Today, HP revealed the latest models of its popular EliteBook 800 business laptop line and ZBook u-Series workstations. Labeled as G5 (aka Gen 5), the systems focus on portability and collaboration, and are due later this month (Feb. 2018).
HP says the EliteBook 840 G5 (starting at $1,029) is the thinnest 14-inch business notebook featuring a discrete graphics card, and that the ZBook 14u (starting at $1,099) is simply-put, the world's thinnest mobile workstation, period.
HP redesigned both series of laptops, with the new Natural Silver EliteBook 800 notebooks and Turbo Silver ZBooks getting wedge-shaped profiles and anodized silver aluminum bodies, dropping the darker undersides of previous models. Both notebook lines feature 3D-stamped aluminum keyboards, and we look forward to getting them in for testing to see the difference between Turbo and Natural silvers.
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HP EliteBook 800 G5
The EliteBook 800 notebooks are built with corporate users in mind, with dedicated, Skype For Business-certified, buttons for sharing your screen, answering a call and hanging up. A world-facing (away-pointing) microphone in the lid offers two modes, so you can have clearer conference calls or allow those around you to join in on a call.
The thinner, EliteBook 840 G5 has two siblings: the 13-inch 830 G5, which starts at $1,049 and replaces the 820 G4, and the 15-inch 850 G5, which starts at $1,039.
The business notebook also offers the option of getting the second generation of HP's Sure View privacy mode, which makes it harder for those around you to see what you're doing. This improved version of Sure View gives users better reading and watching experiences in lighter and darker environments, such as on a plane or at a coffee shop.
Non-touch versions of the EliteBook 800 laptops also pack a webcam shutter, designed for users who are afraid of being spied upon.
The EliteBook 840 G5 and 850G5 feature the AMD Radeon RX540 GPU, as well as 8th Gen Intel Quad Core vPro CPUs, up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage. Engineers and other digital professionals who use highly-demanding software will be happy to know that the ZBooks feature more than 24 ISV certifications for CAD and design applications, as well as other programs.
HP's also made it easier to access the internal parts of the EliteBook, with improvements that earned it a 10 out of 10 rating from iFixit.
ZBook 14u/15u G5
HP's also rolling out new ZBooks later this month, the 14u G5 and 15u G5. The 3.27-pound 14u model (which HP claims is the thinnest mobile workstation) measures 0.7 inches thick, which is almost 27 percent thinner than its G4 predecessor.
Both the ZBook 14u and 15u feature 8th Gen Intel Core i5 and i7 CPUs, AMD Radeon Pro graphics and the super-fast HP Z Turbo Drive PCIe MLC SSD storage. These workstations also feature the EliteBook 800 laptops' privacy-focused Sure View mode, as well as the world-facing conference mics.
Not only have these ZBooks passed the standard 12 MIL-SPEC durability tests that the EliteBook 800 notebooks survived, but HP runs the ZBooks through a Bench Handling test involving rough usage, and a Crash Hazard test, designed to simulate incidents where the laptop could fall after being mounted on a wall.
But Wait, There's More
HP's also introduced new security features, including 4th Gen update to its Sure Start self-healing BIOS technology for enhanced encryption and better protection. It's also introducing HP Sure Run, which protects the operating system and antivirus tools. Its third piece of security news is Sure Recover, which allows employees to re-image their systems — without IT's help — in the field.
HP also announced its new Thunderbolt Dock G2, which features an optional audio conferencing module on its top and can either be docked to a laptop, or attached via a cord. Pricing for the dock (which supports notebooks from all across HP's business notebook lines) has yet to be announced, though HP did note it will come out in May 2018.
The other product announcement from HP is its Z43 4K display, which measures 42.5 inches and offers USB Type-C connectivity. Thin left and right bezels allow users to almost get one giant monitor when placing two of these monitors side by side.
