HP Elitepad 900

[Bronsky]

Yeah, I'm very confused by this product. How can they release this sub-par looking product as their "business" line, and then provide the very sleek and functional looking Envy as their consumer line? This tablet looks and feels like a Win7 release- no true docking keyboard is focused on, pen is NTrig, 1280 x 800 res, etc. It's very odd.

This isn't the slate 8 thingy, is it? I figure that must be some other, higher end product, right?

I've thought a bit about the resolution and I do think that the 1280 x 800 may by the best HP can do with Atom power. Afterall, I would prefer the 16:10 ratio to the 16:9, 1366 x 768 resolution. So, I stand corrected on that front. As for the keyboard, I was first under the impression that it did not fold. It does. I still think that a clamshell kb with a battery base is a better option than a folio with a slice battery, but that may be an issue of preference.

I think that still leaves my issues with standard port selection on the tablet, glossy display and, most of all, the selection of N-Trig. I may be very wrong and the new pens may be as great as N-Trig says, but somebody is going to have to proove that to me before I will ever consider an N-Trig product again.

I do think this is the Slate 8. Look at its back. It's the one from the commercials.

[jhoff80]

The problem is that 1280x800 means you can't use one of Windows 8's major features, the Snap functionality for multitasking. I prefer 16:10 too (and I'd even more rather have 4:3), but if that resolution means that you can't fully support the brand new OS that you're releasing a device with, maybe you should stick to the same resolution everyone else is using.

[bloodycape]

I don't think I saw it in the pictures, but this seems to no have a pen silo, right?

[Steve B]

I just don't see what this device offers that you can't get with the Envy- and better done. Both are atoms, both are pen enabled, both run Windows. The only difference is the res is lower on the "Elite", it isn't snap compatible, and the Envy has a real keyboard dock. I mean- outside of a personal preference for 1280 x 800, that seems like a no brainer.

Is there something else that makes this tablet attractive?

[Mitlov]

So far, the Dell Latitude 10 looks like the best all-around Atom design. What is HP thinking with this hodge-podge? A business user needs a matt display, clamshell keyboard base (preferably with extra battery) and swapable battery on the tablet. Although you can add ports on the KB base, the tablet needs a USB and HDMI standard. N-Trig pen? Maybe they improved them, but N-Trig's lack of support for its existing hardware makes their equipment a non-starter for me. Why did they make it so big?

I wonder if HP kept the same power adapter as my Slate 500 and if that new slice battery can be adapted. Oh, and they enlarged the keyboard but kept the odd key arrangement that has a very steep learning curve.

So far, I'm still waiting for the MS Surface Pro.

The Latitude 10 looks like the best business-oriented and stylus-oriented design, and the Envy X2 looks like the best consumer-oriented design, in my opinion.

[revmike]

Looks tempting, but I'm wary of HP after the motherboard on my slate died after 18 months of ownership.

[ChrisRS]

Good to see you here, Rick.

I look forward to seeing the Elitepad 900, but it is of great interest to me.

I look forward to the 900's big brother - full iCore processor, larger sceeen, 8MB memory, salte configuration.

[ships10]

This is a Terrible HP move for all the above reasons.
I'm going somewhere else that offers Wacom. Ntrig has been a
Ntriggered nitemare!!

[ships10]

Hi Rick....Sorry this is a feebler of a product !
Very disappointing .
I'm going where Wacom is !

[bloodycape]

I just don't see what this device offers that you can't get with the Envy- and better done. Both are atoms, both are pen enabled, both run Windows. The only difference is the res is lower on the "Elite", it isn't snap compatible, and the Envy has a real keyboard dock. I mean- outside of a personal preference for 1280 x 800, that seems like a no brainer.

Is there something else that makes this tablet attractive?

Better HP business support vs the Envy line? I can't say much about HP business line, but I can tell you the support I got for my HP Touchpad was acceptable, vs top notch support I got out my Thinkpad Tablet from Lenovo. Lenovo themselves told me Thinkpad customers get better support as their call and services centers are all in the states(Georgia in fact), vs their consumer line, which has call centers out of the country. All of this can matter if your devices goes crazy on you, or something breaks.