HP’s latest business tablet features a 7.9 inch, 2048 x 1536 pixel display, an Intel Atom x5-8500 Cherry Trail processor, and supports up to 4GB of RAM and 128GB of eMMC storage. It’s called the HP Pro Tablet 608 G1 and it’ll be available in the US starting in July for $479 $429 and up.

While the tablet will initially ship with Windows 8.1, it’s eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 10 and HP will sell the tablet with Windows 10 pre-installed starting in August.

608_03

The entry-level model features 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, but HP will offer 64GB and 128GB models. Select models will also be available with 4GB of RAM, making this one of the few small Windows tablet with that option.

As a business class device, there’s one thing you won’t get: a free 1-year subscription to Office 365. If you want Office, you’ll need to pay for it.

Other features include stereo front-facing speacers, 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, optional 3G and 4G modules, a microSDXC card slot, a USB-C connector (for charging and/or connecting peripherals, an 8MP rear camera, a 2MP front camera, and a sturdy case with plastic and metal elements.

The tablet also has an active digitizer and works with an optional Atmel digital pen, which is sold separately. It enables pressure-sensitive input for writing or drawing and also lets you hover over the screen as if you were using a mouse. That makes it easier to interact with desktop-style apps when using the HP Pro 608 as a tablet.

Want to use it like a laptop? There’s also an optional keyboard case. And if you want to treat it like a desktop, there’s a travel dock with HDMI, Ethernet, and full-sized USB ports.

The tablet measures 8.1″ x 5.4″ x 0.33″ and weighs about 0.8 pounds. It felt pretty light-weight, but sturdy in my hands when I got to spend a few minutes with the tablet recently. The high-res screen might be too high-res to comfortably interact with some legacy Windows apps that haven’t been optimized for high-res screens, but Universal Windows apps should look great on the tablet.

All told, it could be an interesting alternative to the Microsoft Surface 3 for folks who are looking for something with similar functionality in a slightly smaller package.

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29 replies on “HP Pro Tablet 608 features high-res display, Cherry Trail CPU, optional pen”

  1. Device looks awesome. But that KB case looks like crap. I wish there was the same form of attachment for it like the hp pavilion x2. If it had that I would buyit in a heartbeat

  2. Everything about the tablet seems perfect for me. The only concern I have is the battery life. Hopefully that will be at least 8 ~ 9 hours real world usage.

  3. How well does the Atmel digitizer work? Is it Windows Pro and 64b in some or all versions of the tablet? I would like to see the display’s mirroring a) of window sunlight and b) outdoors (shadow versus almost-direct sunlight).

  4. Finally! I carried an Asus Eee PC 900 that fit in the front pocket of my camera bag that wasn’t designed for laptops or tablets years ago. Been waiting for an 8.9 inch or under high res windows tablet with digital pen support. So this will run 64-bit windows?

  5. Almost. But there is hope yet for a device I’m looking for. Too bad for the USB-C thou, if it had regular USB you could charge it anywhere, but with USB C only it’s own cable will do, and connecting stuff would be a nightmare with miles of adapters sticking out… Also, what about HDMI?

    1. If it didn’t have USB-C, it would have micro USB, so you’d need an adapter anyway. No difference, except potentially faster charging and transfer speeds.

  6. Its physical dimensions ( 8.1″ x 5.4″ x 0.33″) are very close to that of the Ipad Mini’s (7.87 x 5.3 x 0.28). It would be awesome if the Zagg backlit bluetooth keyboard for the Ipad Mini can fit into it.

  7. I wish there were more 4:3 Windows tablets. 4:3 is so much better for viewing webpages, documents, photos, etc. 16:10 and 16:9 are only really good for viewing videos.

    I want to replace my DV8P but nothing interesting is on the market with Windows except Surface 3, but that is too expensive.

    1. From personal experience, it depends on the platform/device.

      Take Android for instance. Yes, 4:3 would be better if you have hardware buttons for basic operations. But the on screen buttons actually make 4:3 worse than 16:10 as they take up screen space.

      This while in 16:10 wastes space above and below if you do not have said buttons.

  8. Wow, $479 for 2gb RAM, and 32gb storage. So the 4gb/128gb model will be $500-600.

    HP really didn’t miss any marks here. AC wifi, USB-C, optional stylus.

    For me, Windows tablets are intriguing enough at the $200-300 pricepoint, but above that price, and I need CPU power. Getting a 10/10 on the minor features doesn’t justify the high price.

    1. Does USB-C mean you could use a single adapter with it that would support simultaneous charging, hdmi out, and connection of standard usb peripherals through a single port? Something like this: https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MJ1K2AM/A/usb-c-digital-av-multiport-adapter?fnode=51

      That would be good. Inability to do all these things simultaneously has been something of an Achilles heel of mini tablets to date.

      Or does presence of USB-C not necessarily mean this will be possible?

      1. The USB 3.1 Type C interface has the ability to charge and run HDMI, and other activities all simultaneously.

        However, I don’t know enough about the “USB 3.1 Type C specification” (the rules set out by the USB-IF group) to know if it is absolutely required of manufacturers to provide support for that simultaneous function.

        I really hope it is required, otherwise we will soon see a bunch of fly-by-night brands making devices with a USB-C connector, but internally it is only wired up to a USB 2.0 bus.

  9. The first tablet this size with a keyboard and a track point on the keyboard and I will buy it. This and the vaporware Asus chi t90 are so close but fail due to this missing 3 dollar feature.

    1. The T90 has been out in Asia since March a while now and is definitely not vaporware. Initially it appeared that supplies were limited and that ASUS may have been having production issues. However in the past few weeks the T90 has become far more common in stores. Whether it will get a European and/or American releases is a different issue.

      As for the trackpoint, have you tried using a virtual touchpad with a touchscreen device? I run one on my Miix 2 8 and it is basically as good as a real touchpad.

      1. 1. “The T90 has been out in Asia since March a while now and is definitely not vaporware. ”

        Japan+China &lt Asia (There’s Singapore,Thailand,Malaysia,Israel,India,etc.)

        2. “However in the past few weeks the T90 has become far more common in stores.” WHERE????????????????????? In your “Asia”?

        3. “Whether it will get a European and/or American releases is a different issue.”

        Pure, unadulterated VAPORWARE.

        1. The T90 is available in Japan and Taiwan. As these are both Asian countries my statement of its availability in Asia is correct. It may be available elsewhere but I cannot confirm this.

          “WHERE????????????????????? In your “Asia”?”

          Most major Japanese electronic stores currently have the T90 in stock. I can provide links to some of the stores below;

          https://www.yodobashi.com/ec/category/index.html?cate=&word=asus+tansbook+t90+chi&ginput=

          https://www.sofmap.com/search_result/exec/?mode=SEARCH&styp=p_bar&product_type=NEW&product_type=USED&gid=&keyword=asus+t90&GO_L.x=0&GO_L.y=0

          https://www.edion.com/disp/CSfDispListPage_002.jsp?action=search&sort=&selectDispNo=&q=asus+t90&j=and&dispNo=&searchFlg=1

          You can even find them being sold 2nd hand in Japan. I have purchased one online and it should be arriving early next week.

          “Pure, unadulterated VAPORWARE.”

          Vaporware would indicate a product that was announced but was never produced/released anywhere. The fact that the T90 has been available in Asia for 3 months now (as shown by the links above) means it is not vaporware.

          1. I played with the 32gb model yesterday at Ks Denki. Seemed OK. 4, 5000 yen ($380). Bought a slingbox and connected to my in-laws hdd recorder instead.

      2. Im a server admin and spend alot of time in RDP sessions, a real touchpad makes a huge difference for me.

        Ok, so the t90 is shipping in a few markets, just not mine (US).

        1. I strongly suggest you consider one of these if you can find one:

          https://shop.lenovo.com/ae/en/itemdetails/0B47270/460/60AC6A0372B14F5BA7B12F1FF88E33C7

          It was designed for a 10″ tablet but is a pretty comfortable fit for many ~8″ devices also, and it has a trackpoint and mousepad buttons without adding lots of size with a trackpad. It has a built-in stand but its up to you whether you use it. Battery lasts a long time too. Only downside is the trackpoint is an OPTICAL version, not the classic thinkpad rubber nub. Its a slight adjustment, but is still the best solution I have seen in this area…

    2. Been hoping for an official tablet keyboard accessory with a trackpoint too.

  10. What’s the selling point of this over the Surface 3? If it had a decent keyboard I’d see it, but it just looks as dodgy as the Surface 3 keyboard.

    1. Minor differences, some of which will be more or less important depending on your needs.
      -This is smaller, lighter and more portable; you could slip this into a jacket pocket without much difficulty.
      -It has a higher resolution screen (320 PPI vs. 216 PPI) which should make reading a little bit better for extended periods of time.
      -802.11ac rather than 802.11n for faster WiFi speeds
      -It probably charges faster than the Surface 3, which is notoriously slow to charge

      So basically, I think portability and resolution would be the major selling points.

  11. I think it will be a little bit more expensive than the Surface 3 due to the form factor. Can’t wait for the LTE model to come out.

      1. Hmm, so probably $599 for 4GB RAM version, plus $50 pen, plus $199 for keyboard case (going by prices of Elitepad 1000 accessories). Was getting excited, but might have to wait for some serious discounts…

        1. It is also aimed at corporate customers, so hopefully it will be long term reliable than the usual HP consumer fare…

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