Spotlight on Workstations

Jon Peddie Research takes a close look at the HP TouchSmart.

As 2013 came to a close, HP gave the industrys first and only all-in-one workstation, the Z1, its first refresh. As is the norm, the general timeframe was set by Intels release of Haswell, about one quarter earlier. But this refresh was about more than just a new CPU, and, in fact, its quarter delay from Haswell was explained - and justified - by one of its two big additions in functionality: Thunderbolt 2 I/O.

Thunderbolt 2 support from Intel (Falcon Ridge) trailed the Haswell release, making HPs creation of a Thunderbolt 2 module for the Z1 lag. Why did HP wait on Haswell just for Thunderbolt 2? Well, while Thunderbolt 2 for other workstations might be a nicety or differentiator that could be added on post-launch, one could argue its a hard requirement for a Z1-class machine in 2014. And while the Z1 is surprisingly serviceable, adding the module aftermarket would have been much less than ideal.

(photo: HP)

The Thunderbolt 2 option module for HPs Z1 G2 AiO workstation Especially given the release of Apples new Mac Pro, any higher-price tag (though not necessarily pricy) machine targeting Digital Media and Entertainment (DME) professionals that doesnt include high-performance support for 4K video is going to be a non-starter. While the Z1 has wider appeal than just DME, we think thats the space this product has its primary appeal ... both to existing Intel workstation users as well as potential Apple users considering emigrating off the Mac platform (a trend which is still in play, though very much dampened/slowed by Apples better-late-than-never overhaul of its Mac Pro).

Thunderbolt 2, however, isnt the only high-profile feature added to the G2 version of the Z1. The other, one we expected might be in the offing for a machine of this type, is touch. Specifically, HP built in Windows 8-compliant, 10-finger multi-touch. Particularly with this machines ability to lay back into a horizontal, tablet-oriented position, touch represents a natural product evolution.

(photo: HP)

10-finger multi-touch is a logical evolution for a Z1 class workstation In addition to Thunderbolt 2 and touch support, HP made some updates more typical of a generation-to-generation refresh: updated Quadro MXM modules from Nvidia (the same that ship in mobile workstations), Gen 3 PCI Express support (to get the most from those Kepler-based modules), and mSATA support (full-length slot).

CPU

LINK:	http://www.cgw.com/Press-Center/In-Focus/2014/Spotlight-on-Workstation...
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