HP Discover, Las Vegas – HP’s Printing and Personal Systems Group (PPS) kicked off this year’s Discover conference in Las Vegas with the announcement of a slew of new products, including a new series of desktop PCs and all-in-ones (AiOs), new retail solutions and new printing services.
While many detractors claim that the era of the desktop PC is dead and buried, HP obviously begs to differ – and rammed home the point with the announcement of its EliteOne and EliteDesk 800 series, and ProOne and ProDesk 600 families of desktops and AiOs.
Enrique Lores, senior VP and GM, business PC and Solutions at HP, says that while the desktop market remains flat, customer demand is still robust and the company will continue to meet their requirements.
“The desktop is still a relevant part of our business and accounts for 40% [of our revenues] in the commercial space,” Lores says. “We believe the desktop is going to be there for a very long time.”
While Lores introduced a number of products such as the ElitePad POS solution and a new slogan – Goodbye XP, Hello HP – through which the company will “undertake the driving” of customers and its channel from Windows XP to Windows 7 and Windows 8, the main interest among journalists was in the new desktops and AiOs.
The HP Elite 800 G1 series includes the HP EliteOne 800 G1 which features a 23% thinner design and a full Windows 8 capacitive touch option that features a 23-inch screen with edge-to-edge glass for a more dynamic and interactive experience.
It also includes DTS Studio Sound with an HD Web cam for rich audio and video; DisplayPort with multi-stream for up to four additional digital monitors; and VESA mounting options for the ultimate in space savings.
Designed to interface with the many devices that can be found in a modern workspace, the EliteOne 800 enables users to quickly charge mobile devices with the fast-charging USB port, as well as share their Internet connection with up to five additional devices with the included HP Wireless Hotspot application.
It also includes the HP EliteDesk 800 G1 series, which delivers powerful, reliable performance with customisable deployment options, all backed by a full portfolio of HP security and manageability solutions.
Available with Windows 7 or Windows 8, the HP 800 series offers fast access to data with a choice of highly responsive or self-encrypting hard drive options, as well as an optional slim, removable hard drive that allows sensitive data to be removed and secured. The new design allows for quick connectivity for companion devices with front-facing USB 3.0, and is available in a range of different chassis options including:
* The HP EliteDesk 800 G1 Tower is an all-new tower form factor with a smaller footprint and full-size expandability. It also features an optional legacy PCI slot that ensures broad compatibility with previous technology investments.
* The HP EliteDesk 800 G1 Small Form Factor features slim-line optical drives and continues to be the most demanded platform of all the desktops, providing the performance, flexibility and security desired by most business PC users.
* The HP EliteDesk 800 G1 Ultra-slim Desktop is an ultra small form factor desktop with three video outputs that can either stand alone or be attached to select HP displays with the optional Integrated Work Center (IWC), providing the space-efficiency of an AiO with the flexibility to change the display.
The HP Pro 600 G1 series consists of the HP ProOne 600 G1which is an enterprise-class AiO that combines an intelligently designed space-saving form factor with powerful and secure PC performance.
It has VESA mounting options to reclaim workspace, and its 21,5-inch display can be joined by up to four additional monitors. As with the HP EliteOne AiO, the HP ProOne AiO can increase security productivity with integrated NFC for capabilities with Windows 8 such as tap to share.
The HP ProDesk 600 G1 series offers the most popular form factor options and a long, stable lifecycle, while meeting everyday business needs with performance and reliability. Multitasking is aided with optional solid-state drives that keep files and applications cycling quickly. The HP ProDesk 600 series is available in two different chassis options:
* The HP ProDesk 600 G1 Tower features the optimal combination of a smaller footprint and full-size expandability.
* The ProDesk 600 G1 Small Form Factor’s compact chassis frees up critical desk space so users can focus on the job at hand, and like all HP business desktops, helps reduce power consumption with optional power supplies featuring up to 94% power efficiency.