HP ZBOOK 15U G2 LAPTOP REVIEW

HP ZBOOK 15U G2 LAPTOP REVIEW

Tough but portable, HP's ZBook laptop will appeal to a professional audience. We review the HP ZBook 15u G2. 

Now that HP has migrated its mobile workstation laptops from EliteBook to ZBook, we find two distinct version of the 15-inch workhorse from which to choose.

The regular ZBook 15 G2 is closer to the original brick-built EliteBooks, around 40 mm thick and bending the scale needle close to 3 kg – although that’s still a trim and toned-up take on the classic bombproof mobile power laptop.

Coming in at a little over 2.0 kg and just under 25 mm thick, the new HP ZBook 15u is the more fashionable variation of ZBook. The added U in the name seems to point to Ultrabook, Intel’s much abused marketing name for a MacBook Air-style ultraportable running Windows.

The ZBook 15u appears to be in its second generation (G2) although since this is a brand new product we suspect the suffix was added so it wouldn’t look out of date next to the revised G2 version of the ZBook 15. While far from emulating the carry-anywhere sub-20 mm, sub-1.5 kg notebooks of today, it’s relatively compact form puts it alongside other thin and light workstation notebooks such as the 15-inch Apple MacBook Pro and Dell Precision M3800.

HP ZBOOK 15U G2 REVIEW: BUILD AND DESIGN

The case of the ZBook 15u is almost entirely constructed from metal, a lightweight cast alloy for the main chassis, with metal top plate around the keyboard and lid back. The 15.6-inch widescreen display with matt anti-glare finish is available as either a budget TN or higher-grade IPS version, both at 1920 x 1080 resolution. There’s no option for a touchscreen display, arguably a wasteful frippery on a professional mobile workstation. 

On the left side is the exhaust outlet for the single internal cooling fan, a VGA D-Sub video port, two USB 3.0 and a slot for smart cards. Along the right we find a 3.5 mm headset jack, full-size DisplayPort 1.2, another two USB 3.0, gigabit ethernet (with sprung flag, to help fit into the slim edge), DC power inlet, and a proprietary docking slot. There’s no underside docking-station port as you’d find on most business laptop, but HP promises to supply an adaptor to fit this side port with two more digital video outputs. Missing from the port line-up is the Thunderbolt 2 port now found on the non-U ZBook 15 G2.

The entire case bottom is easily removable from one slide-release button, providing access to most of the upgradable components such as memory, storage and wireless connectivity.

Our sample had 16 GB of memory on two 8 GB SO-DIMM modules and a PCIe-attached M.2 SSD, 256 GB in size. You can add a 4G LTE module, access the 802.11ac mini-PCI card and change the 50 Wh battery from here too. Even with the solid-state drive fitted, there’s also space to add a 2.5-inch SATA drive.

For main processor duties, this model had a new Broadwell series 2.6 GHz Intel Core i7-5600U, and unusually for a notebook billed as a professional workstation, this is a dual- rather than quad-core chip. This is the top specification, with an option on the 2.4 GHz version of the same chip (5500U)

HP explains that thermal issues prevented it from fitting a quad-core processor into this relatively thin case. In contrast, both Apple and Dell do use quad-core Intel Core i7 mobile processors in their counterparts, although the latter at least can suffers from cooling issues, requiring its fans to rev up to high speed to keep internal temperatures within limits.

For graphics processor there is a choice of just the integrated Intel HD Graphics 5500 from the Intel CPU, or this with an additional AMD FirePro M4170 dedicated GPU. Unlike the fat ZBook 15, there’s no Nvidia option here.

The AMD FirePro includes 1 GB of GDDR5 memory, and is designed to switch into action when required with AMD’s Enduro Technology, a rebrand of its Dynamic Switching Graphics (DSG) system.

At time of review, the only variants of the ZBook 15u G2 we could find offered from the HP UK website were without discrete AMD graphics, and up to 8 GB of system RAM only. With the lower 2.4 GHz processor, integrated graphics powering the IPS display, and 256 GB Z Turbo Drive (HP’s name for the PCIe-attached SanDisk SSD), the ZBook 15u G2 is priced at £1320 inc VAT.

HP ZBOOK 15U G2: SPECS

• 15.6-inch (1920 x 1080) 141 ppi IPS matt anti-glare (Samsung SDC5344)
• Windows 7 Professional
• 2.6 GHz Intel Core i7-5600U (32. GHz Turbo) 2C, 4T
• AMD FirePro M4170 with 1 GB GDDR5 / Intel HD Graphics 5500
• 16 GB (2x 8 GB) 1600 MHz DDR3 RAM
• 256 GB SSD (SanDisk SD6PP4M-256G-1006)
• gigabit ethernet
• 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2x2 MIMO (Intel Wireless-AC 7265)
• Bluetooth 4.0
• optional 4G LTE module
• 4x USB 3.0
• 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 1x VGA D-Sub
• Kensington lock slot, HP FingerPrint sensor
• SDXC card slot, smart card reader
• stereo speakers
• 0.9 Mp webcam
• dual mics
• 3.5 mm headset jack
• US tiled, backlit, spill resistant keyboard
• 104 x 65 mm, 2x three buttons, trackpoint
• 50 Wh lithium battery
• 65 W mains charger with C5 inlet
• 375 x 253 x 24.5 mm
• 2045 g

Windows 10 - REVIEW

The latest build of Windows 10 is available to insider testers now. If you have a compatible Lumia Windows Phone you can even try out an early version of the mobile Windows 10.

The final version will ship as soon as this summer 2015. Microsoft announced today that Windows 10 will start to roll out on July 29, in almost 200 markets around the world. Previously, Microsoft at Microsoft's re-born WinHEC conference in Shenzhen, attendees were told that Windows 10 will roll out in 190 countries and 111 languages.

Kevin Turner, Chief Operating Officer at Microsoft had said in late 2014: "By next late summer and early fall we'll be able to bring out this particular OS (operating system). That's the current plan of record," according to Reuters. This means Windows 10 is slightly ahead of schedule, and the upgrade will be ready to go in late July or August. We will bring more details of the UK launch as we have them.

At Build 2015, Microsoft said that Windows 10 will launch in several staggered events from summer onwards, each geared toward different devices with PCs coming first. "The way to think about it will be a launch wave that starts in the summer with PCs, and fills out over time as more devices come online," said Joe Belfiore, corporate vice president of the operating systems group at Microsoft. There's still not a confirmed date for any of these launch events, though Belfiore said that Microsoft is still on track for this summer.

"You should expect [the] phone, HoloLens, Xbox, and Surface Hub [launches] will be staggered," Belfiore explained, because of the complexity of coordinating hardware and software launches.

Although Microsoft was present at CES, it scheduled a Windows 10 event in Redmond back in January in order to "talk about the next chapter of Windows 10". Terry Myerson, Joe Belfiore, Phil Spencer and Satya Nadella all presented.

How to reserve Windows 10

So, how do you get your hands on a copy of Windows 10? Windows has organised a reservation service for Windows users to guarantee that they get Windows 10 on launch day. How will it work? Automatic download of course! 

If you’re currently running either Windows 7 or 8.1, you should see a notification pop up in the lower-right corner of your screen informing you that Windows 10 is coming and that Microsoft is offering a limited time free upgrade. If it doesn’t pop up, have no fear – click the small Windows icon in your task bar and it should appear.

The icon should appear if you’ve got Windows Update enabled, but if you don’t, there’s another way to register. You just have to navigate to the Control Panel and click on the Windows Update menu.  

Click on “reserve your free upgrade” in the app window and enter your email address to confirm that your registration has been approved. Once the OS is released on 29 July, you should receive a notification that allows you to schedule the installation time at a time that suits you. The update should’ve already been downloaded in the background. 

Installation time may vary between computers, but Microsoft claims that it could take as little as 20 minutes on a high spec machine – so we estimate it’ll take around an hour for regular PCs. At least you don’t have to wait for the download first!   

It’s worth noting that you’ll still be able to download and install your free copy of Windows 10 without reservation, but you won’t have it pre-downloaded in the background.  

What about Windows Phone 10?

Windows 10 will run on phones, tablets, laptops and PCs. It will not be called Windows Phone 10 on smartphones: it will be Windows 10 Mobile. The Technical Preview was made available in early February, and Gabriel Aul, the head of the Windows Insider program and point man for Microsoft's Windows 10 technical preview program, confirmed the launch of another Preview on April 10. 

While Microsoft has dramatically increased the number of phones that Windows 10 previewsupports, there's a small piece of bad news: the Lumia Icon and its international variant, the 930, won't be part of the update.

New features in Windows 10

Perhaps the biggest news about Windows 10 is that it will be - in Microsoft's words, "One product family, one platform, one store". For the desktop version of Windows 10, there will be no more 'duality', as Microsoft's Joe Belfiore put it. That means no more split personality between modern apps and the 'old' desktop.

Windows 10: why is it called Windows 10?

During the short briefing in San Francisco when Microsoft unveiled Windows 10, it made it clear that the next version would be very much unified across all types of devices with screen sizes from 4 inches to 80 inches. It confirmed that the next version of Windows Phone - after 8.1 - would be 10 and said, "This product, when you see the product in your fullness I think you'll agree with us that it's a more appropriate name."

When questioned about ARM-based Surface tablets, the answer was, "we're building the software to update vast majority of devices out there." However, it has now become clear that Surface tablets won't be upgradeable to Windows 10.

Microsoft's Terry Myerson summed it up with, "Windows 10 represents the first step of a whole new generation of Windows, unlocking new experiences to give customers new ways to work, play and connect. This will be our most comprehensive operating system and the best release Microsoft has ever done for our business customers, and we look forward to working together with our broader Windows community to bring Windows 10 to life in the months ahead."

Windows 10: What's Bill Gates got to do with it?

The co-founder and former CEO of Microsoft has been working with the company on a project called Personal Agent, which is in essence an advanced personal assistant.

"One project I am working on with Microsoft is the Personal Agent which will remember everything and help you go back and find things and help you pick what things to pay attention to," he told Reddit. "The idea that you have to find applications and pick them and they each are trying to tell you what is new is just not the efficient model - the agent will help solve this. It will work across all your devices."

The Best Screen Recorder for Android 5

With Android L, you can easily record high resolution videos of your phone or tablet’s screen without having to root the device. Android Kitkat too allowed screen recording but with Lollipop, the process has become almost as easy as recording screencasts on your desktop – you launch an app (there are several alternatives to choose from), hit the record button and everything that’s on your screen, including touches, will be captured as a MPEG-4 video.

The Perfect Screen Recorder for Android

A quick search on the Google Play store returns a dozen Android apps that support screen recording for Android v5 or later.

Some apps are free while others are paid but they mostly offer a similar set of features. You can record the screen as well the on-screen touches so the viewer has a better idea about how you are interacting with the apps. They can record the external microphone audio but none of the apps I tried allowed recording of internal system audio. Maybe that is a limitation of the Android platform.

The most popular option is Mirror that will not only record your Android screen but it can also mirror your phone on to your desktop using AllCast Receiver, a free app for Chrome. There are no complicated settings to choose from, the recording is smooth but the big downside is that the app adds a fairly big watermark and you do not have option to disable it.

Shou.TV is another app than can record and also live cast your phone screen to the desktop without the watermark. It is the only app that can save the video in multiple formats including MKV, AVI and MOV. There’s however a definite lag when casting the screen on the desktop that makes it less usable.

iLos and the screen recorders from Rivulus, Hecorat and Misty let you record the Android screen in multiple resolution including 1280×720 and 1920×1080 pixels at 30 frames per second. The recorded screencast can display touches, there are no ads and you can record videos of unlimited length. These apps do however add their icons in the notification window while the recording is in progress.

Another app in the category is SCR that offers a unique feature – it can add the picture-in-picture effect to your screencasts. That means it can use the front camera of your phone and overlay a live video of yourself on the screencast. The app is freemium and you need to upgrade to remove the watermark or to increase your screencast length which is limited to 3 minutes.

I also enjoyed using Rec. that has a very clean interface and allows you save your settings as separate presets. You can turn off the screen and it will stop the current recording session. You do however need to upgrade to show the screen touches and for recording the microphone audio.

To conclude, as you may have noticed, most of the screen capture programs for Android are very similar and it is thus difficult to pick an absolute winner. Still, if I were to choose one, my vote would go to the Hecorat Recorder for creating screencast movies (no time limits, no ads, no watermarks) and Mirror for mirroring the Android screen on to the desktop.