I'm really frustrated with HP right now. Their Fourth of July sale excludes CTO configurations, and as a result, I'm seeing prices go over $6k for a laptop that I feel shouldn't be so expensive. It seems like their pricing is artificially high to make sales seem more appealing. Still, I love the quality and performance of their laptops.
I'm interested in laptops that have a WWAN/5G/LTE/cellular option, support for 64GB of RAM, and weigh under 5 pounds. Battery life is also important to me, and dedicated graphics would be a nice bonus. I'm not overly concerned with price, as I prioritize performance and form factor instead. Ideally, I'm looking at 14" and 16" models with a number pad.
Typically, I use the HP Z Book Power 16 or the HP Z Book Firefly 14. I'm open to options from Lenovo and Dell, especially models that are comparable in specs.
2 Answers
Honestly, I think EliteBooks have been underwhelming for quite a while now. What specs are pushing your cost to over $6k? I usually get top-end XPS or the occasional MacBook Pro for C-levels, and they rarely exceed $4.5k. Have you considered talking more with your VAR? It sounds like they might not be giving you the best options.
You can always buy a basic model and then pop in some extra RAM if needed.
Why base your purchase on a Fourth of July sale? Consider working with your VAR—if you project your orders for the next six months, they might give you a much better deal!
I only buy around 10 laptops a year. I've got a VAR, but this time they weren't very helpful. I'm looking at specs like 64GB RAM, the best CPU, and often discrete graphics. The problem is, HP's pricing is just ridiculous. Dell and Lenovo with similar specs come in around $3500. It's a huge difference!