HP ZBook 14 Review: Mobile Workstation Meets Ultrabook
by Jarred Walton on June 20, 2014 2:30 AM ESTConclusion: An Actual Ultrabook Workstation
I admit to being a bit skeptical of the potential for the ZBook to function as a mobile workstation while fitting into an Ultrabook form factor. While there are certainly some compromises made to get there – the use of a dual-core ULV CPU being the biggest compromise – depending on your needs the ZBook 14 could be exactly what you're after. I know personally that having switched to carrying around an Ultrabook the past few years at trade shows and during other trips, I'm pretty much done with toting around anything more than four pounds. But then I'm not a workstation user; I'm a writer, and for me the core performance takes a backseat compared to things like the keyboard, touchpad, and display.
Thankfully, the ZBook 14 doesn't suffer in any of those areas. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a beauty pageant contestant, but the core design is reasonably attractive and outside of the odd cursor key arrangement I have no issues with the typing action. The touchpad is a bit smaller than I would like and doesn't work as a "clickpad", but that's mostly a personal preference. If you happen to really like TrackPoint solutions, and many enterprise users seem to fall into that category, HP has you covered. And finally, the display is great as far as I'm concerned; 1080p with a 14" panel is still usable for me, even at 100% scaling, so I don't have to deal with any high-DPI wonkiness. Unfortunately, I can't say how the other LCD panel options compare, but the upgrade price for the 1080p UWVA panel isn't too bad so I'm just going to recommend that anyone who cares at all about display quality should make sure they purchase that upgrade.
Considering the workstation trappings, it's really quite impressive just how much stuff HP manages to cram into the ZBook 14. Besides all of the typical accoutrements, HP includes both an M.2 SSD option along with a full-size 2.5" drive bay, a Smartcard reader, full-size Gigabit Ethernet port, fingerprint scanner, full-size DisplayPort, four USB 3.0 ports, and even a docking option on the right side. A slice battery is also an option if you need improved battery life. What's more, you get all of these features and it's still amazingly simple to pop off the bottom cover for any service or upgrade needs. As someone who worked in an IT department for close to a decade, I can definitely appreciate the serviceability aspect.
I'm actually fond of the idea of Ultrabooks (or at least thin and light laptops) that still pack a moderate GPU, and as someone that doesn't need an Enterprise grade laptop – or a professional GPU – I'd love to see HP trim the cost down a bit and provide a consumer-level GPU. The new Razer Blade 14 (Anand is working on that review) basically ends up being a sleeker, faster consumer alternative to the ZBook 14 if that's what you're after, and when you can actually pick up the Blade 14 with decent specs (e.g. at least a 256GB SSD) for about the same price as the ZBook 14 (with a similar 256GB SSD), you know you're looking at enterprise profit margins. Another alternative that's worth a mention is the Dell Precision M3800; it has a 15.6" display so it's a bit larger and heavier, but otherwise it's definitely a thin mobile workstation.
Ultimately, what it boils down to is a question of priorities. If you want the thinnest, lightest, and most aesthetically pleasing Ultrabook on the market, that's not going to be the ZBook 14. It just barely squeaks under the maximum thickness requirement for an Ultrabook (and some models actually fall short), and at 14" it's larger than a lot of other options. But try finding a 14" or smaller Ultrabook with a Quadro or FirePro GPU, not to mention the other extra features, and you're going to come up with only one option: HP's ZBook 14. If that's what you're after – and you're willing to pay for it – there's no other choice (other than to buy a larger, heavier, etc. non-Ultrabook). It certainly fills a market niche, and while not for everyone, for those that are looking for a thin and light mobile workstation the ZBook 14 is a great option to have.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
66 Comments
View All Comments
Tikcus9666 - Friday, June 20, 2014 - link
shame then, as I can see (at least in the UK) the only FX/A10 APU, in cheap, laptops with 768p screens, 5400 rpm HDD and slow ram so the APU's graphics are hampered, and the pro line in entry level systems sold to the business market with similar specswould be good to see an FX APU with 2333MHz Ram, a SSD and a Matt 1080p (or better screen), probably enough power to work and play (granted with details turned down)
Tikcus9666 - Saturday, June 21, 2014 - link
If there will not be the enhanced OpenGl drivers for the A Pro series, Perhaps someone at AMD may realise they can release a Opteron APU with similar specs to the current FX/A10/Pro line, with OpenGl enhanced drivers, charge a lot more (than current APU pricng) and still provide a competitive entry level workstation chip much cheaper than an intel CPU + AMD/Nvidia entry level dgpup1esk - Friday, June 20, 2014 - link
LOL at their pricing. Even with 4k this would be too much. Also, prefer NVIDIA, just in case I might need to run some CUDA code.pr1mal0ne - Friday, June 20, 2014 - link
Page 2 Paragraph 6 "The integrated headset hack at least was free"
spelling error
JarredWalton - Friday, June 20, 2014 - link
LOL... I had to scratch my head for a moment to figure out what I was trying to say. "Why am I talking about hacking?" Thanks for the correction.pr1mal0ne - Friday, June 20, 2014 - link
I buy a lot of these for business purposes.We had to fight with our HP Rep in the beginning to get Win7 on these from the factory, but now that is the normal config and I have never once ordered one with Win8.
I like the trackpad on these. It if leagues better than the clickpads on the lenovo thinkpads and macbooks. Personally i find clickpads to be horrible and have had users complain about them. Never had a user complain about a trackpad. And the size is perfect. I would not ask for any more space to be consumed by the trackpad.
As noted, the screen here is great, but i will say the default screen is horrible. the bad resolution makes it unusable
One huge complaint that nueters this laptops functionality as a business laptop is the lack of a 10-key. Half our workforce will not accept these as they lack a 10 key and any data input professional has a legit business need for one integrated. This is a huge oversight by HP in my opinion.
We prefer to buy the 8560p and 8570w over this laptop. As they have 10 key and they have a better build quality. That being said, these laptops are still tough. I have some with dents but never had one break due to physical damage. Heat is not an issue when it is on a desk or docked. Though running autocad on your lap will get it on the hot side.
Jarred, i must say lines like " But then I'm not a workstation user;" only serve to make me ask myself why are you reviewing this in the first place? Workstation users rely on their laptop to do work that a cell phone cant. 4 pounds is light when you consider how much this is doing for you.
JarredWalton - Friday, June 20, 2014 - link
The reality of true workstation users is that they tend to earn enough that they don't write as tech journalists. Hahaha... But seriously, I mention that I'm not a workstation user mostly to make it clear that I can't really dig into every facet of the laptop, and personally I have other laptops I would take over the ZBook 14. I don't need Quadro or FirePro GPUs, and in fact I don't even want them -- they cost more and run slower at the sort of consumer tasks (games) I'd use them to run.No true workstation users would even consider a Razer Blade as an alternative... but I would. Workstation users also tend to know what specific programs they're going to run. Just because you use a workstation doesn't mean you run Pro/E or one of the Siemens apps. And if you happen to use Photoshop or Premiere (which used to be "workstation applications"), as far as I'm aware they no longer even benefit from the presence of a professional dGPU.
As for the 10-key aspect, cramming a 10-key into a 14" chassis would be a terrible idea IMO. There's just not enough room for it, so you'd end up having to shrink all of the other keys to make it fit. There are plenty of mobile workstation options for people that need a 10-key, and they're all 15" or larger for a reason. I'm not sure I've ever even heard of a 14" or smaller laptop with a dedicated 10-key.
Ultimately, this is really pretty easy though: workstation users know what apps they will actually run, and hopefully the data provided here is enough to help them make an informed decision. (If not, let me know what else you'd suggest running. Keep in mind that I don't even know how to use a lot of the professional applications, which is why things like SPECviewperf are used.) And if they really want a light mobile workstation but they require a 10-key, they'll need to either compromise on the size/weight or determine to give up a dedicated 10-key while on the road (i.e. plug in a keyboard at the office).
esterhasz - Friday, June 20, 2014 - link
I mean, it's a nice machine, but what I got most out of this is how fast the Razer Blade 14 is.dylan522p - Saturday, June 21, 2014 - link
There are more powerful dualcores, namely the 28W parts.JarredWalton - Monday, June 23, 2014 - link
Which is obviously not a 15W ULV part.