I used to be very intrigued after I first noticed HP’s EliteBoard G1a, an enterprise laptop that simply seems like a keyboard. It’s designed for workplace employees who might sit at completely different desks on completely different days, in what is typically described as “hoteling,” or who take the machine between workplace and residential, however needn’t use it in between, so do not want a display screen. It’s additionally meant for customer-facing places corresponding to a lodge entrance desk, the place not having a separate PC field could make the house look cleaner.
I can think about that such a tool might match the wants of plenty of bigger organizations. It isn’t for everybody, but it surely may work for a lot of workers. The idea of a computer-in-a-keyboard is way from new—the Commodore 64 is an early instance—however that class has disappeared lately, changed by both mini desktops, towers, or laptops (that are by far the most important phase).
Having used the EliteBoard G1a for just a few weeks, my emotions are blended. I do see the use instances and the benefits, and the machine has turned out to be a fairly respectable performer. However I bumped into some limitations with the design which have made me skeptical that it will likely be acceptable to as many individuals as HP hopes.
A Easy Design Packed With Loads of Energy
The fundamental design of the EliteBoard G1a is fairly easy. The core system a keyboard with a numeric keypad on the left. As a keyboard, it is advantageous, with 2mm of key journey, although I missed having a palm relaxation, like on most desktop keyboards and nearly all laptops. The system comes with an exterior mouse, which you’ll be able to join by way of Bluetooth natively from the keyboard or by way of a USB-C dongle. Because the system solely has two USB-C ports, it is way more handy to make use of the native Bluetooth.
Usually, you’d use one of many two USB-C ports to connect with energy (it comes with a USB-C charger) and the opposite to connect with a show; alternatively, you would join the system to a USB-C hub, which might then connect with each energy and show, and provide you with extra ports. With most displays and a typical HDMI-to-USB-C adapter, I used to be in a position to get the show working properly. With HP and Dell hubs, I used to be in a position to join a monitor and different gadgets, together with exterior drives.
However with a single normal monitor and an Amazon Fundamentals HDMI-to-USB-C adapter, I might solely get a 640-by-480 decision, despite the fact that the monitor was able to 1,920 by 1,080. And though HP ships a port adapter—a dongle that connects to an HDMI monitor and passes by energy and wired Ethernet—I might by no means get that to work.
Beneath the hood, the EliteBoard G1a has all of the computing energy of a contemporary small desktop or laptop computer. The unit I examined had an AMD Ryzen 7 Professional 350 CPU (Kracken Level) with Radeon 860M graphics. It is a 28-watt processor with 4 Zen 5 cores and 4 Zen 5c cores, plus multithreading, with a base clock of two GHz and a most enhance clock pace of 5 GHz, made on TSMC’s 4nm course of.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)
As such, it isn’t fairly as quick as HP’s EliteBook X G1a, which I examined final 12 months and had a Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 CPU, but it surely’s shut for many purposes. I discovered it notably slower than the Ryzen 375 on some AI duties, corresponding to Procyon’s AI laptop imaginative and prescient and picture technology, in addition to textual content technology utilizing Llama. For traditional enterprise purposes, it is fairly advantageous. My check unit had 64 GB of RAM.
HP has emphasised the system’s simple serviceability. It’s simple to exchange or improve components, together with RAM, SSD, battery, and keyboard. And it has the everyday HP enterprise administration options, together with HP’s Wolf Safety for Enterprise.
The EliteBoard comes with an elective 32-watt battery that allows you to change between gadgets with out restarting. I recorded over six hours of battery life whereas operating PC Mark 10’s Trendy Workplace check, with a plugged-in monitor, which must be greater than sufficient for switching displays or commuting.
Significantly Lighter Than Most Laptops, However I Will not Be Switching
As for commuting, the EliteBoard is mild sufficient to hold by itself—my unit weighed 1.69 kilos. Add within the mouse, energy provide, the adapter hub, and the case HP ships with the system, and also you get 2.65 kilos—nonetheless significantly lighter than most laptops with their chargers.
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Whereas the EliteBoard is an attention-grabbing resolution for the “hoteling” use case, there are alternate options. You could possibly have PCs with keyboards and displays, however with out private data, by “Cloud PCs.” Or you would simply arrange keyboards and displays, and provides workers mini desktops to hold. The HP people I talked to have been involved that folks do not need to use keyboards others might have already used (which I hadn’t thought of an issue).
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)
HP affords a sequence of EliteDesk Minis, although surprisingly, they’re usually heavier than the EliteBoard G1a, despite the fact that they do not have batteries (although they have a tendency to have extra ports). One factor I did discover, although: As a result of the keyboard has a numeric keypad, the EliteBoard is longer than a 14-inch laptop computer, so it did not slot in my ordinary bag. It does slot in most backpacks, although.
Whereas the product isn’t as a consequence of ship till subsequent month, as I write this, HP is providing the bottom mannequin with an AMD Ryzen AI 5 Professional 340 processor, 16GB of reminiscence, and a 512GB SSD for $1,549, and a unit nearer to the one I examined with a Ryzen AI 7 Professional 350, 32GB of reminiscence and a 512GB SSD prices for over $3,400. For comparability, an EliteBook X G1A with a sooner Ryzen AI Professional 7 360 processor, 16GB of reminiscence, and a 512GB SSD is listed at $1,559; and one with a Ryzen AI 9 HX Professional 375 processor, 32 GB of reminiscence, and a 1TB SSD is listed at $2,099.
General, I discover the EliteBoard to be an intriguing idea, although in common use, it isn’t as handy as a laptop computer. It must be significantly inexpensive to be a very enticing possibility for me. For now, I will be sticking with my common laptop computer, thanks.
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Michael J. Miller is chief data officer at Ziff Brothers Investments, a non-public funding agency. From 1991 to 2005, Miller was editor-in-chief of PC Journal,answerable for the editorial route, high quality, and presentation of the world’s largest laptop publication. No funding recommendation is obtainable on this column. All duties are disclaimed. Miller works individually for a non-public funding agency which can at any time spend money on corporations whose merchandise are mentioned, and no disclosure of securities transactions can be made.
Till late 2006, Miller was the Chief Content material Officer for Ziff Davis Media, answerable for overseeing the editorial positions of Ziff Davis’s magazines, web sites, and occasions. As Editorial Director for Ziff Davis Publishing since 1997, Miller took an lively function in serving to to determine new editorial wants within the market and in shaping the editorial positioning of each Ziff Davis title. Beneath Miller’s supervision, PC Journal grew to have the most important readership of any expertise publication on this planet. PC Journal advanced from its profitable PCMagNet service on CompuServe to turn out to be one of many earliest and most profitable internet sites.
As an completed journalist, properly versed in product testing and evaluating and writing about software program points, and as an skilled public speaker, Miller has turn out to be a number one commentator on the pc business. He has participated as a speaker and panelist in business conferences, has appeared on quite a few enterprise tv and radio packages discussing expertise points, and is incessantly quoted in main newspapers. His areas of particular experience embody the Web and its purposes, desktop productiveness instruments, and using PCs in enterprise purposes. Previous to becoming a member of PC Journal, Miller was editor-in-chief of InfoWorld, which he joined as govt editor in 1985. At InfoWorld, he was answerable for growth of the journal’s comparative evaluations and oversaw the institution of the InfoWorld Check Heart. Beforehand, he was the west coast bureau chief for In style Computing, and senior editor for Constructing Design & Building. Miller earned a BS in laptop science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York and an MS in journalism from the Medill College of Journalism at Northwestern College in Evanston, Illinois. He has acquired a number of awards for his writing and enhancing, together with being named to Medill’s Alumni Corridor of Achievement
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