HP ZBook 15u G2

Mobile workstations are the workhorses of modern industry, but you can fit a full-fledged laptop workstation with a small design Ultrabook? HP thinks the answer is yes, and the new G2 zBook 15u ($ 1,699 as tested) is here to deliver on the promise. The design is slim and light, but the parts inside the promises power on the go for serious video editing and content creation. This is a good follow-up to last year's HP zBook 14, but the mobile workstation category has become quite tight, and good may not be enough to be the best.

Design
The 15u zBook G2 $ 2,129.00 HP is part of the lineup of zBook HP mobile workstations, but it is also a Ultrabook, meeting the technical specifications for the category, and putting a focus on portability instead raw processing and graphics power. Measuring 0.84 by 14.78 by 9.98 inches (HWD) and weighing 4.23 pounds, the slim laptop is one of the most portable system around that can still be called a workstation, and it is hard thinner than the 1.2-inch-thick HP zBook last year 15 $ 1,612.99 in OfficeDepot. Besides zBook name and the 15-inch display, the two could not be less alike, as the small design is possible only with significantly different internal components (which we will discuss in more details below).

The 15.6-inch display has a full HD (1920-by-1080) resolution, a matte finish to reduce glare, and no touch functionality. The display itself is a little disappointing, the viewing angle is not very wide, so there is some color shift when viewed off-center. Just below the display is a speaker bar with integrated stereo speakers. The speakers offer good sound quality, a little help from software DTS Studio Sound.

The keyboard has chiclet design, with optional backlighting, with a pointing stick in the middle of the keyboard. It's spill-resistant, with built-in exhaust deal with drips and splashes. The pointing stick joins an image sensor touchpad design for a dual-pointer, with two sets of mouse buttons above and below the touchpad. The touchpad features a chemically strengthened glass surface, with support for two-finger scrolling.

Finally, the design itself is not only thin and light, it's pretty tough, too. Chassis is reinforced with magnesium, which provides better rigidity while also decreases the overall weight. The aluminum lid will float on HP DuraFinish, a scratch-resistant finish applied to the bare metal, while a wide stripe on the top and side of the cover sports a sleek, aluminum trim with a matte, hematite finish. The laptop is built to standards MIL-STD-810G, meaning it is designed to survive drops, shocks, vibration, and extremes in temperature, so it is safe to commute and travel, without having to worry a fumble onto the sidewalk will kill your work laptop. Flip the system, and you'll find a removable bottom panel, in an easy-open design that can be opened with a single latch, or secured with a single screw to prevent the latch from accidentally opening. Not only do IT serviceability pretty straightforward, it also provides easy, tool-free access to the battery, so you can choose to swap a spare if needed.

Features
The slim workstation is equipped with a healthy number of ports and features. On the right, you'll find a Gigabit Ethernet port, two USB 3.0 ports, an SD card slot, a DisplayPort, and docking connector, for use in Ultraslim Docking Station HP.
On the left is a Kensington lock slot, a VGA output, two USB 3.0 ports, and a Smart Card slot. Between the display system and the DisplayPort and VGA outputs, the 15u zBook G2 can support up to three screens, a real boon for multitaskers and users of desktop dock.

For wireless connectivity, the laptop has the same dual-band 802.11ac also supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0, and it widi, wireless media streaming technology Intel. Other features include Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2 embedded security chip and a built-in fingerprint reader for simple, secure logon.

For storage, the 15u zBook G2 is outfitted with a 256GB solid-state drive (SSD), connected via PCIe for faster data transfer and performance. Although the system comes with some preinstalled software, it's pretty much all useful, from basic offerings such as Skype and a 30-day trial of Microsoft Office 365, office-friendly apps like Bonjour, who locates other devices on a network (such as printers) and set up a connection without requiring much configuration. Microsoft Security Essentials provides some protection, but the workstation also comes with HP Theft Recovery, File Sanitizer, and HP BIOS self-healing technology for added security. Also included zBook 15u G2 remote graphics capability lets you use graphics horsepower zBook to render a 3D visual 2D and then send images of them on a non-workstation PC. HP covers the zBook 15u G2 on a three-year warranty, which includes parts, labor, and on-site service.