On one month’s CES 2018, HP announced the two update of its laptop. The popular HP Spectre X360 15 is a built-in Radeon Rx Vega M GPU and full digital keyboard to get a new eighth generation Intel core processor; it is scheduled in March 18th for a starting price of $1369.99. HP’s jealousy X2 also got a subtle transformation with the seventh generation Intel processor, but the release date and pricing have not yet been announced. As we get more practical time on these new laptop computers, we may modify our advice on HP’s laptop business.
Whether you’re looking for a lightweight travel companion or a beastly workstation, HP makes some excellent laptops that should meet your needs. HP’s business-class laptops – which fall under the Elite, ZBook and ProBook brands – offer extra durability credentials and good enough security to satisfy your company’s IT department. And don’t count out the Spectre line of premium consumer notebooks, which are some of the best-designed laptops on the market. Read on to see our choices for different needs and budgets.
How We Evaluate Laptops
Every laptop on this list has been fully reviewed on our sister site, BusinessNewsDaily.com. We use precise, repeatable testing procedures to evaluate products and help our readers make informed buying decisions. Our methods include industry-standard synthetic benchmark tests, including the Geekbench 3 performance test, and the 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited graphics test. We also use a variety of in-house tests to assess each laptop’s battery life, file transfer speed and more.
For more information on how we evaluate laptops, check out our testing guide.
Best Overall Laptop – HP EliteBook x360 G2
Best Budget Laptop- HP Spectre x360
Best workstation – HP ZBook Studio G4
What You Need to Know Before Buying an HP Laptop
Security, durability and manageability features vary widely across HP’s laptop lineup. Here’s an overview of what to expect from the brand.
Spectre vs. Elite vs. ZBook
HP offers work-ready laptops in a number of different lines. Here’s a quick breakdown.
- Spectre: The Spectre line of premium consumer laptops is known for its stunning looks and portable designs. These laptops typically lack secure manageability options and business-class durability. Still, they’re good for independent mobile workers, as well as executives and other select users in enterprise environments.
- Elite: HP’s Elite line includes ultraportable laptops with business-class security features, including hardware encryption, biometric authentication and secure manageability. These durable notebooks are also tested to withstand dings, drops, dust, humidity and more.
- ZBook: The ZBook lineup offers similar security and durability credentials to the Elite line. ZBooks, however, provide workstation-class performance for heavy-duty tasks. They’re also larger and heavier than Elite laptops.
- ProBook: The ProBook line includes HP’s most affordable business-class laptops. ProBook systems match the Elite line in terms of security and durability, but they’re generally bulkier and heavier.
Security
HP’s business laptops offer a variety of security features.
- Encryption: All of HP’s business laptops come equipped with a Trusted Platform Module, which enables hardware-based encryption.
- Biometric security: This means you can unlock your work laptop using your own body. In its most basic form, that means a fingerprint scanner, which is available on many HP models. And a few HP laptops – such as the Elite x2 – have cameras capable of facial recognition, so you can unlock your laptop just by looking at it.
- Lock slot: Most HP business laptops also come with a lock slot that lets you physically secure your device to your desk with a cable.
Manageability
Many of HP’s business laptops offer special manageability tools.
- VPro: Many HP models are available with secure manageability via Intel vPro technology. VPro is a remote management platform baked right into high-end Intel processors, giving you or your IT team access to laptops at the hardware level. That makes it possible to run software and group policy updates even when a system has been turned off. The ability to manage a powered-down system also helps when you need to locate the system, restrict access to it, or wipe it clean if it’s been lost or stolen.
- Deployment: HP offers a range of migration and deployment services. For starters, HP can preload company images onto new PCs in the factory. Additionally, it can migrate system images and data to your new PCs remotely, limiting workday disruptions. For companies that need a bit of extra hand holding, HP offers on-site services, including delivery of new PCs, image installation and full data migration.
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