Windows 10 Ready For Business: 10 Systems Prepped And Ready For The Channel Now

Big Three PC Makers Showcase Business Systems

While consumers have a number of Windows 10 Home systems they could preorder for the past week, channel partners have been waiting to see what the first business-class systems are. These business-class Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise systems ship with more advanced security features such as data protection and multi-factor authentication. Also included in commercial systems is advanced encryption that can lock down data and apps. The Pro and Enterprise versions also allow partners and businesses to join Azure Active Directory, which allows a single sign-on to cloud-hosted apps.

Here is a look at Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Lenovo business-class Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise systems.

HP EliteBook 1040

Hewlett-Packard has a dozen-plus Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise systems available mid-August, with a second wave of its commercial portfolio hitting by October.

One system is the 14-inch EliteBook 1040 laptop with a starting price of $1,200. Specs include Windows 10 Pro, Intel Core i7, 512 GB SSD hard drive and 8 GB UMA graphics. This is HP's thinnest enterprise-class laptop and includes HP and Windows 10 beefed-up security along with a 1920-by-1080 touch screen display and can be configured to support Windows 10 enhanced security features such as Windows Hello and two-factor identification access.

HP Elite x2 1011

HP is also moving quickly to bring Windows 10 Pro to its Elite x2 1011 PC, a 2-in-1 system with a starting price of $1,150. The system comes loaded with an Intel’s mobile Core i5 processor. Other highlights include an 11.6-inch detachable touch display that lets you get the most out of Microsoft's Windows 10 Continuum feature. It also has a full-sized keyboard -- at no extra cost -- that also doubles as a battery for extended run time.

HP Pro Tablet 608

As part of HP's commercial-grade Windows 10 launch, it has also include the HP Pro Tablet 608. This 7.9-inch tablet is powered by an Intel Atom x5-Z8500 processor and comes with a base configuration of Windows 10 Home, 32 GB storage, 2 GB RAM with an HD Intel graphics chipset driving the 2048-by-1536 QXGA HD display. The tablet has a starting price of $430 with optional upgrades including 3G or 4G WWAN radios, keyboards and docking station. HP says this model tablet will be available by October.

Dell Latitude 3450

Dell will be offering its Latitude 3450 laptop with Windows 10 Pro preinstalled on opening day of Windows 10.

The affordable Latitude 3450 starts at $449, and ranges up to $679 with upgrades. The laptop features a 14-inch HD display with anti-glare and the option available for a touchscreen. The laptop runs on an Intel Core i5 processor, 4 GB of memory and a 500GB hard drive. The notebook has a battery life of about 8 hours on a single charge.

Dell XPS 13

Starting Aug. 20, Dell will be shipping its XPS 13 laptops with Windows 10 preinstalled. This is one of Dell's more high-end laptops, starting at $799, and ranging up to $1,299. The notebook features a 13-inch display with minimal bezel as Dell boasts it has fit a 13-inch screen on the body of a laptop with an 11-inch screen. The $1,299 model of the XPS 13 features a Quad-HD touch screen. The laptop also features an Intel Core i5 processor, up to 8 GB of memory and a 128 GB solid state drive.

Lenovo: X1 Carbon

Lenovo's X1 Carbon Ultrabook comes in three flavors, starting at $1,100 and running up to $1,900. Lenovo has been mum on what the pricing and configuration will be for the Windows 10 model, confirming only availability and the operating system on July 29.

Lenovo: E555

According to Lenovo, E series laptops will also become available to Lenovo's channel partners July 29. No word on what the configurations will be, but these midrange business laptops have a starting cost of $430 and range up to $550.

ThinkPad Yoga 12

Lenovo's popular ThinkPad Yoga line of convertible laptops will be available via BAU preorder by mid-August. The ThinkPad Yoga line is Lenovo's business line of its popular Yoga consumer PC. The ThinkPad Yoga comes with a number of business features. Expect the 12.4-inch ThinkPad Yoga to stand out as a Windows 10 PC with advanced security and possibly biometric capabilities.

ThinkPad 10 (2nd Generation)

By mid-August, Lenovo said, it will also update its ThinkPad 10 Gen 2 tablet with Windows 10 Pro for channel partners. The second-generation tablet has a starting price of $550 and ships with a USB 3.0 port, micro HDMI, micro SD card slot, a 10-hour rated battery life, optional 3G/4G LTE support and 802.11ac WiFi. Add a Lenovo Folio keyboard and expect to spend $110 more. Docking station will run you $130.

HP EliteDesk 800 Desktop Mini PC

One of the few HP desktop PC models that become early adopters of Windows 10 Pro is the tiny form factor EliteDesk 800 Mini PC. This $660 system, available mid-August, is a mere 1.3-by-7-by-7-inch in size and has six USB 3.0 ports (one with FastCharge for powering up a tablet or smartphone), two DisplayPort ports and one VGA port. A LAN connector provides Gigabit Ethernet, while integrated wireless provides cord-free connectivity.