HP and attention to VR: New Z4 workstations, Windows Mixed Reality helmet and many services
With an ad dedicated to designers, developers and artists, HP shows a strong focus on the universe of virtual reality.
During the SOLIDWORKS World event, HP announced the arrival of new versions of the HP Z4 workstation on the market that will be equipped with Intel Xeon or Intel Core X processors and will offer support for dual-GPU configurations. The Z4 series workstations are designed for engineering, simulation, rendering and virtual reality applications.
The ability to use Skylake X processors will allow customers to access workstation platforms at a price slightly lower than would otherwise be required with Intel Xeon processor-based systems. However, these are choices that must be made in close relation to the individual needs, since Xeon W processors provide more stable life cycle thanks to vPro technologies, while Skylake X processors provide higher operating frequencies.
The HP workstations of the Seire Z4 based on Intel Core X processors will be equipped with a single gigabit Ethernet port and a single M.2 slot, while the versions with Xeon-W processors will provide dual gigbit ethernet port and dual M.2 slot. Both systems can accommodate professional video cards, up to two NVIDIA P6000 or AMD Radeon Pro Wx 9100 cards.
HP noted that Xeon-based Z4 workstations are typically a choice for customers in the healthcare and civil engineering industries for reliability, security, and expandability, while Core X platforms are best suited for videogames and content creation professionals in the VR sector.
HP has also added a new Windows Mixed Reality helmet characterized by the words ” Professional Edition ” which, as is easily understood, is addressed to a professional environment and designed for long use sessions where users may need to exit and return from the virtual world to make changes or adjust some parameters and to quickly check the changes. This is made possible thanks to a hinged display, which can simply be lifted without having to remove the helmet from the head.
The new helmet uses two LCD screens, one for each eye, 2.89 inches with a resolution of 1440×1440 and a refresh rate of 90Hz. The controllers are characterized by six degrees of freedom to track movements without restrictions. Even the helmet includes the tracking of the integrated movement so that it is possible to participate in virtual environments without the need for external trackers. The new helmet will be available from March to $449.
HP has also announced a partnership with Epic to strengthen VR development, in particular, in the design of products and architectures, with the distribution of a downloadable Launch kit starting next spring, which will allow to optimize the experience of designers and designers, calibrating and appropriately configuring systems so as to offer opportunities for optimization for those who already have experience with VR and to facilitate access to novices towards visualization and design procedures.
Launch Kit includes Unreal Datasmith, a Unreal Engine tool that helps designers and artists simplify the process of importing data and CAD projects into Unreal Engine. Initially, Datasmith will offer support for 20 software packages, including Maya, Cinema 4D, Moto Auto / Archi CAD, Solidworks and others.
Finally, HP is preparing to launch the new concept of Device as a Service (DaaS) that will allow deferring the cost necessary for the hardware, services and support needed for development in VR with a monthly payment.
The goal is also to improve cost predictability by offering end-to-end services with a clear life cycle, hardware support and analytics services to more easily manage IT assets. Prices will vary, of course, depending on the type of services you decide to choose and the support plan.
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