HP TouchPad $99 Sale: New Slate 2 Tablet Follows TouchPad But With Greater Success
Hewlett Packard announced the HP Slate 2 Tablet PC Thursday, a new device that promises expanded touch capabilities, enhanced multitasking performance and embedded security. It already gets better reviews than TouchPad.
The 1.5 pound tablet is intended mostly for business use. It will be available for $699 and is expected to be available worldwide later this month, HP announced in a press release Thursday. The HP 3115m, the lightweight version, will be available starting at $429 and is expected to be launched Nov. 11 in the Americas only.
The device features a 8.9-inch diagonal capacitive multi-touch display for touch and pen, as well as a Swype keyboard. The idea is to offer a tablet that is professionally capable and easy to use at the same time.
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"HP Slate 2 Tablet PC provides instant deployment for business and vertical markets such as education, healthcare, government and retail, where jobs frequently take users away from a traditional desk," reads the press release.
"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," Dan Forlenza, vice president and general manager at HP's Commercial Managed IT Segment said in a statement. "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 device comes with an Intel Atom Z670 processor with mSATA SSM technology to deliver faster boot times and a battery life improved to up to six hours.
The tablet's smaller version, HP 3115m offers up to 11.5 hours of battery life, flexible wireless capabilities, an 11.6-inch diagonal LED-backlit HD display, Beats Audio and a high-definition (HD) webcam for collaboration with peers, according to HP.
How does the constantly vigilant world of tech reviewers see the new device, especially next to the mediocre success of its predecessor, TouchPad?
CHIP Chick: "If you're an entertainment junkie or an avid gamer, this isn't the tablet for you. The Slate 2 is designed for people who need real multitasking (that a lot of tablets can’t offer satisfactorily yet) and a full range of professional tools. In that sense, it’s more in competition with the BlackBerry PlayBook than the iPad, or any Android tablet you can find on the market."
ZD Net: "Considering the Slate 2's rather high price tag of $699.99 - you can get a pretty powerful i5 laptop at this price these days - I’m not sure the tablet’s combination of (software) power and portability is worth the cost. But your line of work may well require something like this and the relative lack competing tablets for professionals (Sean mentions the Dell Latitude ST as the closest competitor to the Slate 2) could bring HP some business after all."
CNET: "...unlike the ill-fated TouchPad, HP's Slate lives. Unlike RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook, it seems to address real-world needs in a competent manner. In its own humble fashion, it's one of the few success stories among post-iPad tablets."
