HP Commercial PC Chief: 'The Desktop is a Very, Very Valid Solution'

Despite declining demand for desktop computers in recent years, the HP commercial PC group is priming for a resurgence. HP is refreshing business-grade desktops, including a new all-in-one PC designed for home and remote workers.

HP designed the EliteOne 800 G8 All-in-One (AiO), introduced Thursday, to address shortcomings people working at home during the pandemic experienced with their existing PCs. Like the rest of HP’s commercial PCs, the new AiO will be available from and supported by HP’s channel partners. Virtual meetings and form factor are among the key shortcomings the latest all-in-one aims to address.

As severity of the pandemic subsides, HP says workers outfitted with temporary solutions will require more permanent home setups. While many may return to their offices, HP sees a large portion of the workforce needing better home computing accommodations. Key design considerations for the new all-on-one desktop include those who rely on their PCs for conferencing.

Andy Rhodes, general manager of HP’s commercial systems group, emphasized that point during a briefing about the new desktops.

HP’s Andy Rhodes

“We all know that the desktop market has declined dramatically in the last year since COVID-19, but we also see a very, very firm future for the desktop,” Rhodes said.

“In many of the use cases we’re seeing, it is an excellent solution in terms of collaboration and conferencing, and getting the work done in this new hybrid work world,” Rhodes added. “Depending on what people do, what personas they are, and where they spend the bulk of their time, the desktop is a very, very valid solution.”

HP’s new AiO, available this month, will come with either 23.8-inch FHD or 27-inch QHD displays. Both are powered by Intel’s new Rocket Lake 11th Gen Core processors, up to i9, with 65 watts of power. They include Intel’s integrated UHD Graphics 750/730 and can be configured with up to 6TB M.2 PCIe storage. The displays consist of TUV-certified low blue light panels.

Optimized for Video Meetings

The AiO has a pop-up 5 MP webcam with IR that will follow a user’s movements. Gretchen Irion, HP’s director of PC accessories, emphasized the new all-in-one’s enhanced meeting capabilities.

HP’s Gretchen Irion

“It lets you break free from your desk so you can move around,” Irion said about the pop-up webcam. “And as you move, your call will move with you with intelligent face-framing, and [it will] follow your movements and actively frame you [when] you look in front of the camera. So, this lets other people know you’re engaged while it actually doesn’t tie you down to the desk.”

The webcam also offers auto-synch detection, which automatically optimizes the video properly when lighting conditions change.

Irion also emphasized that HP focused on audio quality with the new PC. It includes HP’s AI-based noise reduction, which blocks background noise such as barking dogs. It also filters out background noises that come through from other meeting participants, she noted.

“This is the first HP PC with this enhanced inbound-outbound experience,” Irion said. “It can actually filter over 350 million types of voices and noises.”

HP also enhanced the embedded microphones with dynamic noise leveling, which aims to provide more consistent audio volume levels when the user is moving around.

3 New Desktops

Besides the new AiO, HP is refreshing its desktop towers with three new PCs, which include:

Look for the new HP commercial PC portfolio to ship this month. HP hasn’t disclosed pricing on any of the new desktops.