Before we knew about the iPad, HP gave us a teaser of their new tablet-style portable device at CES 2010. After the iPad announcement, the HP “Slate” (not its official name) has become the most noteworthy competitor spoken about. The Slate runs Windows 7 on an Atom processor, and will support Flash and multi-tasking (2 of the biggest gripes against the iPad).
With the release of a new video demonstrating the formidable capabilities of the upcoming HP Slate tablet PC, followed by the leak of a document comparing the specs of the HP Slate and the Apple iPad head-to-head, battle lines are being drawn and passionate opinions expressed regarding which is superior. The problem is that the comparison is an apples to oranges one between devices with different target audiences and intended purposes.
It is understandable to some degree because so much has been written (much of it by me) about the pros and cons of the Apple iPad as a business tool. Business professional purists are quick to condemn such claims, though, and equally quick to point out the many ways that the HP Slate, or any tablet not from Apple, is a real computer–more suited for grown-up business tasks. The thing is that both can be right and the two points of view are not mutually exclusive.
Either way, both the Apple iPad and the HP Slate appear to be very capable devices that deliver what their target audiences are looking for. Just stop trying to compare them head-to-head because there is no “right” answer.
Preview video of HP’s Consumer Notebook Slate as showcased by Steve Ballmer during the 2010 CES Keynote.
Just hours after HP teased us with another short video of its Slate tablet, Engadget revealed even more details about the upcoming device. Those details are courtesy of an internal HP presentation, which shows the specs of the upcoming device, including both its advantages over the iPad and its weaknesses–such as half of the battery life of Apple’s tablet.
The leaked HP Slate presentation, which looks genuine, elucidates many of the mysteries around the device, starting with the price: $549 for the 32GB model and $599 for the 64GB version. In comparison, the introductory price of an iPad starts at $499 for a Wi-Fi-only 16GB model.
The HP Slate will have a smaller, lower-resolution screen than the iPad, coming in at 8.9-inch and 1024 by 600 pixels against iPad’s 9.7-inch, 1024 by 768 display. According to the leaked presentation, the HP Slate will also be able to run 1080p HD videos, while the iPad can only run videos at 720p.
