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HP t410 AIO Smart Zero Client does single-wire Power over Ethernet, no power cord required

Now, we don't normally cover this sort of networking equipment, but we were quite impressed by HP's new t410 All-in-One Smart Zero Client after we spoke to its proud product manager Walt Jurek. First of all, this isn't an AIO desktop PC, nor is it an LCD monitor -- well, if you're unfamiliar with thin clients, just think of this as an 18.5-inch, 1,366 x 768 LED-backlit monitor (featuring a 3M technology for the 200 nit brightness -- our money's on the Uniformity Tape) that uses just one Ethernet cable to get both its 13W power from a PoE (Power over Ethernet) switch, as well as data connection over Citrix, Microsoft or VMWare protocol. The t410 can automatically detect the virtualization environment and then reprogram its digital signal processor when needed, meaning less manual work for the admin (in theory, anyway). More after the break.

By nature of PoE, the connection between the t410 and the switch will be limited to 10/100, but even that was sufficient to stream a smooth video next to a spinning CAD model -- obviously some of the credit goes to the 1GHz Texas Instruments Cortex-A8 SoC and the DSP inside as well. In fact, by request of a student he met at TechEd Berlin 2010, Walt even managed to let him run Crysis through Microsoft's RemoteFX in an early tech demo -- see the video below.

Should you wish to pump it up to Gigabit connection when available, there's also a socket for external power on the back of the t410. This is handy if any of the four USB ports are pushing the client's consumption beyond the 13W power envelope; but if there's no external power available to fix this, the device will attempt to draw more power from the switch (Type 1 PoE does 15.4W, tops), or else it'll flash a warning message and offer to dim the screen to accommodate. How thoughtful.

There's also a logistical advantage here: imagine a deployment where instead of dealing with a big and heavy stack of PCs and monitors, you can have, say, just one server and several t410s. Additionally, since each t410 only sips up to 13W of power (whereas a typical desktop PC requires about 250W), this solution is ideal for power constrained scenarios like temporary emergency response centers or schools in emerging markets. For those interested, keep an eye out for the $429 t410 in the summer.

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HP Unveils New High-performance Business Solutions

SHANGHAI, May 9, 2012

HP today announced powerful business products packed with energy-efficiency, security and performance features designed to meet customer needs across industries such as healthcare, retail, and media and entertainment.

Among the products announced for businesses are:

The powerful HP t410 All-in-One (AiO) Smart Zero Client, featuring new and innovative one-wire Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology while still providing outstanding multimedia performance and a true PC-like experience.
The highly customizable HP RP7 all-in-one retail system with a sleek and stylish design that fits into a variety of retail settings.
The HP L6015tm and L6017tm Retail Touch Monitors with multitouch projected capacitive screens for retail and hospitality environments, and the HP L6010 non-touch Retail Monitor for use as a customer or associate-facing display.
New high-performance HP Z220 Workstations and HP EliteBook Mobile Workstations, packed with reliable and professional-class features.

"HP's new high-performing business products allow our customers to get an exceptional user experience with better graphics and video performance, while still keeping operating costs low," said Jim Zafarana, vice president and general manager, Commercial Solutions Business Unit, HP.

Lower power usage and enhanced performance

The HP t410 AiO operates within 13 watts of power envelope over PoE,(1) delivering great energy efficiency for businesses. It combines an 18.5-inch diagonal display and high-performing smart zero client in one space-saving unit. The HP t410 AiO requires no external power supply because it is powered via Ethernet connection. This offers customers a cleaner, more reliable power source and requires less cabling and set-up time.

The HP t410 AiO supports multiple protocols and can be reprogrammed on the fly. Auto-sensing technology automatically connects to the network and searches for a customer's existing client virtualization environments, be it from Citrix, Microsoft or VMware. This allows companies with a mix of infrastructures to use the HP t410 AiO across any of these solutions.

The HP t410 AiO delivers a rich multimedia computing experience using an innovative system-on-chip design. It also features a powerful, energy-efficient ARM® processor technology with an integrated digital signal processor that gives the HP t410 AiO the capability to display full-screen high-definition (HD)(2) video, complex graphical content and rich media, while still running at optimum performance levels.

Customizable features for diverse retail environments

The HP RP7 is a powerful and versatile all-in-one retail system that offers a variety of configurations and integrated peripherals that can be customized to meet retailers' diverse needs.

"HP's broad retail solutions portfolio, which includes the RP7 Retail System, combines the latest technologies with HP innovation to introduce several exciting new products designed with today's retailer in mind," said Ray Carlin, vice president, Retail Solutions, HP.

The HP RP7 is built to handle the rigorous demands of retail environments and includes a 15-inch or 17-inch diagonal touch-enabled display that is sealed to provide resistance against environmental contaminants, such as water and dust. Retailers can add an optional magnetic-stripe reader, biometric fingerprint reader or webcam, and either a two-line or 10-inch diagonal customer display to enhance promotional activities.

The new 15-inch and 17-inch HP L6015tm and L6017tm Retail Touch Monitors feature multitouch projected capacitive touch technology and offer maximum usability and durability, as well as a sleek modernized appearance. The 10-inch diagonal non-touch HP L6010 Retail Monitor is designed for use as a customer-facing display for order verification or promotional activities, or as an associate-facing display in space-constrained environments.

Performance and power for professionals

HP Z220 Workstations deliver new technologies to improve overall system performance and energy efficiency. They continue to set the standard for affordable entry-level workstations and bring unbelievable value to demanding professionals in video editing, mechanical computer-aided design (MCAD), architecture engineering construction (AEC), education, healthcare and government. The HP Z220 is available in either an exceptionally expandable, convertible mini-tower (CMT) or as a highly compact small form factor (SFF) for space-constrained environments.

HP's most powerful mobile workstation, the HP EliteBook 8770w, offers the highest-performing professional graphics and extreme processing power and is highly configurable with a 17.3-inch diagonal display. The versatile and portable HP EliteBook 8570w includes high-end professional graphics, robust processing power and a 15.6-inch diagonal display. HP's most travel-friendly mobile workstation, the HP EliteBook 8470w, features workstation-caliber graphics and powerful processing along with a business rugged design that's optimized around a 14-inch diagonal HD(1) display.

All HP Workstations are certified to work with independent software vendors (ISVs) across a range of industries.

Availability (3)

The HP t410 All-in-One Smart Zero Client; HP RP7, HP L6015tm, L6017tm and L6010 Retail Monitors; HP Z220 Workstations; and HP EliteBook w-series are expected to be available this summer.

(1) The PoE type-1 standard specifies that a PoE switch can deliver a maximum of 15.4W of power. Various factors can affect how much of the 15.4W of power is available to an attached PoE device, including quality and length of wiring as well as the quality of the physical network connections. Ethernet cords of 100 meters or more will reduce the amount of power available to the PoE device. If user implementation exceeds the 13-watt envelope and the t410 AiO intelligently detects that it has additional available wattage from the network switch, it can take advantage of this additional power; or if no additional power is available, it will lower screen brightness to stay within the 13-watt envelope.
(2) HD content required to view HD images.
(3) Not all models available in all regions. ARM is a registered trademark of ARM Limited.