HP Z1 lets you perform open-chassis surgery

 

Computer maker HP isn’t traditionally known for pushing design boundaries, but the company has outdone itself this time. Its new HP Z1 Workstation is a real eye-opener. The computer snaps fully open, too – allowing for easy customisation and upgrading. What a clever idea. The HP Z1 has a little more up its sleeve, also packing some top specs, a quad-core intel processor with NVIDIA-juiced graphics and lots of storage options.

The HP Z1 Workstation may find its place in HP’s business-like range, but there’s no denying how cool its ability to open up and reveal its innards is. The big idea is that the HP Z1 suddenly becomes very easy to upgrade or fix.

Those not into such gimmicks will find plenty more to get excited about – some decent specs abound. The HP Z1’s screen is a 27-inch IPS display that should perform well even when placed near areas of sunlight. It has a 2560×1440 resolution.

Under the hood, the HP Z1 are powered by a quad-core Intel Xeon processor and NVIDIA Quadro graphics. Games will look great on this thing. Customers will have a choice of 160GB or 300GB Solid State Drive (SSD) storage. Other extras include a 2-megapixel HD webcam and a Blu-Ray drive.

The HP Z1 may not quite the eye-catcher in regular use (when not flashing its insides), but it remains an intriguing device. Tempted? Well, you’ve still got plenty of time to ponder a purchase. The HP Z1 does not arrive in stores till April. U.S prices are reported to start at $1,899. That works out at around £1209 in the Queen’s English pounds.

Have you spotted any other equally gimmicky desktop computers? Let us know.

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New HP Envy 17 and HP Envy 15 laptops: 5 things you need to know

 

New HP Envy 17 and HP Envy 15 laptops: 5 things you need to know

 

The new high-end HP Envy and HP Envy 15 laptops have been revealed, and they are stunning. Redesigned from the inside out, and coated in brushed aluminium, they more than look the business.

The HP Envy line is HP’s highest-end range, and so feature some terrifically meaty specs. On that note we bring you five things you need to know about the HP Envy 17 and HP Envy 15. 


Watch full high definition movies in 3D

 The HP Envy 17 will arrive in stores with what HP calls a 1080p Radiance screen. That means you’ll be able to view movies and video in full 1080p-rated high definition – the best quality picture possible. The HP Envy 15 will come with a slightly lower resolution 1366×768 screen, however, demanding high definition fans will be able to upgrade. There will also be a HP Envy 17 3D from which users can watch movies on its built-in Blu-ray player, and play games in 3D. A pair of active 3D shutter glasses will be supplied.

 

Super specs

 potential purchasers will be pleased to know that both stock versions of the HP Envy 15 and HP Envy 17 will feature the same specs. On board, these include a powerful Core i5-2430M processor, 6 gigs of DDR3 memory, a 7,200RPM hard drive and AMD Radeon graphics and, what is expected to be a gig of video memory. So whether you’re playing games, watching videos on the web, or just doing a bit of work, performance will remain top notch.

Beats by Dr. Dre integration

 Fresh from dipping his toes into the headphone business, rapper Dr. Dre has lent his audio know-how to HP, in a move that could deliver one of the best sounding laptops we’ve ever heard. The Beats by Dr. Dre partnership adds a six-channel speaker set-up, complete with a subwoofer sure to be able to pump that bass like its nobody’s business. Dr. Dre’s philosophy has been to deliver music the way an artist wants you to hear it. So the HP Envy 15 and HP Envy 17 could end up sounding very special indeed. 


Acer AZ5 and AZ3 multi-touch all-in-one

Impressive battery life

 Nobody wants to carry their cable leads wherever they go. HP is promising a nine hour battery life on the HP Envy 15. Meanwhile, the HP Envy 17 will get nine and a half hours, says HP – more than enough for a full working day. Although workaholics will have something to say about that.

It’s out this year

 The HP Envy 17, Hp Envy 17 3D and HP Envy 15 will be dropping in stores on December 7th. So there’s still plenty of time should you need to start saving up. UK pricing has yet to be revealed. U.S prices currently start form $1,100, up to $1,599 for the HP Envy 3D.

HP Slate 2 brings Swype to Windows 7!

 

HP Slate 2 brings Swype to Windows 7!

 

It’s almost difficult to remember all the Windows-based tablets that preceded the Apple iPad and Android, but HP hasn’t given up on the OS. The HP Slate 2 runs Windows 7, and gets the internals necessary to run a full-fat operating system.

This means that the HP Slate 2 looks distinctly old-school in comparison with the Apple iPad 2 or Samsung Galaxy Tab, with a slightly bulky design and a weight of around 700kg.

Those needing power and the versatility to run proper desktop applications will appreciate it, however, with an Intel Atom Z670 processor and 32GB of solid state storage onboard.

The screen on the HP Slate 2 measures in at 8.9 inches, and is both capacitive and capable of registering multiple touches. With Sywpe on board, it should a be a lot better than most Windows 7 devices when it comes to touchscreen usability.

As with the specifications and design, a battery life of six hours is more in keeping with tablets of yesteryear, falling a long way short of the ten hours plus offered by the latest Android and iOS options.

Still, that’s the price to pay for running a proper operating system – but at least you’ll also be able to install and run most of your regular software.

Would you buy the HP Slate 2? Or is Windows dead when it comes to touchscreen devices? Leave a comment and let us know what you think

HP TouchPad 4G: Quicker, better and more features

WebOS has turned out to be one of the more capable phone and tablet operating systems on the market, but it’s currently held back by a lack of decent apps. HP hopes that a better, faster version of the HP TouchPad will help. We’re not so sure.

The latest version of the HP TouchPad – dubbed the TouchPad 4G – gets HSPA+ radios, speeding up web browsing and downloads, and also gets a faster 1.5GHz processor. That means apps should load faster, you’ll be able to multi-task more smoothly, and with 32GB of storage rather than 16GB, everything is that little bit better on the TouchPad 4G.

Whether the bump in performance and the inclusion of 4G connectivity has an affect on battery life, however, remains to be seen. It seems likely that run time will drop slightly, and the TouchPad 4G still faces one big problem – apps.

As Nokia has found out with its smartphones, taking on iOS and Android is an uphill battle when it comes to apps, with hundreds of thousands currently available. HP is likely to face a similar struggle, with devices like the iPad 2 currently offering a vast array of apps to suit almost any needs.
We’d like to hear what you think though. Will you buy the HP TouchPad 4G? Do apps make a big difference for you, or are you just looking for a gadget to browse the web on? Leave a comment and let us know.