What's inside
Optima supplied us with their vPro enabled Optima WorkPro X860, powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo with two processors running at 2.1GHz, 1GB of RAM and a 320GB hard disk. It also has an Nvidia GeForce 6600 graphics card with 256MB of RAM. This is a fairly high spec machine for everyday office work and would be more suited to graphic design work with the dual processor configuration, plenty of RAM and hard disk space as well as the higher end graphics card. The Nvidia card comes with both DVI and VGA so dual monitors are supported.
The case is a conservatively designed in black and silver which looks somewhat similar to some HP models we have seen in the past. The components inside the case have been very tightly packed in and the hard disk is mounted on its side with a mounting plate which comes off with two thumb screws. This is not very efficient use of space but it does make changing hard disks a much quicker process.
On the motherboard there are only two free PCI slots. This isn't too much of an issue as most of the connectivity options you should need are already in place -- eight USB ports, sound, dual video, network and something Optima always seem to include on their PCs that most others don't -- FireWire.
In usability terms, vPro does not change the end user experience -- all the benefits are for administrators. There are two ways to use vPro, the first is through the Web interface and the second is through management software such as Microsoft's Systems Management Server (SMS). Intel has released a plug-in which complements SMS's management features, giving you access to power control and redirection features if they are available on the client.
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| [Click to enlarge] Viewing system errors in the vPro console. |
Through the Web interface you can review all the installed components, control power and review a log of error messages relating to any hardware (See screenshot). If you decide to use management software, in the case of SMS, you can power the machine up and down, reboot and access more advanced features such as powering up in the middle of the night for software updates and then powering off again when done.
Configuration of the vPro system is done via the BIOS where there is a dedicated sub-menu for remote management. In the case of the WorkPro X860's implementation of vPro, it appears that SMS may not be fully compatible and we did not have any options to perform remote redirection to adjust BIOS settings. Optima assure us however that it is fully compatible with LANDesk and are looking into the SMS issue.
Normally, disk redirection is an option so we can reboot the computer to use a disk image on a server as a boot disk and this feature appears to have been omitted. Only booting from the main disk and via a standard PXE boot is available.
We aren't concerned with the incompatibilities with BIOS re-direction. This would be a seldom used feature but we feel that disk redirection is more important as it allows an administrator to remotely boot the computer into diagnostic mode or to re-image the main disk to bring a PC back to a working state. vPro is an upgradeable feature that Optima may add additional features to through firmware upgrades in the future.
Verdict
Optima has done a good job with the WorkPro X860's specs. For AU$1,599 you get a lot for your money: Dual processors, 1GB of RAM and a huge 320GB hard disk. In addition to this, it also carries an impressive three year warranty.
No doubt vPro is a welcome addition in the eyes of administrators. Our only concern is the emerging opportunity for incompatibilities between management software and vPro. Hopefully this will not be a common occurrence.
Overall, this is an good product, priced well and backed by an excellent warranty.
| Product | Optima Workpro X860 |
|---|---|
| Price | AU$1,599 |
| Vendor | Optima |
| Contact | (02) 9701 3777 |
| Interoperability |  |
|---|---|
| Good number of USB ports with the addition of Firewire. Also includes both DVI, VGA and networking. | |
| Futureproofing |  |
| Very fast processor with plenty of RAM. This is a high end workstation which should last longer than the ordinary office PC. | |
| ROI | |
| Priced very well for the specification. Processor, RAM and hard disk should be sufficient for a number of years for the average office user and also doubles as a good graphics workstation. | |
| Service | |
| Three year onsite warranty, phone support is available. Knowledgebase, documentation and software downloads are all available online. | |
| Rating | |
Enex TestLab is one of Australia's most experienced, independent technology test facilities. After more than 16 years with RMIT IT TestLab, Enex's founders acquired the business from RMIT in 2005.
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