HP Compaq's expanding line of dc Ultra Slim desktop machines -- which boast an exceptionally small form factor and fairly high muscle power -- packs a lot of punch in a package that may have you wondering where the rest of the computer is hiding.
Relax: Despite the small footprint, there's a computer in there.
Measuring barely 10 by 10 inches and not quite 3 inches thick, the HP Compaq dc7800 Ultra Slim desktop PC strikes me as ideally suited for any location, no matter how cramped -- or, for that matter, how messy. The biggest risk with a machine this small is that it could all too easily be covered with papers and other desk detritus. Your monitor -- possibly your monitor stand -- may well take up more of your desktop real estate than this computer.
While the size is a marvel -- representing a successful migration/adaptation of laptop/notebook thinking to desktop/workstation packaging -- form factor is a gimmick if the computer doesn't do what you need and want it to. And for most of us, and most of the work we do, the dc7800 is ready to go out of the box.
And it better be: The computer, driven by an Intel dual-core processor, offers no internal expansion possibilities, other than RAM (up to 4 GB). Other than that, you're stuck with comes in the box -- no swapping or adding boards. That's the trade-off for the small size -- the tolerances and innards of the box are incredibly tight; if you're interested in expansion, go with a full-size desktop box.
For some users, it's a worthwhile trade-off. The solid but unspectacular processing power matches equally solid if unspectacular graphics performance. A back-of-the-box array of standard connection ports gives you mouse, keyboard, monitor, audio, and Ethernet, along with half a dozen USB ports. Two more USB slots in front, along with headphone and microphone connections, reflect HP's understanding of both the internal expansion trade-offs and workplace realities. You can hook up just about any USB device you want and still have connection ports left over (another argument for device and access monitoring!). A peppy DVD drive rounds out the package.
Incidentally, this may well be the greenest PC I've used; it has low energy consumption and very low noise levels. HP is to be commended for both. A reminder to dispose properly of the machines the new unit is replacing would be nice (from all manufacturers, come to think of it).
Caveats about graphics power notwithstanding -- architects, designers, moviemakers, and other imagery-intensive businesses probably need to go full-sized -- the unit is more than ready to measure up to most of your work requirements. You'll want to add (or have added) more RAM to satisfy the Vista-hog. The keyboard and mouse are OK, but no more than that; I'd prefer a wireless keyboard and mouse, but with eight USB ports, that's easily rectified.
For day-to-day business use -- word processing, bookkeeping, e-mail, etc. -- the dc7800 is more than adequate. And because HP is aggressively growing the product line, new models are coming out frequently and putting downward pressure on the retail price; a quick search found offers well under $1,160 and some very well under that mark. This one is worth shopping for as well as worth having.
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Go to Keith Ferrell's Security Blog
Keith Ferrell is the author of a dozen books and countless magazine and newspaper articles. The editor of OMNI magazine from 1990-1996, he also is a frequent speaker to corporate and institutional audiences.
