First look at HP Slate 2 Tablet PC with expanded touch capabilities

First look

Known for imbuing advanced technologies and high end features, HP’s multi-touch Slate 2 tablet PC has intrigued touchscreen admirers for the right reasons. Designed sleekly with smooth edges, the stylish touch device stands highlighted for the super responsive touch capabilities and enhanced multi-tasking performance. Aimed at delivering an incredibly feature-rich user experience, the intuitive Slate 2 offers users the freedom to create, edit and review their content irrespective of wherever they are. Weighing about 1.5 pound, the HP device also leverages the experience with embedded security and greater flexibility for people who need to cover the ground frequently.

HP Slate 2 Tablet PC

What’s new?

Based on full-featured Microsoft Windows 7, the new HP Slate 2 Tablet PC has been devised to simplify professional users’ life with an eloquent factor. Touted to be a close competitor to Apple’s widely adored iPad 2, the device piggybacks the power and attributes of a netbook in a tablet form factor. There’s an amazing 8.9-inch capacitive multi-touch screen for touch and pen input. The diagonal display also includes a new Swype keyboard for comfort. By taking advantage of its Swype applet, users can effortlessly enter their data with one continuous finger or stylus. For power-packed performance, the company has incorporated an Intel Atom Z670 processor with mSATA SSM technology.

What’s been refreshed?

With the new Windows-based tablet ‘Slate 2,’ HP has zoomed on the business market this time and not the everyday consumer. A significant step-up from the maker’s original Slate, the latest Slate 2 can be conveniently carried in a briefcase or bag and is intended for heavy computing needs. In terms of the display size, the Slate 2 maintains the same 8.9-inch capacitive multi-touch screen. The device however stands distinguished from HP’s previous slate by focusing on the business market.

Features walkthrough

Driven by an Intel Atom Z670 processor and mSATA SSM technology, the tablet PC offers users faster boot times and better functionality for business users. Users can also experience enhanced battery life of up to six hours and benefit from its front-facing VGA webcam for video conferencing. There’s a 3 megapixel camera on the back as well that enables users to take still images and indulge in video capturing. The integrated TPM Embedded Security Chip safeguards the critical data at the same time – allowing users to protect their content from email to information on the hard drive. Besides this, the device features HP Connection Manager for simple and easy control over wireless connections. Some other noteworthy attributes include BIOS support for Computrace Pro and Embedded Security for HP Protect Tools.

What’s good?

Impressively, the device’s incorporated ‘Oak Trail’ Z670 processor seamlessly clocks at around 1.5GHz and houses 64 gigabyte of mSATA drive for additional storage. Users may also appreciate the tablet’s two USB 2.0 ports and HDMI connector. The incredibly intuitive user interface and touchscreen are other positive aspects of HP Slate 2 tablet PC. Designed for professionals seeking a stylish tablet that can render faster booting, the solution also looks appealing for computing pictures and executing computing tasks.

What’s not so good?

Although HP Slate 2 is pretty attractive and comes embedded with great performance-oriented features, the tablet may somewhere lag behind when compared with the Apple iPad 2. Some may also find the device’s price point drooling a bit on a heavy side.

Industry buzz

Dan Forlenza, vice president and general manager, Commercial Managed IT Segment, HP, shared,

HP is dedicated to the tablet PC category and continues to listen to customers and improve the product in ways that best address their business needs. The HP Slate includes the right mix of rich features, support for custom-built applications, and the security and connectivity needed for today's highly mobile and rigorous day-to-day professional environment.

The Slate Tablet PC's combination of an Intel Atom processor and flash memory deliver excellent performance. I don't know how they do it, but sometimes it seems to me that the Slate runs these applications faster than my desktop PC does.

The new HP Slate 2 tablet PC will be coming with a starting price of $699 and is anticipated to hit shelves across the world later this month.

Wrap-up

HP’s new Windows-based device certainly looks promising and aims at revamping the user’s portable computing. However, if you are planning to shell out around $699 hoping that Slate 2 will be better than iPad 2, we recommend you to simply bide your time for a while. The device may compete with Apple’s tablet but not sure if can beat it hard enough.