First Look: Compaq Introduces Lower-Cost Evo Workstation

Wayne N. Kawamoto
Managing Editor, www.smallbusinesscomputing.com

Offering a powerful entry-level workstation that can handle the graphics and data-intensive applications of design, technical and financial users, Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE: CPQ) announced its Evo Workstation W4000. According to Compact, its powerful, yet affordable Evo Workstation W4000 series brings Compaq’s workstation offerings to small or more budget-conscious businesses.

The new Evo Workstation W4000 DDR starts at just $1091, with the an Intel Pentium 4 1.8 GHz processor with DDR memory and 32 MB Matrox G450 Dual Head graphics card. Configurable with up to 2.2 GHz Intel processors for speed and featuring a wide selection of high-performance graphics — including NVIDIA Quadro2 EX, Quadro2 MXR, or Quardro2Pro; ATI FireGL2; or Matrox Millennium G450 or G550, or Matrox Millennium G200 Quad Multi-Monitor — the Evo Workstation W4000 DDR promises to be an ideal workstation for entry-level digital content creation (DCC), MCAD, geographic information systems (GIS) and financial analysis professionals.

The Evo Workstation W4000 series also includes integrated solutions for easy management within an IT environment. Standard ECC memory with pre-failure notification may provide a more stable platform, and Compaq’s ISV partnerships should ensure that the W4000 is software-tested and certified on key workstation applications, which means fewer hardware/software conflicts and reduced total cost of ownership.