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HP has a long history of creating powerful mobile workstations with great performance, solid battery life, and strong port offerings.
Not only does the ZBook
HP ZBook
Considering how powerful this machine is, I’m still shocked at how lightweight it is. Sure, it’s a 16-inch unit, so it’s not something you’ll want to put in a daypack or sling, but it’s still pretty portable for a workstation. As I always do, I left the charger in the box and will use the UGREEN or Anker power units, or one of the many docking stations I have set up across different workspaces.
The next thing I do is sign in to my Windows account and allow the sync to run, as well as sign in to my appropriate accounts. I love using Windows Hello with both fingerprint and facial recognition for easier and more secure login. Once that was taken care of, I made the appropriate updates and minimized my desktop to fewer applications, creating a clean workspace.
The HP ZBook It fits perfectly into the business-level design language, without being boring. It’s a stylish silver color, easy to throw into a backpack, and has enough ports to power you throughout your day. This laptop is portable but has a full-size HDMI port, an RJ45 Ethernet port, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB-C port, a headphone jack, a USB-A port, and an optional Nano SIM and/or smart card reader.
All that in a portable workstation is weird. To add to the craziness, there’s a full-sized number pad too. Although seeing this on 16-inch laptops is incredible, it’s certainly not so standard that it’s not worth mentioning. For those who spend all day entering numbers, a number pad can cut down that time and make it faster and easier.
Speaking of the keyboard, the standard QWERTY side is comfortable to type on; It has good key travel and resistance without making me feel like I’m working too hard. It’s a keyboard you can type on all day long without the hassle or desire to replace it, unless you’re a keyboard fanatic or a mechanical keyboard fan.
HP ZBook
The overall design of the ZBook It’s professional business. It fits the look you’re going for as a business professional with a laptop that can hold its own. Not only are you looking for something that flashes RGB, but you also need a device powerful enough to handle a hefty workload. I get it.
The HP ZBook With powerful components under the hood, this laptop still looks unassuming enough that you can take it into a conference room or coffee shop without looking like a gamer while getting serious work done.
The other big thing I look forward to with workstation laptops is port selection. A computer can be very powerful, but if you always need to connect it to a dongle, this is worth noting, especially for a computer that claims to be a workstation. A workstation is not just another term for a laptop, but a class or category of laptop in its own right.
The workstation passes this test successfully. Not only does it offer a good number of ports, but it also offers good spread and distribution, which makes it easier to work with it rather than just placing the ports wherever they fit.
HP ZBook
Specifications
As tested
CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7
GPU: Intel Arc Pro 140T (32GB) / NVIDIA RTX Pro 2000 Blackwell
memory: 64 GB
storage: 2 TB
an offer: 2560 x 1600 120Hz DreamColor (500 nits)
Ports: 2 x Thunderbolt4 (USB-C), 1 x USB-C 20Gbps, 1 x USB-A, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x RJ-45, 1 x audio jack
Contact: Wi-Fi 6E, 5G
battery: 62 watt hours
weight: 3.19 lbs
As for daily work on this device, I did not find any problems or concerns. It is excellent for basic productivity tasks, administrative tasks, and pulling information into DBeaver or other database tools. It’s great with VSCode or other programming applications.
I didn’t have any issues with the 3D printing software or with basic video and photo editing. This may not be the case Best laptop for video editing for creative professionals, but I would rank it as one of the best laptops for photo editing and general content creation.
I used this computer as my primary machine for a full day of work, and then used it on and off for a few weeks as a secondary machine. At the time, I barely felt the ZBook It’s an excellent machine for AI work, front-end and back-end development, and even full-blown development and coding.
It’s great for project managers who need the features of QA software and pull everything to test before pushing into production, and it’s also great for 3D modeling, CAD, and related work. All while housed in a 16-inch portable laptop chassis sporting one of the most beautiful, stylish logos on the market.
The HP ZBook Plus, to add a little to the impressive package, HP is offering a 5G antenna alongside Wi-Fi 7. Which means you can get the best connectivity available while you’re in buildings that have Wi-Fi.
When you’re abroad or don’t want to trust sketchy Wi-Fi at the airport, you can hop on a Cellular 5G connection instead of having to open your travel router or hop on a VPN to keep your information safe. Or maybe you’re someone who’s not worried about spotty Wi-Fi, but rather about the lack of connectivity while working remotely. That’s where the 5G option comes in, letting you move whenever you want, even if it’s by the pool, between courses, or at the spa.
HP ZBook
The HP ZBook It’s a powerful combination between a powerful mobile device and a simple PC, all while maintaining that professional style.
It’s perfect, quite frankly, for people like me. Project managers, side hustlers, systems engineers, hybrid professionals, those people who have their hands in everything and anything at all times.
It’s not the device I’d choose to run powerful application servers on, but if you need a machine that packs the power of a workstation in a form factor you’re not afraid to take with you, the HP ZBook
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