HP Compaq 6000 Reviews

There's no doubt that the Apple iMac (Core i3) ($1,199 list, 4 stars) and its brothers have affected all-in-one desktop design. The HP Compaq 6000 Pro All-in-One Business PC ($1,109 list) takes some of the iMac's most distinctive design features, and puts it on an enterprise-class PC. It has the power to produce everything from Web sites to Word docs to digital photos. If you're looking for an all-in-one desktop to spruce up or save space in your office, then take a long hard look at the HP Compaq 6000 Pro.

Design and Features
The HP is encased in a black plastic chassis rather than the sleek aluminum found on the Apple iMac. Its 21.5-inch widescreen display has a 16:9 aspect ratio. The screen has tilt movement on a single-piece arm, just like on the iMac. The open design of the arm allows you to place the wireless keyboard under the screen for easy storage. This feature, in my opinion, should be mandatory in other all-in-one desktops, especially when users are space-constrained.

Specifications
Type
Business, All-in-one
Processor Family
Intel Core 2 Duo
RAM
4 GB
Storage Capacity (as Tested)
320 GB
Graphics Card
Intel GMA X4500
Primary Optical Drive
Dual-Layer DVD+/-RW
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional

The back of the desktop has a set of business-friendly ports, including 5 USB 2.0 ports (out of seven total), PS/2 mouse and keyboard ports, Ethernet, audio, and a DisplayPort. The DisplayPort is useful for workers who need a multimonitor setup. On the side, there's the remaining two USB ports, a multiformat card reader (SD and Memory Stick–related formats), a four-pin FireWire port (for camcorders), and another set of audio ports. Since the system is business-oriented, the 6000 Pro comes with a lockable cover for the back I/O ports, which integrates with the built-in Kensington case lock on the back of the system. Though it's lockable and has a chassis intrusion sensor, the 6000 Pro is still easy to open up for service by your IT folks. Two of the back panels open up for access to the two memory slots, the 2.5-inch hard drive bay, and the optical drive bay. Most 6000 Pros can be configured to the needs of your business; my review unit had an Intel Core 2 Duo E7600 processor, 4GB of DDR3-SDRAM, a 320GB, 7,200-rpm hard drive, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, and integrated Intel GMA 4500 graphics. The hard drive, processor, memory, and wireless networking are customizable.

The desktop comes with HP's sourced and customized software, most of which should be useful if your business regularly buys HP Compaq business systems. The 6000 Pro comes with HP Power Assistant software that automatically or manually tweaks the power-saving settings on the system. HP SkyRoom is a high-resolution collaboration tool that combines video conferencing, instant messaging, and screen sharing, including videos and 3D graphics. HP ProtectTools manages your network and client security. HP also includes a version of Mozilla's Firefox browser running in a Virtual Machine environment. That way, your users are somewhat protected from malware sites and poorly constructed Web sites, since the FireFox browser runs protected from Windows 7 and vice versa. You can just run the reset utility from the Start menu, and the original version of FireFox is restored. The 6000 Pro also comes with a TPM 1.2-compliant security chip and Intel vPro technology.

Performance
HP Compaq 6000 Pro All-in-One PC The 6000 Pro was a good performer on our multimedia benchmarks, thanks to the system's Core 2 Duo E7600 processor and 4GB of DDR3 memory. The system completed the Handbrake video encode test in a spritely 2 minutes 48 seconds. The 6000 Pro took 5 minutes 35 seconds to complete our Photoshop CS5 test. Both scores are good; in fact, the 6000 Pro beat the similarly priced Lenovo IdeaCentre B305 ($949 list, 3.5 stars), Sony VAIO VPC-J113FX/B ($999.98 list, 2.5 stars), and HP TouchSmart 310 ($1,159 direct, 4 stars) on both tests. Combined with the 1,920-by-1,080 (true 1080p HD) screen, which will help you display video and photo files, the 600 Pro is a decent light-duty multimedia workhorse.

The system wasn't able to complete our 3D tests, aside from a single-digit score at Crysis (5 fps). This isn't a deal breaker for business systems, since you're not paying your workers to play 3D games anyhow. The integrated Intel GMA 4500 graphics should be able to handle the light 3D needs of a business user: If one user needs more 3D power, you're better off with a more traditional PC for them.

Compared with consumer-oriented all-in-one desktops like the Lenovo IdeaCentre B305 and HP TouchSmart 310-1000z, the HP Compaq Pro 6000 make more sense for business users. Sure the HP 310 and Lenovo B305 have touchscreens, but touch isn't necessary for 99 percent of the workforce. The one exception where touch makes sense is in kiosks and POS (point-of-sale) applications. The 6000 Pro is even faster on the benchmark tests than the Sony VAIO VPC-J113FX/B all-in-one desktop, which has a more advanced Intel Core i3 processor. The Apple iMac 21.5-inch (Core i3), our Editors' Choice for mid-priced all-in-one desktops, is still our reigning champion, thanks to faster performance as well as a higher-resolution screen. However, if you're looking to equip your workers with an all-in-one desktop that takes advantage of HP's enterprise-class business features, then the HP Compaq Pro 6000 should be first on your list.

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