Review: HP's EliteBook 1040 G3 With Sure View Improves Worker Privacy

Even before a recent update, HP's EliteBook 1040 G3 was already one of the best new laptops for work of 2016.

A speedy Intel Core i7 processor that supports vPro, a 14-inch QHD touch-screen display and a well-designed keyboard and trackpad has meant there isn't much to complain about with the laptop, which debuted in January at the Consumer Electronics Show.

[Related: Review: Dell's XPS 13 Kaby Lake Is One Of The Year's Best Laptops]

id
unit-1659132512259
type
Sponsored post

The laptop also rates high on design (it features a CNC-machined aluminum body) and portability (with thickness of 0.65 of an inch and a weight of 3.4 pounds), and for battery life it got a respectable 4.5 hours in our tryout.

The update has made the EliteBook 1040 G3 even more applicable to the working world, however, with the addition of what HP is calling the "only integrated PC privacy screen."

Known as Sure View, the feature allows users to provide visual protection of their display from onlookers by pressing Function + F2.

The feature is aimed at preventing the theft of sensitive information through "visual hacking"—and seeks to remove the need for businesses to buy a third-party screen cover for their employees.

Sure View works by reducing almost all visible light when viewed at an angle of 35 degrees or more from the center. Onlookers standing directly behind the user will still be able to see the screen.

In our tryout we found Sure View to be highly effective, and can see it as a feature that could become standard in work-oriented laptops -- particularly as work is often done outside the office.

There is a tradeoff with Sure View in that it significantly dims the laptop display for the user as well, even when looking straight onward at the screen. Using the display in Sure View mode on an extended basis does seem like it would put a strain on the eyes.

But there's no question that it works — and for many users, it's possible that the feature may only need to be used periodically. The ease of turning Sure View on and off makes that a legitimate option.

Ultimately, we think the enhanced privacy makes the EliteBook 1040 G3 an even stronger contender for 2016's best workplace laptop.

The laptop starts at $1,949 for the version with Intel Core i7 vPro, 16 GB of RAM and Sure View. A version with Intel Core i5, 8 GB of RAM and Sure View has a starting price of $1,449.