14 DAY TRIAL // It looks like HP really does take its role as supplier of professional computing devices seriously, having delivered not just a new workstation but also a collection of mobile workstations for the EliteBook line.
The consumer market may have what is known as high-end laptops, though the hardware is not much different from the one used by professional solutions.
Still, even top-tier machines have to work to reach truly high price points, since only a handful of enthusiasts will have enough funds for them.
Then there is the fact that high-end laptop is a term usually synonymous with gaming-oriented notebook (Dell's Alienware line is an example of this type of PC).
The professional segment is quicker, one might say, at sacrificing affordability in favor of prowess, something that the latest HP EliteBook mobile workstations appear to confirm.
The newcomers are 14-inch 8460w, 15.6-inch 8560w and 17.3-inch 8760w and are powered by the second generation of Intel Core central processing units.
Their starting prices are of $1,899, $1,349 and $1,299 respectively and sales will begin in May, in the US at least.
Whatever CPU is chosen is backed up by up to 32 GB of RAM and paired with an AMD FirePro or NVIDIA Quadro graphics adapter (1 GB to 4 GB VRAM).
Furthermore, USB 3.0 is present, along with batteries of 6, 8 or 9 cells.
“As the fastest growing segment of the workstation market, mobile workstations continue to provide value to our most demanding design, animation and engineering customers,” said Efrain Rovira, director, Mobile Workstations, Notebook Business Unit, HP.
“The new EliteBook mobile workstations announced today combine innovative design with trusted, workstation-class technology to fuel creativity.”
For those interested in a non-mobile solution of affordable price and compact form factor, HP prepared the Z Series Z210, which we covered in detail here.