Insights from the DE-HP Workstation Study
Apparently, one of the most desirable characteristics of a workstation is expandability.
In the survey DE and HP began running in June (still ongoing), participants were asked to list “characteristic statements that may be important to the selection of a professional workstation.” They were also asked to rate each statement on a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 means the characteristic is extremely important, and 1 means not at all important. When tabulated, the scores showed that the top ranking choice was “reliable/stable/scalable” (70%), closely followed by “performance/computing horsepower” (64%). Continue reading
Siemens PLM Connection 2012: Hardware Spotting
Clearly, the mouse-and-keyboard combo was never meant to be an input system for working with 3D data. It was designed for text input (dating back to the DOS command-line era), but it was adopted by CAD users, for the lack of alternatives. Over time, familiarity gave CAD users the impression that rotating 3D models with a mouse cursor was the standard mode of operation. Continue reading
Leave a comment
HP: Seeking to Change the Workstation Market with HP Z1
The HP Z1, dubbed an all-in-one workstation, made its debut at SolidWorks World in San Diego, California (Feb. 12-15, 2012). The press event itself drew a large crowd, making it nearly impossible for any reporter to get a good photo of the unit. (If you could imagine the high-tech equivalent of a Lady Gaga spotting, you’d get an idea what it was like.) Continue reading
Jon Peddie Research: Workstation Market Shows Return of Momentum
Jon Peddie Research (JPR), which publishes a number of market reports, observed, “From mid-2008 to mid-2011, we lived through the biggest economic downturn in a generation, followed by a relatively steady, but not stutter-free, recovery.” But when it tallied up the latest numbers for workstations, it saw some signs of a return to normalcy.
Releasing its Q3 2011 Workstation Report, JPR said, “The neither hot nor cold results from the workstation market’s second quarter might not elicit any celebration, but we imagine they at least calmed some still-frayed nerves.” Continue reading
HP Launches Z1: Power without Tower
On Tuesday 14, at a press luncheon at SolidWorks World 2012, HP literally unveiled a new workstation, dubbed Z1. To promote the new machine, HP’s MCAD & AEC Segment manager Tom Salomone noted, “It’s power without tower.”
Running on Intel Xeon processor and NVIDIA Quadro GPU, HP Z1 is an all-in-one workstation. The mechanism is built into the 27–inch monitor itself, bypassing the need for a separate desktop tower. According to HP, “Built for computer-aided design, digital media and entertainment professionals, the HP Z1 provides blazingly fast rendering and performance. It offers a full range of workstation-class graphics cards and processors, and is thoroughly tested and certified to work with today’s leading industry applications.” Continue reading
