Originally, the tablet was said to be delayed into June, but HP eventually updated its product page again and noted that the tablet would release sometime this month. However, it looks like the company will just barely miss that time frame, as the UK will get the tablet just one day after the end of April.

On HP’s UK listing of the Slate 7, it mentions an availability date of May 1, but it looks like you can pre-order the tablet right now As for a release date in the US, there’s no word on when that’ll happen (except for a vague April 2013 window), but you can expect to pay $170 for the tablet, which undercuts Google’s famed Nexus 7 by a whole $30.

The HP Slate 7 comes with a 1024×600 7-inch display and it runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box. Under the hood there’s an ARM Cortex-A9 dual-core processor clocked at 1.6 GHz with 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of internal storage. Overall, not a bad product for what you’ll be paying, but the small 8GB storage may turn away some users.

[via Engadget]

Originally, HP said that its new Slate 7 tablet would be available sometime next month, but the company has pushed back the release to June, giving eager buyers a couple more months to mull over their decision. However, we’re not exactly sure why the tablet is delayed. It went through the FCC without any problems, so perhaps HP simply wanted to make some slight last-minute changes.

As for the Xperia Tablet Z, the tablet released on March 22 in Japan, but it has yet to see the light of day in other parts of the world. It was also originally set for a release sometime next month, but it has been pushed back to May. As with the HP Slate 7, there’s no word on exactly what’s causing the delay, but again, it’ll give more time to those eager shoppers to think about whether or not go for it.

The Xperia Tablet Z was one of the more nicer tablets that we saw at Mobile World Congress last month. It’s got a 10-inch 1080p HD display and it runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box. When it eventually does make its way to the states, it’ll cost $499 for the 16GB model — right on par with Apple’s entry-level iPad.

Update: HP has updated its Slate 7 product page, and the release date is now listed as “April 2013.”

UPDATE:: As noted by Sony, the Xperia Tablet Z remains on-track for a May release in some regions, and availability will vary based on region as well – can’t wait!

HP has finally entered the Android tablet market with their new HP Slate 7 tablet. The specs leave a little to be desired in this day and age, but the price should entice a few potential buyers. It’s clearly aiming for the Nexus 7 here regarding design and price, and they’ll have to compete with the just announced Galaxy Note 8.0 as well.

You’ll be working with a 7-inch 1024×600 resolution multi-touch display. Then HP went with an unknown 1.6 GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 processor with 1GB of RAM, instead of the rumored Tegra 4 quad-core. Those two downfalls aside the tablet sounds decent. You’ll get 8GB of storage and micro-SD slot for expanded options, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is also on board with Google Now. They’ve added a 3 megapixel rear camera, and VGA front for Google+ Hangouts. Dimensions come in at 10.7 mm thin, 197mm x 116mm, 13.05 ounces, and HP promises 5 hours of video playback.

HP has a well rounded tablet here, but the low resolution could be the achilles heel. This will also be the first Android tablet with Beats Audio integration for superior sound. The build quality sounds top notch and the entire slate is made from stainless-steel. They’ll be offering the device in steel silver, black, as well as a red flavor. Today HP also announced their ePrint Android app for printing on the go, and we’ll be getting hands-on time with both as soon as possible.

Hopefully HP can complete in this market. They state this is the first step in offering their customers the Google experience, so we have a feeling that rumored top-tier Tegra 4 device could still be in the works. The new HP Slate 7 will be available in April for the low price of $169.

The memo itself comes from Printing and Personal Systems Group boss Todd Bradley, who says that Torres will be starting on September 3. After tackling the consumer tablet space, HP Mobility GBU will then “expand to additional segments and categories where we believe we can offer differentiated value to our customers.” Torres will not be taking the reins on HP’s incoming commercial tablet, as that will be staying with HP’s PC Global Business Unit, overseen by James Mouton. The same goes for HP’s notebook teams, but Bradley seems to suggest that the Mobility and PC GBUs will be merging (or at least collaborating) at some point in the future.

According to the memo, Torres’ initial duties will be to “accelerate our tablet strategy and begin to execute products against our consumer/SMB target.” It sounds like HP wants to ramp up on this second shot quickly, but it has a tough road ahead. Most of us can still recall HP’s difficulties with the TouchPad after all, and it’s pretty clear that the company will be doing all it can to avoid another failure like that.

Torres has a couple weeks left to go before he begins at HP, but we’re thinking that once he’s there, HP will waste no time in putting him to work. Even though the TouchPad can’t be labeled a smashing success, it did have some redeeming features, so the idea of HP getting serious about tablet development does get us excited. Stay tuned to SlashGear for more information, as we imagine that HP will be making some announcements not long after Torres officially joins the team.

This tablet has several security features including HP ProtectTools, TPM embedded security, and support for Computrace incase you lose the unit in a strange place. You’ll get Windows 8 with touch controls, the ability to use a capacitive pen tool to work, and a display that’ll have you working indoors or out – brightness! This tablet is what HP calls portable, having 8-10 hours of battery life and a weight of just .68 kg. The HP Space 8 will be 9.2mm thin and appears to be coming with a full aluminum body.

We’re probably going to find that this device has at least some plastic panels here or there so that it might have excellent signal reception for wireless internet and GPS as well down the line. This tablet is reminiscent of the HTC Jetstream which we also have a full review of from several months ago, and will have some sort of reinforced glass panel on the front that may have curved edges.

Is this one of the many preview devices we got a quick glimpse of back at the Windows 8 Consumer Preview presentation at Mobile World Congress 2011? Very possibly!

[via ZDNet]

Externally there’s not a lot of difference in the Slate 2. You’ve still got a netbook-grade 1024 x 600 display panel at 8.9 inches, and Windows 7 is still chugging along. The processor is upgraded to an Atom Oak Trail Z670, though that still may not be enough to give Windows 7 the power it needs, even with a faster 64GB solid-state drive. Enhancements include a new included stylus and a Swype-enabled virtual keyboard – a novelty on a Windows device, to be sure. Minor cosmetic updates and a sold-separately Bluetooth speaker dock round out the package.

The HP Slate 2 will be available for purchase on an unspecified date in November, starting at $699.

One question springs to mind: why? With Windows 8 due next year and HP poised to exploit it, why would they release an interim device like this so soon after the ignominious demise of the TouchPad? Speaking of which, why isn’t the Slate taking advantage of WebOS, if only as a touch-friendly pre-boot environment? Was the response to the original Slate so impressive that it demanded a second attempt? (Hint: it wasn’t.) If this is HP’s glorious quasi-return to hardware sales, it’s a whisper, not a shout, and certainly no longer a unique one with Asus’ high-end Eee Slate EP121 already available and Dell’s Latitude ST coming soon.

Here’s hoping that the second-generation Slate will be able to run Windows 8 when it goes gold, or even before then. In the meantime, I’ll keep an extra $99 handy for about 49 days.

[via The Verge]

Over at TabletPCReview‘s forums, HeatLessSun managed to not only get his HP Slate 500 in the mail, but he took the time to unbox it, and snap a few photos. He also added a few quick notes about the device to his post, pointing out that the tablet is a “solid device.” Furthermore, he says that Internet Explorer 8 works well, handwriting recognition works well, and that the device is “pretty fast.”

Not much more to go on, so go ahead and check out the few photos below, and then head through the source link below to see the entire collection.

[via TabletPCReview; thanks, Henry!]

One geek that had pre-ordered the HP Slate is now reporting that an email has been received from HP that notifying him that the Slate tablets is shipping. One user reports that his charge for the Slate had been pending for a week or so and the notification of shipment came in a few days back.

The user going by the handle heatlessun on the Tabletpcreview forums that received the shipment notification reports he pre-ordered his Slate on launch day, October 22, and that he has received shipment tracking info from Fedex and the machine is set to show up at this door today. If you ordered early, be sure and let us know what you think once you get your hands on your Slate.

Thanks Henry!

Meanwhile, over at GottaBeMobile there’s a so-far unsubstantiated rumor that HP has discovered a bug in the Slate 500 that triggers freezing that can only be addressed with a full reboot. The suggestion is that HP’s delay is to allow them time to fix the issue and so avoid a wave of warranty returns from frustrated early-adopters.

However, adding to the confusion, the estimated ship date in HP’s own tracking systems claims the Slate 500 will be shipped on November 14 for a November 15 delivery; that’s only two days later than originally indicated, and indeed earlier than other reports we’ve seen that suggest November 17 instead. Other buyers say their ship date has remained the same, despite having received the same stock warning email.

It seems HP may have hedged their bets with Slate 500 stock and planned to manufacture on-demand rather than face a mountain of unsold units. More information on the tablet here.

HP Slate 500 vs Apple iPad:

The Slate 500 has a 1.86GHz Atom Z560 processor, 2GB of RAM and a 64GB SSD, along with a Broadcom GPU accelerator chip.  It’s bundled with a desktop dock with an HDMI output, while connectivity includes WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth.  More hardware info here.

[via Out of the Office]

Jobs laid into Android as a “fragmented” platform and 7-inch displays as “too big to compete with a smartphone, and too small to compete with an iPad.” Nonetheless, Android appears to be the horse on which most Apple rivals are betting. Reviews of the first new batch of Windows 7 slates proved less than positive, with models like the Tega v2 criticized for shortfalls in usability. While Microsoft’s latest version is certainly stronger than Windows XP Tablet Edition ever was, gauged against finger-centric platforms like iOS and Android it lacks the immediacy and intuitiveness users have come to expect.

In response, we’ve seen a gradual distancing of manufacturers from Windows 7, fleshing out vague rumors of reluctance over Wintel slates reported for the past few months among OEMs. MSI has apparently frozen its Windows 7 tablet development, and Lenovo has dismissed the platform as too tied to the keyboard/mouse paradigm as to be suited to pure slates. The question now is not so much whether Android, but which Android, and that’s a thick vein of confusion which even Google itself seems mired in. “What does it mean when your software supplier says not to use their software in your tablet?” Jobs asked, referring to Google’s apparent guidance to manufacturers to wait until at least the next Gingerbread release of Android for tablet use. The first Gingerbread models are expected to arrive at CES 2011 next January – including the new Android model that MSI is supposedly focusing on in favor of Windows 7 – but other manufacturers are even more wary. Lenovo, while eschewing Microsoft’s OS, has said it intends to wait until Honeycomb, the version of Android beyond Gingerbread, before making its play.

On the flip side, Android 2.2 Froyo models are reaching store shelves now, or are expected to in the next few weeks. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab is perhaps the best known, already on sale in some mainland European markets and hitting the UK on November 1st and the US through that month. As well as being one of the 7-inch models Jobs was so eager to dismiss, the Galaxy Tab has found itself mired in controversy over the apparent premium price Samsung – and its carrier distributors – is charging. In the UK, pre-orders have currently settled at around £530 ($830), the same local price as a 16GB iPad WiFi + 3G; in the US, meanwhile, Verizon has been the only network to announce solid numbers, prompting an outbreak of surprise by asking $599.99 for the unsubsidized slate.

Leaked figures from T-Mobile USA, meanwhile, have previously suggested the GSM carrier will be offering the Galaxy Tab at $399 with a two-year data plan, still an expensive option. It seems a risky strategy on Samsung’s part (though carriers set the final subsidized numbers, they’re obviously dependent on the manufacturer’s RRP and wholesale cost), when many had hoped they would significantly undercut the iPad in an attempt to secure market share (and for what is a significantly smaller device).

What must be remembered is that Samsung doesn’t intend to echo Apple’s market approach: a single model with what will probably be a yearly refresh cycle. Instead, as we’ve seen with their Galaxy S family of Android smartphones, the company is planning numerous more Galaxy Tab family slates, both with smaller and larger touchscreens than the 7-inch original. The likelihood is that we can expect the middle-ground between 4-inch Galaxy S and 7-inch Galaxy Tab to also occupy the middle-ground in pricing, to avoid stepping on the toes of either. Samsung’s play is to capitalize on the inherently niche nature of tablets, offering more targeted models built around a core platform and, presumably, hoping the combined sales are enough to sustain the project.

At the other end of the scale there are cheaper slates such as the Advent Vega, a 10-inch Tegra 2 based Froyo tablet headed to the UK market at the start of November, and priced at a mere £250 ($390). In return there’s a barely tweaked version of Android, rather than the custom apps Samsung has worked on, and the assumption that the target audience will prioritize affordability above all else. The company tells us they’re looking to put Gingerbread on the slate when it becomes available, potentially making the Vega both a cost-effective and functional option, though we’ll need to wait until the reviews filter through before knowing for sure.

Android isn’t the only platform; RIM has been gradually drip-feeding us with more information on their BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, expected to reach the market in early 2011. Earlier this week the Canadian company confirmed they would be matching the iPad’s 16GB, 32GB and 64GB SKUs, while co-CEO Jim Basillie took time to rail against Steve Jobs’ tablet commentary. “7-inch tablets will actually be a big portion of the market” he insisted, suggesting that was common knowledge “for those of us who live outside of Apple’s distortion field.” Still, the PlayBook will likely reach the market around the time Apple’s second-gen iPad does, something we can guess will answer most of the criticisms of the first model while at the same time biting away at the BlackBerry slate’s impressive feature set. RIM’s play will be the enterprise market so traditionally enamored with their smartphone line though, as we’ve seen with the iPhone, Apple has proved itself adept at taking an initially consumer-focused device and adding enterprise functionality. Anecdotal evidence has already suggested that business users are eyeing the iPad and finding ways to integrate it into their workday, leaving Cupertino a primed audience.

There are, of course, a few outliers. The HP Slate 500, for instance, finally made its official debut this week, stubbornly sticking with Windows 7 (HP’s webOS slates aren’t expected until 2011). The company has refined its targeting for the 8.9-inch tablet, no longer positioning it as a device for everyone but instead playing on its corporate skills. There’s also a significant advantage in its touchscreen technology, pairing the capacitive touch layer which the iPhone/iPad has made popular with an active digitizer for more precise stylus use. As we know from previous Windows 7 tablets, it’s something business users come to expect as well as something which significantly improves the OS experience. HP’s pricing is also strong – $799 including a desktop dock – perhaps not in comparison with consumer models, but against other Windows 7 slates (like Onkyo’s three model range, now available in the US via importers) and convertible notebooks with hybrid touchscreen displays. As ever, the target is vertical markets like healthcare, though HP will need to prove the Slate 500′s battery life first and then convince corporations that consistency in platforms is worthwhile.

Sharp, meanwhile, has taken a more unusual step and abandoned its traditional PC business in favor of chasing the tablet ereader market with its Galapagos range, though beyond talk of a carrier partnership with Verizon the US details are still scarce. Barnes & Noble are tipped to be augmenting their NOOK range of ereaders with a low-cost tablet – believed to be around the $249 mark – again predominantly focused on ebooks but with the addition of internet browsing. Both companies have turned to Android for the OS.

With his reputation for guiding the tech industry by Apple’s example, it’s easy to overlook that Steve Jobs is preaching one single vision of how tablet computing might pan out. To assume that his sole justification for bypassing 7-inch or similar models is usability, however, is naive. His job is to sell users on the Apple/iOS/iTunes/App Store ecosystem, and to put into place the best range of high-profile devices to suit; keeping that range tightly focused is in the best interest of the Cupertino company’s cachet. That needn’t mean another company shouldn’t carve its own niche; 7-inch slates have portability benefits, for instance, while Android’s arguably fragmentary nature – as evidenced by the variety of approaches manufacturers have taken with it – could potentially be reframed as a positive sign of the OS’ flexibility. Unfortunately, with manufacturer confusion seemingly at an all-time high, it’s unsurprising that consumers are similarly bewildered by the products they see hitting the market today and in tomorrow’s pipeline.

In 2004 when OQO brought their pocket sized UMPC to market it ran a full version of Windows XP due to enterprise customer feedback.   This feedback told them that enterprise customers who invested in proprietary software to run their business built the bulk of that software to run on Windows.   As attractive of an option it was to develop for things like Pocket PC or Palm OS the fact of the matter was the bulk of IT departments needed their enterprise software to run on Windows.   This need still exists today and what will wait to be seen is whether they develop apps that integrate with their enterprise software systems or invest in tablets running Windows.

A lot has changed since the Tablet PC’s of 2003-2006.   Mainly the unprecedented growth of touch screen based smart phones.  Prior to 2007 touching a screen device as the primary way to interact with it was no where near a fully mature experience.   Now that the finger has replaced the stylus it does seem demand is back within enterprise customers to deploy tablets.    We are talking with a number of businesses large and small who are experimenting with iPads and iPad software development.   From what Cisco has shown with the Cius and an enterprise approach with Android its clear enterprise tablets is an emerging trend that is still in its early stages.

HP Slate 500 target industry segments

The operating system will play a critical role in the success of tablets in general but it is especially the case with enterprises.   From what we have seen on the market so far an embedded OS still outperforms Windows 7 slate devices.    Even though Microsoft has included a lot of touch based technology into Windows 7 it is still an operating system primarily designed for a keyboard and mouse.    This is why it will be interesting to see whether enterprise customers choose to support a thiner embedded OS, like iOS, CIUS Android or BlackBerry’s QNX, due to the hardware and software performance benefits, or if keeping a single consistent software image leads them down the Windows 7 Slate path.

HP’s Personal Systems Group Vice President, Todd Bradley, was speaking amongst his colleagues today at Fortune Brainstorm, and he managed to inform everyone listened, and anyone else who couldn’t but still cares, that the HP Slate as we know it is no longer a consumer product, but instead intended solely for the enterprise market.

When’s it coming? Well, that’s in the Fall, as they say. So, any time now, basically, but before the holiday shopping season (not that that matters anymore, mind you). And while we’ve got ourself an answer about this, now we’re left wondering what this means. Windows staying with the enterprise for HP, and then they’ll focus on webOS for the mainstream consumer? Who knows, but it seems promising.

The Best of R3 Media

Nexus One, with Froyo, Launches in Korea: While the rest of the world waits for an official release date for Android 2.2, affectionately called Froyo, it seems like those in Korea, with wireless coverage from KT Wireless, may not have to wait any longer. Because it looks like Google is set to launch the Nexus One with Froyo right from the start. Which hopefully means that the release is right around the corner for the other Nexus One owners out there. We can keep our fingers crossed, at least. [via Android Community]

Nintendo 3DS Not Arriving in the UK Until 2011: You’ve got to hand it to senior executives at companies, they can just say whatever they want, whenever they want. Even if it’s bad news. For example, thanks to a senior exec from Nintendo, it looks like the 3DS, the new 3D mobile gaming platform from Nintendo, won’t be making it to the United Kingdom by the end of 2010. Apparently, it’ll make an appearance in those parts some time in the beginning of 2011. So, 3D fans out there, start counting down the calendar! [via SlashGear]

iPhone 4 Launching with 512MB of RAM: Truth be told, Apple’s never very open about the internals of their hardware. At least, not when it comes to their mobile phones. Sure, they’ll tell you how many gigabytes you’ve got, or the screen resolution, but if you want to know the RAM, you’ll have to wait until someone starts tearing them apart. Not this time, though. There’s confirmation out there that the new iPhone from Apple is going to have 512MB of RAM, which means double that of the iPad and iPhone 3GS. [via SlashPhone]

The Dredge ‘Net

Windows Embedded Handheld is Windows Mobile 6.5: While Microsoft focuses on Windows Phone 7, there’s still that lingering feeling that Windows Mobile isn’t completely dead. And, sure enough, it looks like Microsoft feels the same way. So much so in fact, that they’re launching Windows Embedded Handheld, which is built from Windows Mobile 6.5 technologies. They’re doing this, in hopes that they can speak to enterprise customers, so that when they launch a new enterprise-based Windows Phone 7 later in the year, or maybe even in 2011, they’ll be able to make the transition more comfortably. In the mean time though, Motorola’s launching a Windows Embedded Handheld device later this year (odd, we know), but it doesn’t quite yet have a price. [via Laptop Mag]

Camper for iPhone 4 Already on Premises: Well, this may be the most ridiculous thing we’ve heard all day. Despite the fact that the iPhone 4 won’t be out for another 7 days (by the time of this writing), there’s already someone out there, ready and willing to get their hands on that Retina Display. Unfortunately, there’s no word on where this is, but we’re hoping it’s not somewhere too populated. Sitting out there for that length of time probably means a lot of people will poke and prod him, and we wouldn’t want that. [via Engadget]

HP Slate: Windows 7 or Not? This is getting frustrating. When the HP Slate was debuted, it had Windows 7 on it. Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, had his fun on a stage showing it off, saying that it was the slate of all slates (or tablets). Well, considering HP just bought Palm, the house that built webOS, there’s some questions regarding the launch of the Slate, and what it means for its Operating System. On Thursday, speaking at the Untethered conference, Personal Systems Group CTO Phil McKinny said that using an existing OS on a new design, such as a tablet, means failure usually. In the same breath, he began talking up the goodness that is webOS. As for Windows 7? When asked directly about the future of it on the Slate, McKinny said that he couldn’t elaborate on the subject until after the acquisition by HP was completed. Very, very curious, to say the least. [via Ubergizmo]

According to Rathakrishnan, there’s two big extras coming. The first, and perhaps most notably (considering you’ll have to buy another model, if you were one of the 64 to buy the first, we mean), is the confirmation that there will be a JooJoo with 3G connectivity. And, best of all, it’s apparently coming in a matter of only 3 months. So, if you were waiting for 3G, there you go. At least you know it’s coming. Eventually.

As for the other big change, the company is going to allow for USB mass storage, thanks to unlocking the USB port on the tablet. This would indeed make it stand out from the competition, but not necessarily push it ahead of the pack. And, considering the iPad WiFi + 3G iPad is available today, we’d imagine that has a bit of a jump on the situation. Though, if the HP Slate is dead (or not), along with the Courier from Microsoft’s demise, maybe the JooJoo just got a little boost. Or not. Your call.

[via Ubergizmo]

The Best of R3 Media

The LG Aloha Hits Verizon in May as the LG Ally: At least, that’s what the rumors are saying. Which is good news for Verizon Wireless customers, considering it’s got a physical slide out full QWERTY keyboard, and an impressive 1GHz Snapdragon processor under the hood. Now, if we could just talk about the name, then we’d probably get somewhere nice. We liked Aloha, Verizon. Really. [via Android Community]

Apple’s iAd Asks Marketers for $10 Million: Mobile advertisers are accustomed to paying to get their ads on things. And now that the mobile market is booming, and you’ve got Apple putting together iAd, why wouldn’t you want to jump on board? Maybe, just maybe, because Apple doesn’t want you to pay $100,000 to $200,000 to jump on board. Oh, no. How about $10 million? You’ll be part of a handful of marketers, which, isn’t surprising. Any takers? [via Everything iPad]

Palm Could Face Class-Action Lawsuit: Seems incorrect, right? Well, according to a law firm on behalf of some investors, it seems that they believe they’ve been short-changed due to this whole deal with HP. You know the one, where HP buys Palm? The deal equaled somewhere near $1.2 billion, or about $5.70 per share, and the investors believe that all of this should have gone down last year, when shares were at $17.20, apparently. There’s no word on how close the lawsuit is to being started, or if they’d win, but this should get interesting soon. [via SlashPhone]

The Dredget Net

Steam for Mac is Coming in May: Sure, they may have said that April would be the month of months, but Steam knows how to handle pushed released dates. You could almost call them professionals with it. And sure enough, Steam for Mac got pushed back. But, apparently, they’ve conceded that it’s now coming on May 12th, so, not too far away. Patience, it works out. We promise. [via Joystiq]

TomTom Wants an App Store: Okay, this app thing may be getting out of hand. When a dedicated GPS company wants to get into the app game, it’s a certain fact. And, according to TomTom’s CEO, Harold Goddijn, that’s exactly what he wants for his units. By the end of this year, in fact. He wants something for both the consumer, as well as the automotive market, and he hopes that the WebKit-based Operating System will make it easy for developers who choose to come on board to create their apps. [via Pocket-Lint]

Samsung N150 Joins Other Verizon Wireless Netbooks: Short and sweet here: the Samsung N150 has been officially unveiled for Verizon Wireless, with embedded 3G. It’s black, and red, and that shouldn’t surprise you in the slightest. You’re looking at your standard 10.1-inch netbook here, so unless you’re in the market for one, you probably won’t be blown away. [via Netbooked]

That’s right: meh. But, that may be what happens when you only show off your tablet in crazy promotional rendered videos. First and foremost, let it be known that they are first and foremost comparing this tablet to the iPad. There’s no way around that, we imagine, but we’re kind of shocked at how explicitly they compare the two tablets. Secondly, the HP Slate just doesn’t win. They do note that the Slate has some good points, such as USB ports, an HDMI dock, and it has a built-in camera. These are great features, but perhaps not when they’re bundled with the HP Slate.

Because they’re quick to point out the bad, which, ironically, some say are the tablet’s good parts. For example, you are getting a “full” Operating System in Windows 7, which means you get Flash Player, along with all the other cool things: like downloading other browsers, and whatever else you want. The trouble is, that means you have a “long and annoying load time Operating System.” Ouch. Right after that, they go on to say that the HP Slate is simply not a competitor to the iPad. End of story. Their official verdict, again, is: meh. Check out the gallery below.

[via Connecti.ca]

So, what should we expect from the HP Slate? Size wise, we are looking at an 8.9″ WSVGA capacitive multitouch display. It has a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Menlow Z530 processor, it comes in two memory variations: 32GB and 64GB. Both versions come with expandable memory though, so that should definitely be remembered. It also goes without saying that the Slate also comes packed with Windows 7 Home Premium, optimized with HP’s custom User Interface.

All of that sounds great, and extra additions like a USB port, and two cameras (one on the back and one on the front) will probably make many out there say that it is better than the competition, but wouldn’t be quick to judge. Truth be told, it is Windows 7 Home Premium with netbook internals, so we are skeptical at how well this will all work. Rendered videos ignored, of course. Plus, pricing starts at $549, and that has to be considered as well. Hopefully we get to see more of the Slate soon. We are eager to see what else is coming down the pipe.

[via Engadget]

Basically, this video doesn’t show you a shipping product. Nope. It just shows you what a shipping product may look like, if it were set to some techno-rock, and had some visually stunning video renders made of it. We’re not saying the completed piece of gadgetry won’t look like the video you’re about to watch, and we’re sure the software will be spot-on, too. But, well, it’s still a render and not the real deal. As much as we love our social networking, being able to pinch-to-zoom, connect our tablet to our TV, and expand our memory with memory cards, it’s just not the same if we don’t see it on the real thing.

The big question should be: why aren’t we seeing it on the real thing? After all, we know it exists. We’ve seen it in action! Why keep showing renders of something that’s real, and probably in quite a few people’s hands already? Whatever the reason, if you’re not a fan of the iPad, and are looking for a tablet that has a webcam (Skype did look pretty good), a USB port, and Windows 7, then the HP Slate is probably just right for you. As soon as we get some official word on a release date and pricing (for somewhere other than Europe), we’ll be sure to let you know.

[via HP]

The first thing to keep in mind when looking at the Slate from HP, is that the majority of specifications are still a mystery. While we can make a bunch of assumptions about what’s powering the tablet device, until there is any kind of official summary, that’s all they’d be: assumptions. It is running the full version of Windows 7, so that has a lot of people warming to the device, but also has the same amount of people running in the opposite direction. We understand that Flash Player empowers about 75% of the video we see every day on the Internet, but this video does indeed feel like a direct stab at Apple. HP/Adobe/Microsoft: “Look what we can do!”

In any event, it looks like Microsoft is starting to see that marketing their products, especially the ones that may not be as popular as some others, may be a good thing. The HP ad that’s posted below is one that makes the Slate look like a real competitor to the iPad, but there are some out there that may think it just makes the Apple-based tablet look better. Personal preference, we imagine. So, what’s yours? Are you awaiting the Slate? Or are your eyes looking at something else?

[via Engadget]