HP's OmniBook 4150 Has Eyes For the Corporate Enterprise.(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
02/01/99
Computer Shopper
Page 240(1)
COPYRIGHT 1999 Ziff Davis Publishing Company Copyright 1999 Information Access Company. All rights reserved.
There is a lot more to a notebook than the sum of its parts. Whereas the average small-business user will most likely be concerned with performance and cost, the typical corporate user has to consider management and security features, and possibly international support as well. Hewlett-Packard Co., a manufacturer that has earned a solid reputation for reliability in the corporate realm, continues its reign with its new $4,299-estimated HP OmniBook 4150.
The 4150 comes with management features, including DMI 2.0, Wake-on- LAN, Wake-on-Ring, and SMART support. The 4150 also packages the latest version of HP's TopTools for Laptops, which can monitor notebooks in a network for inventory, configuration, fault- tolerance, and security-management purposes. TopTools is remote- management friendly with applications such as HP OpenView, Intel LanDesk, McAfee Saber LAN Workstation, Microsoft SMS, and Symantec Norton Administrator for Networks.
The 4150's security goes beyond a Kensington Lock slot and dual- level password protection. DriveLock prevents anyone from accessing the hard drive's contents without the correct password--even if the hard drive is removed and installed in another notebook. DockLock locks the notebook to a docking station with a solenoid--only the correct password will let you undock the system.
Even hearty road warriors suffer the occasional mechanical failure. That's why every HP reseller is also a licensed service center, and centers can be found throughout North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. HP's support is available 24 hours daily, although not via a toll-free number. In the United States, if you need to send the 4150 to HP for repair, the company pays all shipping costs and will return the system to you within 48 hours.
By including the management and support features, HP is hoping to reduce the cost of managing and maintaining the system in the long run. The initial cost is substantial, however--especially when you consider that similarly configured notebooks from Dell Computer Corp. and Gateway (though without any of the aforementioned corporate "extras") cost about $1,300 less.
Powering the 4150 is a 300MHz Mobile Pentium II processor and 64MB of SDRAM. A 6.4GB hard drive, a 24x CD-ROM drive, and a 14.1-inch XGA active-matrix display complete the picture. All this fits into a 1.4x13x10.2-inch (HWD) case, which weighs only 6.6 pounds.
The 4150's Business Winstone 99 score of 14.6 is identical to that of our Dell Inspiron 7000 benchmark system, placing it in the same performance category as high-end desktop-replacement units. The 4150's hard drive subsystem is faster than the Inspiron's, but its graphics subsystem couldn't keep up with the Inspiron's 3-D graphics performance. With a time of 2 hours and 58 minutes on the BatteryMark 2.0 test, the 4150 provides acceptable life for a 300MHz Mobile Pentium II-based unit.
The 4150's module bay can use the 1.44MB floppy drive, the 24x CD- ROM drive, or the weight-saving module. Options for the module bay include a second 6.4GB hard drive for $899, a SuperDisk drive for $199, a second lithium-ion battery for $279, or a 2x DVD-ROM drive (which also comes with a Kingmax ZV-DVD PC Card) for $399. The floppy drive can be used externally via the included parallel-port cable. With the exception of the optional second hard drive, all devices can be hot-swapped from the module bay on units running Windows 95 or Windows 98, but not Windows NT.
The removable hard drive is accessible through the battery bay. An expansion port works with the optional $189 port replicator, the $389 mini-dock, or the $729 docking station.
The 4150 has one the brightest, most vivid display panels we've seen on a notebook. The review unit had one bad dark and one bad light pixel--if your thumb can cover three or if the display has a total of 10 bad pixels, HP considers the display defective and will replace it.
Driving the display is a NeoMagic MagicMedia 256AV AGP graphics engine, capable of supporting up to 24-bit color on the 1,024x768 screen. We noticed artifacts during playback of MPEG test files when the unit was scaled up to full screen. This was most likely due to a bug in the beta version of the display driver installed on the review system. The MagicMedia chip, in concert with a NeoMagic MagicWave chip, pumps out the 4150's audio to the unit's stereo speakers. Audio quality is good, but distorts if the volume is turned up too loud.
HP covers the 4150 with a 30-day money-back-guarantee and a three- year parts-and-labor warranty. Onsite service is available for $100 per year, up to a total of three years. You can also buy the 4150 with Windows NT installed for $100 extra.
If you're looking for a bargain on a notebook PC, you should probably search elsewhere--the OmniBook 4150 is definitely not for the budget-minded. But if you need a notebook configured to integrate well into a corporate environment, the 4150 can save you plenty down the road.
HP tailors the OmniBook 4150 to the corporate class with management features and worldwide technical support.
HP OmniBook 4150
Hewlett-Packard Co.
800-752-0900; 970-635-1000
www.hp.com/omnibook
Mfr. Est. Price: $4,299
BETA Display driver is beta.
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