CineMontage

Q3 2019

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59 Q3 2019 / CINEMONTAGE 59 Q3 2019 / CINEMONTAGE TECH TIPS HP's Z series is perhaps the leading brand of workstations, specifically made for high-end, demanding, industrial-strength applications. On the desktop side are the Z workstation towers, led by the mighty Z8, perhaps the most advanced and powerful workstation in the world. HP's line of mobile workstations is called ZBooks. The biggest and most expandable are the ZBook 17 and 15, both very powerful mobile machines. For those seeking a lighter machine but still need a workstation, there are the ZBook 14u and 15u — easy-to-carry machines, but lacking the level of power of the rest of the ZBook line. Then there are the ZBook Studios. These machines pack a powerful punch but are still light enough to take with you anywhere. They are in many ways my favorite ZBooks because they represent the right balance between power and portability. There are two Studio models, the ZBook Studio and the ZBook Studio x360, the latter of which is the subject of this column. IT'S A CONVERTIBLE! While both ZBook Studios are very powerful, what makes the Studio x360 different from its sibling is the fact that it's a convertible — an incredibly versatile machine, especially if you are a creative artist. This chameleon-like machine can assume different forms besides the classic clamshell laptop form, in which the screen is perpendicular to the keyboard (see Figures 2, 3 and 4). However, it is folding the screen fully back 360 degrees into tablet mode that proves most useful, especially for creative artists. STYLIN' WITH THE STYLUS The ZBook Studio x360's tablet mode offers a lot more than simply being able to swipe through apps with your finger on the included touchscreen. That's because it ships with a sophisticated Wacom AES pen for painting directly on the screen. That's what makes this convertible such a useful tool for artists, and much more than just another mobile workstation (see Figure 5). The AES pen has a built-in rechargeable battery and communicates with the system via Bluetooth. It has a great feel and, with its 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt-support, is a professional tool capable of accomplishing sophisticated brushwork in software such as Photoshop or ZBrush — whether it be retouching, painting pictures or developing concept art. I couldn't wait to try out some digital painting, so I installed Adobe's Creative Cloud on the machine and started painting in Photoshop. Thanks to the workstation-level power of the machine, everything ran super-smoothly. The pen slides fluidly across the surface and the application seamlessly registered its pressure and tilt (see Figure 6). In addition, since the ZBook Studio x360's display is also a touchscreen, it also recognizes multi- touch gestures. Therefore, while I was painting with the pen in my right hand, I was conveniently using my left hand to navigate through the picture by pinching, scrolling and zooming around the image, as well as rotating it at various angles in order to more easily lay down my strokes. That was very useful. I was very impressed by how natural the overall painting experience was. If your work requires pen-based input of any kind, this is unquestionably the ZBook to get (see Figure 7). REAL WORKSTATION POWER As great as the convertible and painting/inking features of the ZBook Studio x360 are, the machine is much more than a nice tablet on which to paint. It sports some of the best production-ready hardware that can be found on any mobile workstation in this class. Let's start with the display. Obviously, a machine that is designed to be attractive to creative artists — especially a machine with which you can paint — must have a nice display, and the ZBook Studio x360 certainly delivers. The unit I reviewed came with a lovely 15.6-inch 4K diagonal UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS eDP LED-backlit touchscreen with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 and an ambient light sensor. demanding, industrial-strength applications. On the desktop side are the Z workstation towers, led by the mighty Z8, perhaps the most advanced and powerful workstation in the world. The biggest and most expandable are the ZBook 17 and 15, both very powerful mobile machines. For those seeking a lighter machine but still need a workstation, there are the ZBook 14u and 15u — easy-to-carry machines, but lacking the level of power of the rest of the ZBook line. machines pack a powerful punch but are still light enough to take with you anywhere. They are in many ways my favorite ZBooks because they represent the right balance between power and portability. There are two Studio models, the ZBook Studio and the ZBook Studio x360, the latter of which is the subject of this column. Figure 3: The ZBook Studio x360 in tent mode, a useful configuration for presenting your work to others.

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