HP talks up slate launch
Later this year and (well?) under $1500
HP has confirmed plans to launch a tablet later this year, hinting that the machine will cost considerably less than $1500 (£930).
The PC giant teamed up with Microsoft to unveil the tablet – currently unofficially referred to as the HP Slate – at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) earlier this month. Phil McKinney, CTO of HP’s personal systems group, has since said that the company is committed to launching the device in 2010.
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McKinney made the comment in an HP-produced video posted online this week, adding that had the company launched its slate two years ago – which it could have done, he claimed – then the machine would have been much more expensive, around a whopping $1500.
The HP executive wouldn't be drawn on an exact price, but promised that the tablet will carry a “mainstream” price tag. Read into that what you will.
HP’s tablet is roughly the size of a sheet of A4 and less than an inch thick. It runs Windows 7. Official specifications are still under wraps, though McKinney added that the machine will support the likes of YouTube, Hulu-style websites and online magazines. ®
COMMENTS
less than an inch and under £930
Wow, that is just too exciting, if it was 1995!!!
There has already been a mac book air, there has already been tablet laptops (toshiba swivel screen effort). I'm sure i saw an advert once that said HP innovate, well not judging by this they dont.
Did Fujitsu Siemens not do this?
A few years back Fujitsu Siemens launched a "slate" tablet. Looked cool but was not very useful as you had to do all input via the screen or carry a seperate keyboard/mouse/stand.....
And who says History doesn't repeat itself?
Win7?
Well that explains why it has taken so long. It has taken a while for Moore's Law to make the required resources small enough to fit in the box.
Battery life surely sucks, but it will depend on what it is used for.
What are the primary markets?
I've heard of tablets being touted for use in hospitals etc (every nurse carries one to instantly access and update patient records). But for that you really want something that can last a whole shift (12 hours) on a single battery - two at an absolute stretch.
Did you even watch the video?
The HP CTO said that IF they had released is a few years ago it WOULD have cost the now extremely high cost of $1500. But PH didn't want to release it as a niche product like most of the swivel screen "tablet" PCs. Instead, when it releases later this year it will be priced at "mainstream" levels.
To me that means if it has an atom processor and a 10.1" or less screen it will come in between $300-500. Over $500 with an atom processor would make it a impractical for most use cases. At this price point there would be almost no reason to ever consider a netbook.
However, if it comes with one of the new CULV Core 2 duo procs, I could see it selling for $600-800.
With AMD procs they could potentially provide additional power at the same price or the same power at lower prices - like the Acer Ferrari 1810. The most critical things for me are Price, Processor Power (not speed), and Battery Life. A six cell battery would be imperative for 6-10 hours of real use.
I will definitely be buying one if either of these price points is met with their respective procs (or equivalent) and battery life.
They must love what they are drinking
If they brought this out to compete with eBooks or with Apple if they bring out a tablet, they must be drinking some serious sewage. That price tag is way too high for so little features.
