HP Slate deals & review

HP had originally announced their latest touchscreen tablet prior to the unveiling of the Apple iPad but the release of the device was significantly delayed due to indecision about some of its features. After HP´s takeover of Palm there had been talk that HP had been considering switching the Slate´s operating system over to Palm´s more touch friendly WebOS system. It turns out however that HP decided to stick with their initial choice of Microsoft Windows 7 which, while not designed specifically for tablet devices, does offer many benefits over proprietary systems found on other tablets.

For one thing it is more open, with software being available to install as freely as you would on a home computer rather than the user being limited to what is available through an app store. This is an advantage over the iPad´s OS and even the modified version of Android found on the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Tab. Many critics have argued that Windows 7 is not as optimal as these other operating systems when it comes to tablets as it still operates on the old principles of home computers and not touch screen devices.

Out of all the tablet devices released so far the Slate is certainly the most powerful. Its 1.8GHz processor is almost twice as powerful as its nearest rival and there is also 2GB RAM (compared to the iPad´s 256MB) as well as a number of graphics acceleration chips for high powered games and videos. The Slate is certainly an ideal device for viewing videos with 1080P HD video support, an HDMI port for connecting the device to a TV or computer monitor and also streaming video supplied via accelerated Adobe Flash and Adobe AIR support.

There are four USB ports available on the Slate, as well as Bluetooth 3.0 and Wi-Fi support. HP have not included 3G which is a shame, but there is an optional DVD drive on some models which has yet to be seen on leading rivals. Other curious features include a slide-out Microsoft Windows license and a digital stylus, although the stylus is not required for operating the screen. The Slate also comes with two cameras, a 3 megapixel rear camera and VGA front facing camera. The Slate also has the most storage space to be found on a tablet with 64GB included and 128GB of microSD cards supported.

In terms of processing prowess the Slate certainly has a lot to shout about. From the inclusion of two cameras and its processor and RAM that are virtually double that found on the market leading iPad, the Slate also comes with hardware acceleration making it unrivalled in this department. The Slate is also much more connective than other devices although it is let down by its lack of 3G support. The real clincher for this tablet will be its choice of operating system, with some users undoubtedly being glad to see a fully operational OS on board and others less impressed that HP had not engineered a more finger-centric interface.