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Acer America
Acer America Corp. is a computer manufacturer of business and consumer PCs, notebooks, ultrabooks, projectors, servers, and storage products.

Location

333 West San Carlos Street
San Jose, California 95110
United States

WWW: acer.com

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January 4, 2023 |

HP’s 2023 CES Product Wave Targets Hybrid Workers

The forthcoming PCs and peripherals include new Dragonfly Pro laptops and Chromebooks (pictured) specifically aimed at freelancers and equipped with 24/7 live concierge support at no extra charge.

HP has introduced a salvo of new PCs, peripherals, and services designed to meet the evolving needs of hybrid workers.

Unveiled on the eve of this year’s CES conference in Las Vegas, the new devices include two additions to HP’s Dragonfly laptop family specifically built for freelancers, a user population that wants processing power, long battery life, high-definition video, and crystal-clear audio but doesn’t want to invest time on pre-purchase research, according to Tylitha Stewart, HP’s vice president and global head of consumer subscriptions and services.

“At their core, these customers are seekers of simplicity,” she says. “They just want their technology to work, to do what it needs to do, and not to have to fully understand all the mechanics of that.”

Powered by AMD Ryzen 7 processors, the HP Dragonfly Pro is a 14-inch clamshell notebook designed to provide up to 16 hours of battery life. The device features a 5MP infrared webcam and a Bang & Olufsen audio system featuring two microphones and four speakers.

The Dragonfly Pro Chromebook, also 14 inches, runs on 12th Gen Intel processors. According to HP, its 8MP webcam is the world’s first in a clamshell Chromebook, while its 1200 nit display is the world’s brightest touchscreen in Chromebooks more generally.

Both devices come with one-touch access to 24/7 live concierge support at no additional cost. “Gone are the days of searching for support, waiting in long lines, making an appointment at a tech bar,” Stewart says, noting that optional total device protection plans are available as well at monthly subscription prices. 

Speakers at HP’s Amplify Executive Forum event last summer emphasized the important role subscriptions and services play in the company’s competitive strategy. 

HP expects both the Dragonfly Pro and Dragonfly Pro Chromebook to ship this spring at prices yet to be determined.

Aimed at a broader hybrid workforce, the new Dragonfly G4, EliteBook 1040 G10, and Elite x360 1040 G10 laptops support dual simultaneous video streams, a first in business notebooks, according to HP.

“You can show your face, an object, or the whiteboard simultaneously either as picture-in-picture or side-by-side, and keep your audience engaged,” says Yolanda Rivas, HP’s senior director of commercial notebooks product management and sustaining. “Auto Camera Select” functionality, she adds, uses intelligent face tracking technology to switch cameras automatically when users with multiple displays turn their attention from one monitor to another.

All three devices are due this spring. Pricing will be announced closer to product availability.

Consumer PCs introduced today include new 14- and 15.6-inch laptops bearing AMD and Intel processors. The 14-inch model’s special “Eco Edition” makes extensive use of post-consumer recycled plastics, HP says, and features a bottom cover made partially from recycled cooking oil.

The new HP 24 and 27 inch All-In-Ones also include repurposed food waste: According to HP, they’re the world’s first PCs made with recycled coffee grounds, which serve as speckles in the unit’s finish. More than 40% of their enclosure contains post-consumer recycled plastics, HP says, adding that the arm stand features 75% recycled aluminum and the stand base is made entirely from reclaimed polyester.

Sustainability is a longstanding design priority at HP, which says that it has used more than a billion pounds of recycled materials in its products since 2019.

Monitors introduced today include the new HP E-Series G5 family, which is available in sizes ranging from 21.5 to 44.5 inches diagonally. The biggest of the new displays, the HP E45c G5, is the world’s first 45-inch super ultrawide dual QHD curved monitor, the company says.

“It’s the equivalent of two 24-inch Quad HD monitors, but without any visual boundaries or separation in the middle as you use the screen,” says Ann Lai, global head and vice president of display solutions. “This uninterrupted canvas provides you with almost 50% more real estate than a 34-inch screen, and so it really gives you a lot more opportunity to be productive at your desk.”

E-Series G5 monitors are expected to ship this month for $219 and up.

Other peripherals introduced today include the HP 620/625 FHD Webcam, a Zoom-certified device offering dual noise-reduction microphones, AI-powered face framing, and background light enhancement, along with a 360-degree swivel and 90-degree tilt. It will ship this month and list at $109.99.

The Poly Voyager Free 60 family of wireless earbuds, meanwhile, provides up to five hours of talk time. It also features a smart charging case equipped with an OLED touch screen that displays call status and battery life information and provides quick access to volume and mute functions. The case’s 3.5mm analog input helps airborne users connect to in-flight entertainment systems.

The new devices are scheduled to arrive in March for prices starting at $299. A Teams-certified version of the product will ship then as well.

HP announced its intention to acquire Poly for some $3.3 billion last March, and completed that transaction in August.

Gaming PCs announced today include the new OMEN 17 Laptop, HP’s most powerful gaming laptop, which runs on up to 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900HX processors and latest-generation NVIDIA GeForce graphics. It is expected to ship this month for $1,699.99 and up. Due later this winter at prices still under consideration, the OMEN 25L, 40L, 45L feature up to 13th Gen Intel Core processors and up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 graphics.

HP’s first cloud gaming service, the OMEN Gaming Hub, will provide global access to over 1,450 titles, says HP, which claims it will also be the first Windows PC manufacturer with an integrated NVIDIA GeForce NOW solution.

The mix of mobile and desktop hardware in HP’s CES product wave reflects a belief that hybrid work is about more than just working from home. “It’s having the ability to do amazing work from anywhere,” Rivas explains, adding that few businesses are realizing that ideal at present. 

“Hybrid is still not working for everyone,” she says. “Businesses worked hard to set up great ecosystems for people to work remotely and they did that so well that now the home environment is often better than the office.”

HP showcased an earlier set of hybrid work PCs and peripherals in August at the Amplify Executive Forum event.


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