HP ZBook 15u G4: Feature-Rich & Budget Friendly

Does anyone ever look back on IT hardware with fondness? Has a friend or colleague ever said to you, “You know what, I really miss my Dell Precision 380”? Yeah, that’s what I thought. We’re living in a technological boom, and it’s a great time to be working in IT and following the changes as they happen.

It doesn’t require a great stretch of the imagination to say that those who have benefited most from the constant advances in IT hardware are those who need the most power. For example, gone are the days when designers were using workstations the size of fridge-freezers with 1 gig of RAM in a desperate bid to keep on top of their workload (albeit slowly). Devices have simultaneously slimmed down, risen in performance, and gotten cheaper. And this means that designers are given more flexibility in choice of tech, and that they can finally use workstations that look as appealing as the content that’s being created on them.

HP’s Big Answers to the Security Conundrum

Here’s a sentence you might not be used to seeing: It’s not possible to be fully protected against every security risk in IT. Maybe that doesn’t surprise you. After all, how do you even begin a conversation about security when it comes to IT? If we accept that full protection isn’t possible, then where do we start? Well, with HP actually. And here’s why.

HP are leading the way as an OEM by including vital security features with their Elite range of devices. With such a vast amount of considerations to be made, it’s no longer viable or fair to leave security up to end users, which is why HP have introduced some innovative new features into their premium product line, equipping users with some vital security tools from the get go.

Window 10 Pro for Workstations

By Owen Hutchinson

Windows 10 Pro for Workstations is coming: find out everything you need to know and avoid paying extra

This Autumn Microsoft is rolling out Windows 10 Pro 64 for Workstations: an OS variation that’s optimised for professional users. This isn’t just a vanity update, with the new features covering a range of areas that are a boon for hardware that has to support critical workloads.

Specifically, the new features include support for:

● Up to 4 Physical CPUs

● Massive memory (up to 6 TB)

● SMB Direct/RDMA capable network cards

● Persistent Memory (NVDIMM) and Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA), so you can blast through file transfers and advanced workloads

● Creation of Resilient File Systems (ReFS) volumes so that data is mirrored to multiple drives, while being monitored and repaired if degradation is detected

Westcoast and HP Offer Customisation for Education

PRESS RELEASE

Distributor Westcoast has teamed up with HP to launch an exclusive customised-to-order (CTO) initiative for education-focused channel partners.

Created by Westcoast, the HP for Education (HPFE) configuration tool enables resellers, or their end-user schools, colleges and universities, to design and build their own bespoke HP desktop PCs - and then receive delivery within 48 hours of their order.

Paul Hamilton, Client Director, Westcoast, said: “This initiative represents a brilliant market opportunity for our partners and it brings the long-awaited benefit of immediacy to educational institutions.”

HP Elitebook x360 Product Spotlight: Technology meets wizardry

It’s easy to get lost in a labyrinth of options when it comes to finding the perfect laptops for a workforce. Great news then that HP have offered a novel solution to the quagmire of laptop shopping by putting everything you could possibly want into one premium product. Meet the Elitebook x360.

For the purpose of clarity, ‘premium’ in this instance doesn’t mean that the x360 is made from shiny bits of metal that will shatter when you hit the space key a few too many times. That’s because HP have created a sturdy, versatile device that just begs to be used in all of its different forms, but more on that later. Despite the luxury appearance, this isn’t an ornament.

Get creative with the HP ZBook 15u G3

Does anyone ever look back on IT hardware with fondness? Has a friend or colleague ever said to you, “You know what, I really miss my Dell Precision 380”? Yeah, that’s what I thought. We’re living in a technological boom, and it’s a great time to be working in IT and following the changes as they happen.

It doesn’t require a great stretch of the imagination to say that those who have benefited most from the constant advances in IT hardware are those who need the most power. For example, gone are the days when designers were using workstations the size of fridge-freezers with 1 gig of RAM in a desperate bid to keep on top of their workload (albeit slowly). Devices have simultaneously slimmed down, risen in performance, and gotten cheaper. And this means that designers are given more flexibility in choice of tech, and that they can finally use workstations that look as appealing as the content that’s being created on them.

New AMD Radeon Pro Range Smashes Limitations and Empowers Designers

AMD Guest Post 

AMD has refreshed its line of GPUs, meaning that the FirePro series is no more, and the Radeon Pro is the new king of the workstation. You can’t claim the throne without power though, and the new set of Radeon Pro graphics cards have brought along some considerable improvements that promise to keep design professionals well equipped for future developments in the industry.

Why it’s time to move to the new 7th Gen Intel Core Processors

It’s difficult to remember a time when Intel wasn’t top of the class for processors, but one thing is for certain: this hasn’t been achieved through resting on a brand name. Instead, each new generation of Intel processor brings with it both subtle and sizeable improvements on the previous year’s tech, while OEMs make sure that their next line of flagship devices launch with the processors firmly positioned front and centre on the spec sheets.

The HP Elite Slice: Have Your Cake and Eat It

It’s easy to feel a bit sorry for the state of the humble desktop PC. Having been around for years, the reliable boxes have been getting steadily eroded by the laptop and all-in-one market as technology has progressed. That’s not to say that desktops have been getting left behind entirely: indeed, the modern desktop of today is noticeably smaller than its towering ancestors, and of course significantly more powerful. Still, in a world where we’re seeing laptops with three screens built-in, it can feel like the days of desktop innovation have all but vanished. That is, until you see HP’s latest offering.

iQuote version 2: Overview of the new features and functionalities

By Phil Leblond

This week sees the launch of the revamped iQuote version 2 at Westcoast. The platform which is integrated within the Westcoast website, now incorporates an array of new features and benefits.

For those who aren’t aware iQuote is a popular quotation tool that enables channel partners to grow their HPE/HPI business. It gives quick and accurate HP PC and server quotes at the most competitive price.

In this blog I will go over some of the new features and benefits that iQuote version 2 offers to users and at the end are a number of helpful training videos and materials around the tool.

The HP Z2 Mini: Crafted for CAD

There was a time when CAD (Computer Aided Design) was synonymous with Mac, but with the leaps that the big device manufacturers have made, they’re now chipping away at the market that Apple once monopolised. And it’s easy to see why.

Whether it’s through packing everything behind a screen for an all-in-one or putting together a supercharged ultrabook, OEMs are getting really good at doing more with less and less space. One of HP’s latest trump cards, the Z2 Mini, is a prime example, operating as a CAD-ready workstation that’s as powerful as it is small.

HP: Developing devices that pack a punch for power users

By Brendan Loughrey

In an increasingly mobile world, users are bowled over by the capabilities of new tablets and laptop PCs on the market. And for some, these devices are the perfect solution to their computing needs. However, some business users simply need more power, and only an HP Workstation can give it to them.

The latest range of HP Z Workstations are equipped to handle critical application, complex data and design. Enabling users to innovate without limits, expanding as their workflow grows. At Westcoast, we think HP’s latest Z Workstation range – which includes both traditional desktops and laptops – is a cut above the rest thanks to its superior technology and partnerships. It’s simply setting new standards.

HP Elite x3 – The Future of Mobility?

By Brendan Loughrey

In August 2016 HP introduced a new member to the Elite Family and hailed it as ‘a revolution in mobility’ which, despite its appearance, is not a smartphone! HP’s reasoning for this is evident in the name, The Elite x3: The world’s first built for business 3-in-1 device that combines PC power and productivity with premium smartphone capabilities. This device has the capability to perform as a smartphone, laptop and desktop.

That being said, let’s take a closer look at how HP’s pioneering product in the business mobility category may have hit or missed the mark.

Blink and you'll miss this ultra thin laptop...

The first thing you’ll notice about the HP Spectre Pro 13 G1 (other than the long name), is how incredibly thin it is. In fact, at 1.04 cm it’s one of the slimmest around. With this observation in mind, it’s especially impressive to see what HP have managed to do with such a small amount of space for parts.

The Spectre Pro 13 is hiding a powerful 2.5 GHz i7 processor that turbo boosts to 3.1 GHz, which, along with the 8GB of RAM, means it can cope with the most intense workloads, such as design work or video editing. That’s not to say that business executives should pass this by; indeed, the ultra-portability of the laptop means that it invites the user to take it from meeting to meeting on a daily basis, especially with the 38 Wh Li-ion polymer battery powering the Spectre through a full working day.

Sound good? Find out it's other great features by reading the full article here.