Do Apple users want to integrate powerful workstations?
HP seems to think so, or they at least want you to know that. If you’re a Mac OS X user and you’ve been dying to integrate your work into a brand-new HP workstation, then you may be in luck. HP announced earlier this week that their new HP Z1 G3 Workstation is ready to be purchased by interested parties.
If you comb through the sales speak in the press release, you get a sense of what they want you to know about it. For example, it’s 47 percent smaller, 51 percent lighter and 21 percent less expensive than the previous generation. It has Intel Xeon processor options, which of course change the price, but at least you can scale the performance up or down as your wallet allows. HP is positioning the Z1 G3 as a world-class workstation with intense processing power and great hardware like a 23.6-inch-diagonal, anti-glare UHD (Ultra High Definition) 4K display to underscore its prowess for graphics-intensive workflows.
Price and Availability
The HP Z1 G3 will be available in May, with a starting price of $1,498. But here’s a free offering for existing HP Z Workstation and ZBook Mobile Workstation customers: You can download HP Remote Graphics Software (RGS). Another freebie is the Mac receiver for HP RGS users. If you are using supported non-HP hardware, you can purchase HP RGS sender licenses to use.
Mac Receiver for HP RGS users
The core message that HP wants to send out is all about its receiver software for OS X. Using HP RGS, the receiver is designed to give Mac users access to their high-end HP Z workstations. Great—the HP RGS will allow engineers and scientists to use files and applications remotely and securely while away from their HP workstations.
The Mac receiver for HP RGS users facilitates joint development on a Windows or Linux workstation. This means interactive edits and design reviews on high-end 2D, 3D, video and media-rich applications on a singly display or across multimonitor setups.
When you connect a Mac to a workstation like this, it acts like a monster upgrade. It basically turns your puny Mac into a monster of workstation energy! So your render time and editing of ultra-high-res video content and FX speeds up like Luke Glanton racing away from a bank in “Beyond The Pines.” Film references aside, the HP RGS receiver for Mac is great if you are accustomed to Macs but need (and have the money for) a new HP Z Workstation to integrate multiple computers and workflows.
Quick Spec Check
In the new HP Z workstations, for CPU, you have the Xeon Quad Core 3, and for RAM, there is 64-GB ECC (Error Correction Code) memory. NVIDIA Quadro GPUs are powering the high-end graphics. Dual PCIe HP Z Turbo Drives will give users fast boot-up times and shorter response times for larger files.
If you want to add more storage, and have the cash, you can add two 2.5-in SATA SSDs or HDDs, if the SSDs are too pricey. To daisy chain your devices, multiple ports like the side-access dual Thunderbolt 3 with USB 3.1, USB charging port, media card reader and DisplayPort will seem as utilitarian as a door knob.
Cost is the all-important factor here, but if you are a fan of the HP Z workstations and are also a hardcore Mac user (something seems inherently wrong about that though), the new HP Z1 G3 Workstation may be worth keeping on your radar.