The Millennial generation is young, large and already influencing culture and industry. One of the many markets this demographic is heavily affecting is the computer industry and manufacturers like HP.
Just prior to CES 2016 the Palo Alto, Calif.-based computer HP announced several new products to maintain its core businesses and to grow new business. One of the major trends the large computer manufacturer has noticed through its market research and product development is the impact Millennials are having in the economy.
Mike Nash, vice president, portfolio strategy and customer experience, personal systems, HP, says this large demographic is already having a great impact.
“Millennials are driving a blurring of what we do. This group is the largest segment of the workforce and the fastest growing,” says Nash. “Workers are more mobile than ever, tele-commuting is growing, and this group chooses how and where they work based on technologies.”
The impact Millennials have beyond the development and implementation of mobile-friendly technologies results in labor recruiters requesting products with specific technologies to appeal to these workers.
Some of the ways that HP finds that users are employing its products include writing term papers, managing family finances, texting and entertainment. Nash admits that entertainment is an activity that’s performed on every device no matter if it’s a smart phone, tablet or computer, but consumers still tend use their PCs for entertainment purposes.
Shifting from products that bridge consumer and work activities, to products designed purely for commercial usage, HP focused on its business class, Elite notebooks. Nash says these products also emphasize the work habits of millennials to enable these users to utilize the products in any they like.
“We are making sure we are delivering a good communication device for work and play,” he notes. “We want more secure, manageable devices. The new Elite products now have 40 percent more volume than previous devices and new microphones. We have tuned these devices for spoken word. It’s the first device with a collaborative keyboard. All those buttons are available on the top row [for quick access for activities such as Skype], and its battery life allows the computers to run all day.”
Taking a closer look at a couple of HP’s new computing products, the company’s EliteBook Folio is a 12.5-inch notebook features a thin design. The PC incorporates an 180-degree hinge to allow the computer to open completely flat to support increased collaboration, and it also offers features like a full-size keyboard, a 10-gesture clickpad, two USB-C ports and Thunderbolt 3. The computer also uses Windows 10 as an operating system (OS) and a sixth-generation intel Core M vCore processor.
Other EliteBooks include the EliteBook 1040 G3 and the EliteBook 800 G3.
If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our digital newsletters!