Apple's iPad slate-format PC might be getting all the buzz at the moment, but HP doesn't want people to forget that it's launching its own eponymous Slate device - and has been gradually leaking information to whet peoples' appetites.
First there was a promotional video, spotted by the guys over at UberGizmo, which quietly points out all the features the HP Slate has that the iPad doesn't: mostly concentrating on the device's USB port and SD card reader. The video - entitled "HP's Slate Device: A Full Mobile Experience" - even manages a few digs at Apple directly, showing the Slate running iTunes and with what appears to be an iPhone USB cable connected.
Promotional videos are all well and good, but it's specifications that count - and HP's next leak provides that in spades. According to a slide designed to provide retailers with a blow-by-blow comparison between the Slate and the iPad, there are some upsides and some downsides to HP's upcoming device.
As can be seen in the copy of the slide over on Engadget, the good news is that the Slate will come with a 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor - likely to perform faster than the 1GHz custom ARM-based processor found in the iPad, and compatible with alternative operating systems should you choose to replace the included copy of Windows 7 Home Premium. This processor is backed up by 1GB of DDR2 RAM - "not consumer upgradable," apparently - and either a 32GB or 64GB SSD.
The Slate also wins in the connectivity stakes, with an SDHC reader supporting cards of up to 128GB, a single USB 2.0 port, support for a desktop dock providing HDMI, power, audio, and additional USB ports, and a standard SIM card slot for the mobile broadband enabled edition.
Sadly, it couldn't all be good news: the smaller 8.9" display runs at a 1024x600 resolution compared to the iPad's larger 9.7" 1024x768, although HP is quick to counter with the fact that its screen has "pen/digitiser support." Battery life is also an issue, with the HP Slate managing a mere five hours to the iPad's ten.
Although the leaked slide doesn't provide a launch date, it does offer a suggestion of US pricing: the base 32GB model is expected to cost $549, while the 64GB edition will set you back $599 - both coming in cheaper than Apple's equivalent iPad.
Has HP's Slate got you interested in the form factor, or has the company failed spectacularly to come up with the promised iPad killer? Share your thoughts over in the forums.
First there was a promotional video, spotted by the guys over at UberGizmo, which quietly points out all the features the HP Slate has that the iPad doesn't: mostly concentrating on the device's USB port and SD card reader. The video - entitled "HP's Slate Device: A Full Mobile Experience" - even manages a few digs at Apple directly, showing the Slate running iTunes and with what appears to be an iPhone USB cable connected.
Promotional videos are all well and good, but it's specifications that count - and HP's next leak provides that in spades. According to a slide designed to provide retailers with a blow-by-blow comparison between the Slate and the iPad, there are some upsides and some downsides to HP's upcoming device.
As can be seen in the copy of the slide over on Engadget, the good news is that the Slate will come with a 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor - likely to perform faster than the 1GHz custom ARM-based processor found in the iPad, and compatible with alternative operating systems should you choose to replace the included copy of Windows 7 Home Premium. This processor is backed up by 1GB of DDR2 RAM - "not consumer upgradable," apparently - and either a 32GB or 64GB SSD.
The Slate also wins in the connectivity stakes, with an SDHC reader supporting cards of up to 128GB, a single USB 2.0 port, support for a desktop dock providing HDMI, power, audio, and additional USB ports, and a standard SIM card slot for the mobile broadband enabled edition.
Sadly, it couldn't all be good news: the smaller 8.9" display runs at a 1024x600 resolution compared to the iPad's larger 9.7" 1024x768, although HP is quick to counter with the fact that its screen has "pen/digitiser support." Battery life is also an issue, with the HP Slate managing a mere five hours to the iPad's ten.
Although the leaked slide doesn't provide a launch date, it does offer a suggestion of US pricing: the base 32GB model is expected to cost $549, while the 64GB edition will set you back $599 - both coming in cheaper than Apple's equivalent iPad.
Has HP's Slate got you interested in the form factor, or has the company failed spectacularly to come up with the promised iPad killer? Share your thoughts over in the forums.
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