In addition to upgrading its existing 15- and 17-inch Zbook notebooks with fourth generation Intel Core CPUs, HP has expanded the product line with the launch of what it claims is the world’s first ‘workstation Ultrabook’ – a 14-inch device which weighs 1.62kg and is 21mm thick, according to the vendor.
Creatively named the Zbook 14, the device comes in a range of configurations which contain either an i5 (dual-core, 1.9GHz i5-4300U or dual-core, 1.6GHz i5-4200U, both with a 3MB cache) or i7 (dual-core, 2.1GHz i7-4600U with a 4MB cache) Haswell processor. HP has included vPro technology in some variants.
The Ultrabook can house up to 16GB of DDR3L SDRAM, and has support for an array of storage, including SATA 7200rpm and 5400rpm hard disk drives (HDDs), and SATA SE and M.2 solid-state drives (SSDs).
Graphics are handled by both the integrated Intel HD Graphics 4400 and AMD’s FirePro M4100 card, delivering images via the Zbook 14’s LED-backlit screen which is made in 1366x768, 1600x900, and 1920x1080 variants, with touch included on selected models.
Inside the Zbook 14 is a 3-cell, 24 watt-hour battery which can be replaced by a secondary, 6-cell, 60 watt-hour battery via the Ultrabook’s bottom panel.
This removable panel, which is secure yet simple to pop out, also provides quick access to the device’s built-in storage and other internals.
Connectivity options include four USB 3.0 ports (one of which is dedicated to charging), a DisplayPort, microphone/headphone combo port, AC power input, an RJ-45, side docking connector, VGA port, secure digital slot, and smart card reader. Unfortunately, the ZBook 14 lacks a Thunderbolt port which is present on the other two models in the range.
As part of HP’s Z professional product range, the ZBook 14 is targeted at the engineering, CAD, architecture, design, animation, film, education, government, and healthcare sectors.
While it ships with Windows 8 (the version dependent on the configuration), the Ultrabook can be downgraded to Windows 7, and can run SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 and FreeDOS.
The ZBook is priced from $2445.
