in the tablet space,” adding that, “our relationship has not changed at all due to Microsoft’s announcement. In fact, I applaud it.” That’s not to say he doesn’t take some issue with Microsoft’s efforts, though, noting that while the Surface’s keyboard accessory is “a great occasional use keyboard,” there’s “no way” that professional content creators will “use a keyboard like that for everyday use.” You can find the full CRN interview at the source link below.

Filed under: Laptops, Tablet PCs

HP says Surface has not changed its relationship with Microsoft, promises more tablet details ‘pretty soon’ originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 13:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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