HP EliteBook 1020SE: The Business Notebook You’ll Want to Use

HP announced two new thin and light business class notebooks today, rounding out the company’s portfolio of portable workstations with the HP EliteBook 1020 and HP EliteBook 1020 Special Edition.

These new HP EliteBook 1020 notebooks are designed for mobile workers who need more durability than a consumer notebook, which HP delivers with a magnesium-lithium alloy and carbon fiber on the HP EliteBook 1020SE and MIL-STD 810G durability ratings on both of the HP EliteBook 1020 models.

HP calls these the, “thinnest and lightest business-class notebooks.” Both of the notebooks are 15.7mm thick and the HP EliteBook 1020SE weighs 2.2 pounds.

Gotta Be Mobile received a sneak peek at these business class notebooks ahead of the launch. The HP EliteBook 1020 and HP EliteBook 1020SE release dates are planned for February and April respectively.

“The HP EliteBook 1020 represents game-changing innovation in both materials and mechanical engineering to create the world’s thinnest and lightest business notebooks in a form factor that enables our customers to be more productive in more places,” noted Alex Cho, vice president & general manager, HP Commercial PCs. “Customers demand not only a stylish, thin and light notebook, but also a device that delivers advanced security and can withstand the rigorous demands that come with a highly mobile lifestyle – and the HP EliteBook 1020 delivers this complete solution.”

These new HP EliteBook 1020 and HP EliteBook 1020SE notebooks use the new Intel Core M processors which allow for a fanless design to keep the notebooks nearly silent when equipped with SSD storage. The durability ratings test the notebooks against drops, shocks, extreme temperatures, humidity and pressure.

HP claims the battery life of both notebooks will last a full work-day at 9 hours, but this normally drops somewhat during real-world usage.

It is possible to configure the HP EliteBook 1020 with an optional touch screen to take advantage of the touch-friendly Windows 8 environment. The HP EliteBook 1020SE includes a 12.5-inch Quad HD display with a 2,160 x 1,440 resolution. Both are the first to sport the new HP Premium Keyboard. This is an updated keyboard based on user feedback that should deliver a consistent key response. There is a 720P webcam and noise reduction software to deliver better video conferencing on the go and front firing speakers with DTS Studio Sound.

Security features present on both of these business class notebooks include,

“HP Client Management Solutions and optional LANDesk 4 and Intel® vProTM technology to easily integrate and deploy into an enterprise IT environment. The notebooks include HP’s exclusive enterprise-class security, including certified Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2/2.06, pre-boot authentication, fingerprint reader and the exclusive HP Sure Start self-healing BIOS to help better protect your device, data and identity.”

HP will announce the HP EliteBook 1020 and HP EliteBook 1020SE prices as the release approaches next year. It is possible that we will see more information at CES 2015 in early January.