11 New HP Products To Meet On-The-Go Needs

HP Gets Busy

Hewlett-Packard has been busy. On the heels of its Sept. 10 Z-Series desktop and mobile workstation overhaul, the company this week unveiled three new EliteBook models and a pair of new ProBooks, all with 4th-generation Intel Haswell processors, tools-free service, spill-resistant backlit keyboards and life on battery that's claimed to reach 12 hours. The company also introduced a new scanner, some new printers and a duo of new devices that give enterprise users something HP says they've universally craved: the ability to print to any printer from any mobile device.

Here's a look at what HP has in store for mobile business execs this fall.

UltraBook EliteBook

With its three new EliteBook models, HP has eschewed optical drives and the boxy look and feel of its stalwart business machines for smoother lines, tapered edges and a footprint that's about 28 percent lighter. There's also no more "P-series" nomenclature, just 800-series models. Shown here is the EliteBook 840 G1, a 14-inch model with HD display and touch-screen option driven by the Intel HD Graphics 4400 GPU built around an Intel Core i5-4300U at 1.9GHz running Windows 7 or 8. Processor options include Core i7 and Core i3 as well. Pricing is next.

Thinner, Lighter EliteBooks

The 840 starts at $799 without a touch screen or $949 with touch. Only the 14-inch unit offers this option. Its 15.6-inch counterpart, the EliteBook 850 G1, starts at $939. Both the 14- and 15.6-inch units qualify as Ultrabooks. The smallest of the new models is the EliteBook 820, a 12-inch, sub-3 pound model that starts at $859. All offer DisplayPort 1.2, USB 3.0 and VGA outputs, plus a full-size RJ-45 connector. And all are available now.

Two New ProBooks

Available with 4th-gen Intel processors and Intel HD graphics 4600 or AMD HD Radeon HD 8750M discrete GPU, HP calls the ProBook its "most configurable" line of laptops. Unveiled today are the 14-inch ProBook 640 G1 and the 15.6-inch ProBook 650 G1, which are identical in almost every way except for screen size and number of USB 3.0 ports (the 650 has four, one more than the 640). Like the EliteBooks, ProBooks include spill-resistant keyboards with drain and tools-free servicing. They come with HD displays and are available with as much as 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of spinning HDD storage or 256 GB of SSD with encryption options. Interestingly, ProBook units also still come equipped with an RS-232 port and optional modem port. According to a company spokesperson, this caters to specific types of users. "Many of our vertical market customers still use the serial interface to connect to specialized equipment," said the spokesman at a confidential media briefing prior to the announcement. Auto service and health care industries were given as examples. Availability is set for November with starting prices at around $699; exact pricing was not disclosed.

Wireless Printing For All

On Nov. 1, HP will begin shipping the 1200w Mobile Print Accessory, a little device that adds wireless printing capability to any HP printer with a USB port. "IT departments say, 'It's not a pretty solution but we need it,'" said an HP spokesperson of the device. "And the next question is usually, 'When can I get them?'" About the size of a deck of cards, the device will accept output from Apple's AirPrint, HP's wireless direct printing and NFC touch-to-print protocols, and offers a range of about 120 feet. List price is $69, but it will be introduced at $39, HP said.

NFC In The Enterprise

HP also will be bringing wireless printing to its enterprise machines. On Dec. 2, the company is set to begin shipping the JetDirect 2800w for FutureSmart Fleet, a small device that adds peer-to-peer and NFC touch-to-print to any HP FutureSmart Enterprise printer introduced in 2011 or later. The $49 device installs in the printer's Hardware Integration Pocket or USB port.

Smallest Laser MFP

Calling it HP's smallest MFP for small and midsize businesses, the LaserJet Pro MFP M125/M127 measures 16.5 by 14.4 by 12.2 inches and weighs an even 20 pounds. Yet the monochromatic laser prints at a maximum rate of 21 pages per minute (ppm) at a resolution of 600-x-600 dots per inch (dpi). Its flat-bed scanner with auto-feeder can process up to seven ppm for black-and-white, and five ppm for color. Maximum scanning resolution is 1,200-x-1,200 dpi. Notable features include a 3-inch color control and mobile-device printing via HP ePrint and Apple AirPrint. The M125/M127 have been shipping since Sep. 3; prices start at $149. The M127 includes faxing capabilities.

Printer As Document Hub

Expanding the reach of its Flow CM cloud-based document management system, HP has unveiled the Color LaserJet Pro MFP M176/M177. The pair of color multifunction printers integrate directly with HP's own system, as well as Box.net, Dropbox and Google Docs, giving small and midsize businesses a centralized means of scanning and outputting documents directly to and from their cloud-based collaboration repository of choice. Shipping now starting at $279 list, the units also support mobile printing via wireless direct, HP ePrint and Apple AirPrint.

Fast Scanning To Text, Cloud

For generating searchable text from stacks of printouts, HP introduces the Scanjet Enterprise Flow 5000 s2. According to the company, the unit can scan and apply OCR to a 50-page stack and store it as plain text on a cloud or SharePoint server in about two minutes. It also supports NPI scanning and for images, it's rated at 50 ppm. The unit lists for $799; availability is set for Nov. 1.

High-End MSP

Also set for availability on Nov. 1 is the HP Color LaserJet Enterprise flow MFP M880, a 46-ppm laser printer (41 ppm for color) that also can perform single-sided scanning at 70 ppm and store that data in the cloud or its integrated hard drive. Its auto document feeder holds 200 sheets and paper capacity ranges between 2,100 and 4,100 sheets. To control the action, there's an 8-inch color touch screen and retractable keyboard. Options include a page stapler/stacker, hole puncher and booklet maker. List prices start at $8,999.