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When the iPad came out everyone wanted to get their hands on one. Other companies caught on to this and found that tablet creation was the new game. There is a huge list of Android tablet producers, and now consumers can add Hewlett-Packard to that list. HP recently announced four new Android-run tablets: HP Slate 7 HD, HP Slate 10 HD, HP Slate 7 Extreme and HP Slate 8 Pro. Along with HP’s inability to name products, they brought four devices with industry standard specs, which are to be expected, but aren’t impressive.
HD Slates
Both the HP Slate 7 HD and the HP Slate 10 HD are the same as far as features go. The only difference is that the 7 contains a 7-inch display and the 10 has a 10-inch display. However, the displays both have the same resolution of 1,280 x 800 pixels. They both run Android Jelly Bean 4.2 with a dual-core processor with 1 GB of RAM and 16 and 32 GB of built-in storage. They both sport a micro SD port, a micro SD card slot, a sim card slot, a 5 MP rear-facing camera and 2 MP front-facing camera. The price of these devices has not been announced, but the cellular models, which will likely cost more, have an incentive. They come with two years of T-Mobile 4G data for free. Unfortunately, its only 200 MB a month, but you may find it’s enough if you spend the majority of your time using WiFi. The tablets also come with Beat Audio features to help create a better experience while using headphones.
Extreme Slate
The HP Slate 7 Extreme has a 7-inch display with a resolution of 1,280 x 800, which is the same as the lower-end models previously discussed. The more impressive feature is the Nvidia Tegra 4 processor with 1 GB of RAM and greater speed compared to the HD models. The device was built more for multimedia with its ability to use Bluetooth controllers for game play, HDMI for TV mirroring, front-facing speakers and included stylus. The Extreme also has a 5 MP rear-facing camera and 2 MP front-facing camera and comes with 16 or 32 GB internal storage capacity with a SD card slot for storage expansion.
Pro Slate
The HP Slate 8 Pro is for more of a professional/business customer. It comes with the Nvidia Tegra 4 processor, but is bumped up to 2 GB of RAM, which is a nice touch. It has a 7.9-inch display, the same as the iPad Mini, with a better resolution, at 1,600 x 1,200 pixels, than the iPad Mini. The Pro has an 8 MP rear-facing camera and 2 MP front-facing camera, along with HDMI port, micro USB and SD card slot. The Pro also has Beats Audio built in, with productivity apps preloaded.
While all these devices are a step in the right direction for HP in the tablet community, they are nothing to be that impressed about. They contain hardware similar to their competitors and have no wow factor of any kind. Before deciding on if you should buy one, wait until full reviews and greater testing of the products has occurred.
Marcus Seegers may be reached at [email protected]
