Hasta La Gadget!

It seems that the folks over at the FCC are pretty busy, and this time around, they have to spend their time going through just what the HP ElitePad 900 is capable of offering, and since it has already arrived at the doorsteps of the FCC, it goes to show that the chances of the HP ElitePad 900 hitting the mass market has increased by a whole lot. The particular HP ElitePad 900 model that we are talking about here is a 3G version which targets road warriors, sporting the 850MHz, 1,700MHz and 1,900MHz bands that will play nice with AT&T, T-Mobile and Canadian networks.

Do not expect a rabbit or any other creature to pop out from the proverbial magician’s hat here, as there is an indication that NFC support is thrown into the mix amidst dual-band 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity options. At least this adds yet another option to folks who want more offerings in the enterprise tablet market in the coming year.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: HP TouchPad Go clears the FCC, HP gearing for launch?, Touchstone Audio Dock for HP Pre3 arrives at the FCC,

When it comes to the world of tablets, there aren’t too many choices if you were to take the operating system as the defining factor. After all, most folks would go for one of the two – Android or iOS, although it does seem as though iOS is going to remain top dog for some time to come. We might hear whispers of Microsoft’s Windows RT and Windows 8 operating systems making a splash later this year, but they are still an unproven equation, so the Android-iOS argument will just have to continue at this point in time. Well, here we are with yet another tablet device that has entered the market – the HP ElitePad 900, and no surprises here, it will run on the Windows 8 platform which might just be Microsoft’s next big hit in the mobile arena.

The HP ElitePad 900, at its core, is a tablet which balances a beautiful design with enterprise-grade features, functionality and support, all in a single device. Specially designed for the business and government, it will offer HP ElitePad Smart Jackets, which will add a new dimension of connectivity options alongside an additional ultra-slim battery for longer runtime, not to mention specific add-ons which allows one to customize the tablet for specialized uses.

Features on the HP ElitePad 900 is said to keep IT managers happy, not to mention carrying a design where employees will not be ashamed to pull it out of their jacket or bag to use. Offering full serviceability, enhanced security and manageability along with military-grade durability for drops, vibration, dust, temperature extremes and high altitude, the HP ElitePad 900 does seem to be the tablet to get when it finally arrives.

Todd Bradley, Executive Vice President of Printing and Personal Systems, HP, said, “Businesses used to face a tough purchase decision: How to find a product that will delight employees and help them be more productive, while also making sure IT can secure and manage it. The HP ElitePad meets all those tests. It combines the great style and user experience consumers demand with the features IT requires.”

It will also carry a 1080p front-facing video camera and an 8-megapixel rear camera with an LED flash, now how about that? Would you get the HP ElitePad 900 when it finally hits the market before the year is over?

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[ HP ElitePad 900 announced copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Remember those hazy days of summer when HP ran an ad during the Olympics, slipped in a a shot of an unannounced tablet and thought we wouldn’t notice? (P’shaw!) Well, you can finally lay your speculation to rest, as HP just formally unveiled the mystery tab, along with a slew of accessories. It’s called the ElitePad 900 and, as rumored, it’s a 10-inch Windows 8 slate meant for business users, with features like pen input, drive encryption and optional 3G / 4G.

Like HP’s high-end EliteBook laptops, the ElitePad has a premium look, marked by a machined aluminum back cover and 400-nit IPS display coated in Gorilla Glass. Also similar to the EliteBooks, it meets the military’s MIL-spec 810G durability requirements, and can withstand three-foot drops, among other accidents. All told, it weighs 1.5 pounds and measures 9.2mm thick. Going by weight, that’s more along the lines of what you’d expect from a larger, 11-inch tablet, but 1.5 pounds is still manageable, especially considering how armored this thing is.

On the inside, it runs an Atom-based Intel Clover Trail processor, buffered by up to 2GB of RAM. Like so many other systems with this kind of chip, it promises about 10 hours of runtime — a clear improvement over similar devices packing Core i5 CPUs. Storage-wise, you’ll have your choice between a 32 or 64GB SSD. The screen has a resolution of 1,280 x 800, making it the one feature likely to disappoint power users. Take a tour around the device and you’ll find an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1080p shooter up front for video chats. Hidden behind a service door on the back are two slots: one for microSD cards, and another for 3G / 4G SIMs.

And how ’bout those accessories? In addition to the tablet, HP will be selling two so-called SmartJackets, cases that do a little more than just shield the device from wear and tear. One of them, for instance, has two USB ports, HDMI output, a full-size memory card slot and room for an optional battery slice. That battery, by the way, has a capacity of about eight hours, so while the case does add some heft it could be worth it if you need a PC that will last through a flight from New York to Tokyo. As for the second case, its defining feature is a built-in keyboard, which plugs directly into the tablet.

Though HP announced the ElitePad 900 today, the tablet won’t go on sale here in the US until January. Hopefully we’ll also get a final price as we get closer to that launch date. Luckily, we’ve already gotten a chance to play with it, so meet us after the break for hands-on photos and a short walk-through video detailing our first impressions.

Continue reading HP announces the ElitePad 900, a business-friendly Windows 8 tablet arriving in January

Filed under: Tablets, HP

HP announces the ElitePad 900, a business-friendly Windows 8 tablet arriving in January originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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