14 DAY TRIAL // IFA 2014 was the platform to launch a plethora of new products, but in the commotion some of them went totally unnoticed.
It’s the case of the HP Zbook 15 G2 and 17 G2, which are two pretty high-end laptops aimed at professionals. Sure, the field of mobile workstations can be considered a niche, so that’s probably part of the reason the spotlight didn’t immediately go to the two new notebooks.
As noted by Notebook Italia, the two new machines are no joke, as they come with apt specifications and can handle demanding software like graphics-centric programs, CAD, data management, and so on. Let’s take these new mobile beasts one at a time and see what they offer.
HP Zbook 15 G2
The laptop arrives with a 15-inch QHD display boasting a resolution of 3200 x 1800 pixels (although you can opt for the full HD version, if you are on the budget). This model doesn’t take advantage of HP’s own DreamColor Technologies, which boosts accurate color rendering, but it’s optional with the larger model.
As for internal specifications, HP lets users decide between an Intel Haswell Core i5 or Core i7 processor (including a quad-core model) fitted with either NVIDIA Quadro or AMD FirePro GPUs.
Furthermore, to make the working experience more fluent, customers are given the option of choosing to have Windows 7, Windows 8.1, or Ubuntu Linux onboard.
HP Zbook 17 G2
Moving on to the larger model, this one sports a 17.3-inch full HD display, but it’s not clear whether or not HP is offering the QHD variant as well.
In the computing department, specifications remain the same, with the mention that both models integrate two Thunderbolt ports and an HP Z Turbo Drive (SSD M.2 custom), which is considered faster than the 2.5-inch SATA SSD.
The machines are quite sturdy, as they have aluminum alloy insertion in the cover and the base. As you can see in the picture gallery, during the launch of the notebooks, the HP official presenting them actually got on top of one of the laptops to prove their resistance.
The two workstations have a backlit keyboard and a three-button trackpoint, which is also spill-resistant so, as you can see, you won’t damage these machines easily.
As most professional offerings, you will have to pay a fair amount of money for either of the two notebooks. The HP Zbook 15 G2 will start selling soon for $1,499 / €1,158, while the larger one will be up for grabs for $1,749 / €1,351.
