IT Pro Verdict

The zBook 15 excels when it comes to performance and has a great screen. But it is bulky and has poor battery life, which makes it hard to recommend it as a portable machine.

Reasons to buy

+
Good performance; Decent screen; Thunderbolt port; Expandable

Reasons to avoid

-
Cramped keyboard; Poor battery life; Expensive

By Khidr Suleman

published 20 February 2014

in Reviews

HP has started shipping its zBook laptop range, providing professionals with workstation power in a portable form factor - but is there really demand for such a product?

We reviewed the zBook 15. The first thing we noticed about our review unit was its bulk. The 15in panel, along with the Blu-ray drive, discrete graphics, multitude of ports and 8-cell battery push up the weight to 2.83kg and you'll feel every gram when lifting it. HP also offers the device in 14in and 17in sizes.

Thunderbolt is go

The zBook is the first Windows PC we've tested in the IT Pro office to include a Thunderbolt port. It's the second generation technology and is a big deal as it signals that the high-speed I/O interface is gaining traction in the professional market.

Thunderbolt technology is 4x faster than USB 3 when it comes to transferring data but it also has other advantages. The interface is able to support expansion through PCIe connectors and can be used to hook the zBook directly to displays.

Despite the zBook having a single Thunderbolt port, the ability to daisy chain devices compensates for this. You can plug an SSD directly into the port on the laptop, and then any additional storage devices or even connect a display into the back of the SSD.

Other ports include 3 x USB 3 (one doubles as a charging port), 1 x DisplayPort, an Ethernet jack, and a legacy VGA port. You'll also find a docking connector and secondary battery connector on the back.

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Khidr Suleman is the Technical Editor at IT Pro, a role he has fulfilled since March 2012. He is responsible for the reviews section on the site - so get in touch if you have a product you think might be of interest to the business world. He also covers the hardware and operating systems beats. Prior to joining IT Pro, Khidr worked as a reporter at Incisive Media. He studied law at the University of Reading and completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Magazine Journalism and Online Writing at PMA Training.