Hasta La Gadget!

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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As some of you guys might recall, last week there was an advertisement for HP that revealed an unannounced tablet which some are taking to be the upcoming Windows 8 tablet by the company. Now it seems that in yet another promotion, HP has “leaked” the tablet again, this time showing a doctor using the tablet during the course of work. Some are thinking that this tablet might be the HP Slate 8 tablet which will be an x86-based tablet and will sport a 10.1” display. Given the fact that the tablet is being used by a professional, some are also thinking that perhaps the HP Slate 8 will be targeted at more professional users rather than your average consumer. However given that the rumors have suggested that HP will release a Windows RT tablet, this just seems pretty contradictory, unless of course HP has plans to unveil more than just one tablet. Either way we’ll keep our eyes peeled, so be sure to check back with us at a later date for more updates.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Dell and HP rumored to be releasing a Windows RT tablet this October, Unannounced HP tablet spotted in a commercial,

HP has acknowledged that it’s been working on a Windows 8 tablet; it just hasn’t mentioned whether or not the rumored Slate 8 is part of its plans. Imagine our surprise, then, when we’re told that HP’s 60-second “Make It Matter” commercial ends with an unannounced yet familiar-looking tablet right at the 56-second mark. There’s only a fleeting glimpse, but it shows a metallic-looking body with a large black antenna window — the combination of which would fit in with the Slate 8’s purported aesthetics. We’ve asked HP whether or not this is a clever teaser for a real product or just as conceptual as the rest of the ad, and we’ll let you know if we hear back on the subject. In the meantime, you can inspect the video evidence for yourself after the break.

[Thanks, Brian]

Continue reading Is HP showing the Slate 8 in its latest commercial? (video)

Filed under: Tablet PCs

Is HP showing the Slate 8 in its latest commercial? (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Jul 2012 17:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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