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Tue Apr 6, 11:13 am ET
Remember the HP Slate, the upcoming Windows 7-powered tablet that we first saw
during Microsoft's CES keynote back in January? Well, we just got more details
on HP's would-be iPad killer, thanks to a new, official teaser video and
Engadget's decidedly unofficial series of leaked specs.
The last time we saw the Slate was in the hands of Steve Ballmer during a
rather tepid presentation in Las Vegas, with Ballmer showing off the Kindle
reader and struggling a bit as he tried to tee up a video. But HP has clearly
stepped up its game, starting with this snazzy 30-second teaser video that
makes a point of showing off all the features on the Slate that are missing on
the iPad, such as a built-in camera, a USB port (a real one, not an adapter),
and an SD card slot.
Just a few hours after the video was posted, Engadget managed to snag what
appears to be an HP marketing sheet titled, none too subtly, "HP Slate vs.
iPad" that specifically stacks up the Slate to the iPad, point for point.
Now, before we dive into the details here, let's just point out that HP has yet
to officially cough up detailed specs for the Slate, much less a price tag or a
release date (other than "this year," that is). Still, if what we're looking at
here is real, it's a pretty clear indication that HP is positioning the Slate
as an iPad killer.
Looking at the (purported) spec sheet, the Slate appears to have a series of
enticing features that are missing on the iPad. There's the camera, of course,
and we're not just talking one but two: a 3MP lens in back and a front-facing
VGA camera for video conferencing. We've also got a single USB 2.0 port, an SD
card reader, a "conventional" SIM tray for 3G networking, and HDMI-out video
capabilities (not to mention 1080p playback) via the Slate's dock connector.
(Each of these key points are highlighted on the leaked marketing sheet as an
"HP advantage," by the way.)
Pretty interesting, and here's a few more details to boot (again, not
official): an 8.9-inch, 1024-by-600-pixel display (slightly smaller and
lower-res than the iPad), a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor under the hood, and 32
or 64GB of built-in flash storage (expandable via the SD card slot). The spec
sheet doesn't mention Flash support specifically, but HP has already made it
pretty clear that yes, you will be able to view Flash videos on the Slate.
The leaked spec sheet describes the Slate as measuring 9.2 by 5.7 by 0.57
inches, making the Slate (potentially) a tad taller, narrower, and thicker than
the iPad (9.56 by 7.47 by 0.5 inches), as well as a tiny bit lighter (1.49
pounds, vs. 1.5 pounds for the iPad).
The leaked marketing sheet also ticks off a few specs labeled as "HP threat"
in other words, areas in which the iPad would have a leg up over the Slate, at
least for now. Among them: no support for 802.11n, the latest official Wi-Fi
standard; just five hours of battery life, versus 10 hours for the iPad; and a
slightly more expensive price tag for the 16GB model ($549, versus $499 for the
16GB iPad) although, to be fair (and if the leaked specs are true), the $549
16GB Slate might come with a SIM tray, whereas the equivalent 3G-enabled iPad
will set you back $629.
Of course, one of the biggest selling points for the Slate (and yes, this we
know for certain) is Windows 7, a full-on, multitasking, desktop-caliber
operating system. The iPad runs on a modified version of the iPhone OS, and
among other things lacks third-party-app multitasking (although that may be
changing soon). Then again, the iPad OS is specifically designed for touch and
runs lightning-fast; Windows 7 is designed for a keyboard and mouse (HP is
promising a "touch-optimized UI" to help with fingertip navigation). And it
remains to be seen whether Slate's 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor will be up to
the task of making Windows 7 run smoothly on a 1.5-pound tablet.
Let's just say one more time that the leaked marketing sheet obtained by
Engadget isn't official; and even if it is real, the listed specs are certainly
subject to change; and again, we still don't have an official price tag.
Still, if the Slate proves anything, it's that the tablet wars won't end with
the iPad; indeed, they're only beginning. If the iPad turns out to be a hit
(and the jury's still out), it'll spur more competition in the tablet "space"
("Courier," anyone?), and that's a good thing.
Ben Patterson is a technology writer for Yahoo! News.