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Top 3 HP VR-Ready Desktops
Michelle Wilson
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December 25, 2019
Virtual reality is poised to enhance multiple industries, and not just ones focused on technology. For example, it’s changing the face of healthcare with revolutionary diagnostic software that allows physicians to better explain the course of treatment for injuries and diseases.
VR also provides those who work in high-risk industries the ability to practice emergency and safety manoeuvres without the weight of real-life consequences. And, of course, VR is also making waves in gaming, where gamers are invited to experience a simulated world where instead of playing as a character, he or she becomes the avatar.
Unfortunately, not every device is capable of supporting the unique demands of virtual reality. After all, it takes a ton of technological heft to support these amazing, immersive simulated environments. On the wrong desktop or laptop, virtual reality programs could result in crashes and other frustrations that don’t allow you to enjoy the full VR experience.
That’s where the HP Store comes in; to provide users with VR solutions for both gaming and professional contexts. Whether you’re looking for a VR-ready gaming PC or a VR-ready desktop that can enhance your business and streamline your workflow, HP® has a range of products that fit the bill.
Keep reading to dive into some of HP’s most exciting additions to its virtual reality product offerings and why VR is proving to be an important technological addition to industries beyond gaming.
Virtual reality for business use and training
You might not immediately associate virtual reality with its potential for practical applications outside of gaming. For example, it has the potential to help businesses host virtual showrooms and train employees without the costs associated with their real-world equivalents. VR can help businesses train workers into specialized experts, which, in turn, bolsters a company’s success.
When something goes wrong during a workday, you want your strongest employees to fix the issue - but how do you help those employees reach their peak performance in the first place? Sure, years of experience help, but that’s not the only way to create expert-level workers. One possible method is to utilise virtual reality software.
Hands-on for better comprehension
VR allows corporate trainers to focus on providing an immersive training experience for trainees that encourages them to think critically about how a situation is playing out. So why is this relevant to specialized learning and the development of expertise? Traditional learning typically involves memorization, manuals, rules, and books. In most cases, these traditional learning methods aren’t very hands-on and may not require a worker to truly comprehend the underlying dynamics of a particular system. The main drawback of these methods is that they can prove to be a disaster when a worker is faced with a situation in real life that hasn’t been covered in training materials. Virtual reality training can help circumvent this issue because it encourages trainees to recognize patterns and the mechanics behind a given system.
Create experts
An expert or someone with specialized knowledge is able to observe patterns behind data and make sense of an unknown situation. While amateurs leverage rules and general guidelines as the basis for their actions, experts can parse out the signals showing the context of a situation allowing for better understanding and a better reaction [1]. One important part of creating experts, it turns out, is helping people better understand how systems work and showing them these dynamics in action [2]. That’s where VR comes in: it allows people to learn by doing rather than by reading or memorising in a simulated work environment.
For professionals running a business, it’s important to properly train employees. Experts are hard to come by, but what if you could create an expert through specialized VR training? That’s the goal with new VR-ready desktops. HP® has several options replete with thoughtful features for businesses and enterprises looking for a cost-effective way to train employees.
1. VR-ready desktops for business by HP
HP Z1 Entry Tower
One of HP’s most affordable VR-ready desktops is the HP Z1 entry tower. It’s right at home in a design or architecture firm or in a classroom, preparing students for a future in STEM.
This capable VR-ready desktop by HP is constructed to provide users with the ultimate security measures because wherever you are, it’s important that your information stays safe and private.
Security features for all types of business professionals and contexts
The security features included with the HP Z1 entry tower defend your PC from malicious files, hackers, and malware.
- HP Multi-Factor Authenticate helps keep your network and VPN safe from unauthorized access by requiring up to three factors of authentication for login, including an optional fingerprint reader and IR camera facial recognition with policies incorporated at the silicon level.
- HP Sure View Gen 3 allows you to instantly protect yourself against visual hackers who try to take advantage of your screen in vulnerable public places to gain access to sensitive information. With a simple press of a button, your screen becomes unviewable to everyone but you.
- HP Sure Click ensures that your PC is protected from suspicious websites and read-only Microsoft Office and PDF attachments by isolating any viruses and corrupted files in a virtual machine, keeping your real computer safe.
- HP Sure Sense uses deep learning techniques to instinctively recognize and proactively defend against new kinds of threats. More than 350,000 new malware types are generated every single day.
- HP Sure Start Gen 4 recognizes firmware attacks and restores your BIOS automatically. The world’s first self-healing BIOS is a revolutionary feature created by HP®.
- HP Sure Run ensures that your most important applications and processes are up and running, even if your computer is under attack from cybercriminals and malware.
- HP Sure Recover allows you to efficiently restore your operating system using just a network connection so you can get back to what really matters: running your business. You can also opt for HP Sure Recover with Embedded Reimaging to recover your OS at any time or place without the need for a network connection.
- HP Client Security Manager Gen 4 allows you to strengthen your login security and multifactor authentication features.
- HP Privacy Camera protects your webcam from webcam hackers with a physical shutter to ensure you’re only sharing a video stream with whom you intend.
Power for all of your applications
With 8th Generation Intel® Core™ processors available and Intel UHD graphics, you have all the performance you could want or need. Plus, you can customize your HP Z1 workstation with optional additional ports, memory, storage, disc drives, and operating systems. The HP Z1 can be built up to match your business’s exact requirements and personal preferences.
2. VR-ready desktops for gaming by HP
If you’re ready to save the princess or conquer that side quest, HP® has the answer in the form of the HP OMEN X desktop.
HP OMEN X desktop PC
This VR-ready desktop is a gamer’s dream and comes with tons of features that create a gaming system that elevates any PC game from ordinary to extraordinary.
With this desktop, you can customize your PC when you buy it or easily upgrade with aftermarket parts later to make your rig completely your own. The 45-degree angled access allows gamers to easily reach the PC’s internals to switch out hardware for upgrades and alterations. For even more convenience, you don’t need a tool to add storage or swap our hardware thanks to toolless access to four storage bays located on the device.
When you do need to open up your device, you can use the included two-sided screwdriver and 15 replacement screws hidden away behind the OMEN logo. All of the cables for your gaming rig are neatly tucked away behind the motherboard, out of sight.
The HP OMEN Command Center allows you to adjust your rig so you can overclock your CPU, change the RGB lighting, and enhance your gaming network. Personalize your gaming station until it uniquely answers your personal gaming needs.
Customize your rig
Gamers have tons of customization options available to them, so their battle station reflects their gaming preferences. Opt for a Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro operating system. Choose from Intel® Core™ i9 or i7 processors. Choose from 16GB to 64GB of memory and from 256 SSD + 2TB HDD storage to 512 SSD + 3TB HDD storage.
Connections to expand your PC
With six USB 3.0 ports and one headphone/microphone combo port, you have multiple options for all of your peripherals. You can plug in a wired gaming mouse, external speakers, and any other auxiliary devices you need to complete your gaming rig.
Peace of mind for what matters
With a one-year limited warranty, you can enjoy total peace of mind should anything go wrong with your desktop. In addition, you’ll receive 90-day phone support from the date of purchase and complimentary chat support. If something goes wrong, HP® is with you every step of the way to troubleshoot alongside you and help you find a solution.
3. VR-ready desktops by HP for any use
HP Z2 tower workstation
If you’re looking for the world’s most powerful entry tower, the HP Z2 tower workstation might just be the right answer. It’s a perfect tool for architecture firms and can handle CPU-intensive applications such as Graphisoft ArchiCAD, Revit, Vectorworks, and Autodesk AutoCAD. This device boasts behind-the-scenes power that can manipulate and render almost photorealistic models in real-time.
It’s also an incredible boon to product developers who can use this desktop for PTC Creo, SolidWorks, and Autodesk Inventor. Easily visualize designs with advanced rendering abilities.
Or, if you’re in higher education, you can enjoy world-class power in your educational labs to teach professional applications.
Unleash your creative power
This desktop boasts a 9th Generation Intel 8-core processor to make quick work of even the heaviest of workloads. The motherboard of this product has been carefully redesigned to unlock a 41% total performance increase over the last generation. Luckily, that power doesn’t come at the expense of oversized heft, it’s about 14% smaller than the previous generation. You can easily save precious office space with this compact workhorse.
Fast connections
With the HP Z2, you can get several high-speed network connections, including a second LAN choice, without being forced to buy and install an extra network interface card (NIC).
Safety and security
If you opt for self-encryption drives, you can be confident that if your storage falls into the hands of cybercriminals or is stolen, you won’t have to worry about unauthorized access to your IP. Plus, the HP Z2 comes with a suite of other helpful safety features, such as HP Client Security Suite Gen3 and HP Sure Start Gen4. A self-healing BIOS helps protect your computer during its most vulnerable point, the period before your operating system and anti-virus software loads.
HP VR accessories and products to breathe life into your virtual reality dreams
The virtual reality industry is still new, but it’s quickly being adopted as a convenient way to train new employees, create a new kind of classroom experience, and preview architectural and product designs in a way that’s never been done before.
With products such as the HP Reverb virtual reality headset - Pro Edition, you can enjoy a fully fleshed-out VR experience built to place users in a fully simulated, immersive world. Revolutionary optical clarity, dual mics, integrated Bluetooth functionality, and comfortable, adjustable headset components deliver an incredible user experience every single time.
If you’re ready to step into another virtual world, HP® has a range of products ready to whisk you away. Whether you’re an executive looking to increase the expertise of your workers or a gamer who wants to experience a game universe in a new, exciting way, HP VR-ready desktops and accessories provide the solution.
[1] Science Direct; Livestock judges: How much information can an expert use?
