14 DAY TRIAL // Like all PC suppliers, HP often shows off and launches one or two products that are meant for a particular market segment and have certain design or performance upsides that make them stand out. From time to time, though, HP makes a bolder move and launches not just one or two, but an entire set of new devices meant to address multiple market segments at the same time. The most recent such product-line refresh was done just a short while ago, when the company released a number of new workstations, among which there was also one with built-in USB 3.0 support.
The USB 3.0 mobile workstation is known as the HP EliteBook 8740w and has a 17-inch WXGA+ or WUXGA LED-backlit display (the laptop measures 397.5 x 285.5 x 36.5 mm). The actual configuration is based on a choice of Intel Core i5 and Core i7 central processing units and may include up to 16GB of RAM and a high-capacity storage unit.
This can be an HDD with up to 500GB or an SSD with up to 256GB. Of course, a high-end workstation needs matching graphics capabilities. In this case, end-users may choose between the 1GB ATI FirePro M7820 or the 1GB NVIDIA Quadro FX 2800M/FX 3800M professional adapters.
The connectivity, I/O and special design features that give the workstation its appeal include a spill-resistant keyboard (with optional backlighting), optional mobile broadband, GPS, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, an Express Card/54 slot and two USB 3.0 ports. There are also D-Sub and DisplayPort connectors or video output, as well as an optional 2-megapixel webcam.
“HP has invested in research and development through the economic downturn, innovating on top of our industry-leading workstations to provide an undeniably differentiated experience in our new products,” Jim Zafarana, vice president and general manager, Workstations Global Business Unit, HP, said. “HP customers are famous for pushing the limits of innovation, and as their industries undergo digital transformations, their next generation of breakthroughs is being powered by HP technology.”
The EliteBook 8740w will start shipping next month and has a starting price of $1,999.