HP offers more PC options

HP last week announced two new workstations based on Intel's recently released Nocona Xeon processors with 64bit extensions; and new desktops offering better security and management features for corporates.

The HP Workstation xw6200 and xw8200, to ship this month, are the firm's first systems to ship with Intel's Extended Memory 64 Technology (EM64T), which adds 64bit capability to Intel's x86-based Xeon processors. Also announced was the HP Compaq Desktop dc7100 with HP's ProtectTools Embedded Security Manager and Altiris Local Recovery system for PC backup.

Sue Forkin, HP UK's product manager for workstations, said the xw6200 and xw8200 introduced a range of technologies, including DDR2 memory, PCI Express, and Serial ATA (Sata) disks. The systems are aimed at the financial markets, engineers and computer-aided design (CAD) users, and will replace HP's existing Xeon and P4 workstations after a transition period.

The HP Workstation xw8200 is a high-performance model, while the HP Workstation xw6200 features a compact chassis for environments that are short of space.

"It's the smallest dual-processor workstation on the market," Forkin said.

Both models feature one or two Xeon processors from 2.8GHz up to 3.6GHz and can be configured with up to 16GB of memory. The xw6200 costs from £1,259 +VAT while the xw8200 is priced from £1,620 + VAT, both with a single processor.

HP also announced the xw4200 entry-level workstation, based on a 3.6GHz Pentium 4 processor coupled with the 925X Alderwood chipset. It will ship in August.

Set to ship this month, HP's Compaq Desktop dc7100 includes the latest technology and, at 15 months, has one of the longest lifecycles for business PCs, HP said. The system comes with the Altiris Local Recovery system, which stores backups in a hidden protected partition on the local hard drive to help users recover data quickly in the event of a system crash.

To boost security, firms can opt to fit HP's ProtectTools embedded security chip, said Shaun Hobbs, HP UK's manager for desktops. This factory option supports file and data encryption using a ProtectTools software agent.

The dc7100 uses Intel's Grantsdale 915G Express chipset, which has integrated graphics functions. Although the chipset supports the new faster DDR2 memory standard, HP has chosen to fit the older DDR type for cost reasons.

The dc7100 features Intel Pentium 4 chips up to 3.6GHz and has a list price from £478 + VAT.