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HP Sure View in the ZBook Firefly 14 - As you can see, you don't see anything...

HP Sure View in the ZBook Firefly 14 - As you can see, you don't see anything....
HP Sure View in the ZBook Firefly 14 - As you can see, you don't see anything....
HP offers a privacy filter for its ultra-thin workstation that is supposed to protect the screen content from curious eyes. However, the HP Sure View technology is more of a curse than a blessing.

The ultra-thin HP ZBook Firefly 14 G7 workstation has just been through our test course. The entry-level workstation is equipped with HP Sure View, at least in our test configuration. This is actually a reasonable technology to reduce the viewing-angle stability considerably at the press of a button, so that curious third parties can't catch a glimpse of the screen content.

However, what HP grandiosely calls "Sure View" turned out to be of little practical use in the test. It's no coincidence that the privacy filter is only installed in the configuration with a 1,000-nit screen; all other models with 400 or even 550 nits don't get the privacy filter for a good reason.

This is because HP simply reduces the maximum brightness from 950 nits to only 116 nits when Sure View is activated! The display is so dim then that it's clear that no one can recognize anything on it anymore, unfortunately not even the user! But no extra technology is needed for this!

Naturally, the display surface is equipped with an additional overlay, which is supposed to limit visibility from the sides. But while the Sure View mode mainly consists of a massive brightness reduction, the overlay is a pain especially in the deactivated Sure View mode. Because even here, the panel is by far not as viewing-angle stable as an IPS panel should be. The overlay, on the other hand, creates a TN-panel feeling, and you have to make sure that the display lid is placed at the perfect angle to be able to enjoy the full colors and the maximum brightness.

A privacy filter can undoubtedly be useful. However, if it's designed and implemented like HP's, we can only advise against it, and you should rather go for a configuration without Sure View.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > HP Sure View in the ZBook Firefly 14 - As you can see, you don't see anything...
Christian Hintze, 2021-01-16 (Update: 2021-01-14)