HPs Slate 500 Tablet Takes Aim at Business Professionals

by Chris Preimesberger

HP is big on exterior design and has put a lot of thought into the device’s case. The Slate 500 comes in black and silver and features a 3 megapixel camera on the back.

The 6-inch-by-9-inch unit Slate weighs only 1.5 pounds and is designed for business professionals to browse the Web, read and edit e-mail, pull up documents and to create and transmit spread sheets and presentations.

The Slate has a well-designed docking station that enables two additional USB ports plus an HDMI video port. It also recharges the unit while it’s in place.

For example, this video/still camera on the Slate would be an ideal tool for an auto insurance adjuster out on a job, who could take pictures of accident damage, fill out a report plus any other supporting documents in the case, and send the package via e-mail back to the office.

The Slate features a Broadcom Crystal HD chip for HD video playback on the 8.9-inch, 1,024 by 600 display.

Serial numbers and other technical information aren’t to be found anywhere on the exterior of the Slate 500. Instead, the information is on a slide-out extender (right).

The Slate is similar to an iPad in many ways, but the touch screen operates differently and images do not move quite as smoothly as on the Apple devices screen. HP contends that the Slate is not primarily a media device and that its first purpose is business.

When using the Slate’s docking station, two more USB 2.0 ports come into use, in addition to an HDMI video port and a second headset jack.

When in its docking station and charging up, the Slate takes very little space on a desktop or tabletop.??í

For the $799 sticker price, the buyer gets the Slate 500, the docking station, a leather-like soft carrying case, and a navigational pen.