The HP SlateBook x2 is an Android tablet that you can use as a laptop when you connect a keyboard dock. Despite the Android operating system, HP is positioning the SlateBook as a PC rather than a mobile device. But it’s priced like a budget laptop.
HP is now selling the SlateBook X2 for $479.
The SlateBook X2 features an NVIDIA Tgra 4 ARM Cortex-A15 quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage. It has a 10.1 inch, 1920 x 1200 pixel display, and supports 802.11b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth. The tablet runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.
Both the tablet and the keyboard dock feature batteries, with a 25Whr battery in the tablet and a 21Whr battery in the keyboard. The tablet alone should get up to 10 hours of battery life, and HP says you can stretch that to 18 hours when you use the keyboard.
The tablet weighs 1.3 pounds, while the tablet and base together weigh 2.8 pounds. That makes the SlateBook X2 a little on the heavy side for a 10 inch tablet, but pretty light for a notebook-like computer.
In notebook mode, the system measures about 10.2″ x 7.6″ x 0.8″ and the tablet alone is 10.2″ x 7.2″ x 0.4″.
Other features include a USB 2.0 port, HDMI port, flash card reader, front and rear cameras, and DTS Sound+.
via CNET
Looks like a good system for someone who’s application needs are fully served by Android.
The target audience would likely exclude anyone who needs professional 3D modeling, CAD, photo, audio, video editing capability or who wants to play PC games rather than those rather limited Android games.
Android office apps seem perfectly good enough for most common uses, so this could become the new baseline laptop. I think its priced a little high for the small storage and the fact that HP doesn’t need to pay for a Windows license.
Ironic that Microsoft’s Office Mobile is only optimized for phones and costs a fortune for subscription in comparison to other office programs, even the best of which top out at a ~$25 one-time purchase.
.
So in its fear and greed, Microsoft is opening itself up for serious office competitors to emerge and eat their cake on the world’s most popular mobile platform.
Seems unwise, but of course Microcruft is trying to hang onto the old Windows monopoly by their teeth.
I have been planning on buying a Tegra 4 Android tablet since hearing about them 6-7 months ago. I want to go out and buy this now, but I may wait a few weeks or so to see the other offerings. This one looks great, but the new ASUS looks to have USB 3.0 capability(why this doesn’t is a mystery) and better resolution. If any of them have an IR blaster I would grab it as well(I want universal remote capability, wifi remote apps are too slow). I believe a few of the Visio tabs have IR blasters and they were the ones that started the ball rolling with the Tegra 4 at CES.
If they are positioning it as a PC, than I would assume they have thought attaching an HP printer to it ?
Most new HP printers support cloud printing… So they’re probably not worried about direct support…
Mainly legacy device users that have to worry…
Okay, It would be nice if they supported printing to their budget line like this one.
https://www.amazon.com/HP-Deskjet-Printer-CH340A-B1H/dp/B003YGZIY0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375226965&sr=8-2&keywords=hp+printer
I guess this one is fairly budget at $69 and supports ePrint.
https://www.amazon.com/HP-Deskjet-3510-e-All-in-One-Printer/dp/B008DWCF82/ref=pd_cp_e_1
You can check if HP provides a app… Mobile OS like Android lacks support but the Printer companies can provide apps that support their printers… it’s just not seamless in usage as it would be on a PC…
While, if they have a RT version of this system it’ll at least offer the ability to print with generic drivers if specific drivers aren’t available.
Or, alternatively, you can configure pretty much any printer for wireless printing… The add ons are getting pretty affordable these days.
Seriously, does anyone take the time to do any basic research before commenting 3 times? Read the white papers off the link from the product page. It lists the printer app functionality. https://www.shopping.hp.com/shopping/pdf/e4a99ua.pdf
The ePrint App is the cloud app, it doesn’t print directly to a USB printer!
Why do you still have a usb only printer? Go to the store and buy a wireless one the next time you need ink. They’re cheaper than the ink replacement.
Do you want a floppy disk next?
If you bothered reading the actual comments then you would know that nards barley wants to use a budget printer and I already suggested the option to make it wireless!
Thanks for the input but you’re clearly not following the conversation!
He could also share the printer over his local network(assuming that he has his current printer hooked up to something) and utilizing a wireless router, he would not need to purchase a wifi printer.
Where I live, the number one printer on the market is the HP 2050, a usb multifunction printer that costs around $79.
People aren´t going to buy an Android PC if they got to buy a print router to use their existing printer.
Understandable. At this stage I wouldn’t recommend an Android PC due to the cost for capabilities yet in general. You could use apps like Printershare(on Google Play) to gain USB connected printer capability.
In general, printer manufacturers make money off ink cartridges(same tech, but they change the container for each new printer). Which is why i said that sometimes the printer is cheaper than replacement ink. If you search sales you can generally find a wifi printer for cheap. I bought a Canon for about $50 during a sale I caught on Dealcatcher.com.
If the mini Android pcs get LInux ported to them and have decent performance, then it shouldn´t be a problem to attach a HP 2050 directly to them. Then I just need someone to manufaucture a 15.6 inch monitor with an HDMI connector for under $100.
https://hplipopensource.com/hplip-web/supported_devices/index.html
I live in South American where $50 makes a big difference for many people. I think Android PCs that can be attached directly to 19 inch or smaller monitors without hdmi adapters, and where budget printers can be attached directly to the PCs via a USB cable would be popular. If the cost of wireless printers drop to price point where USB printers are now, then it will be a moot point with respect to printers.
Who physically attaches things any more?!
Are there be enough decent tablet apps that can take advantage of this devices specs?
It’ll be overkill for most but it’ll pretty much future proof anyone running Android for the next year or so…
Developers tend to work towards the lowest common denominators for device performance to ensure their apps work in a wide range of devices as possible but as the average device gets more powerful then eventually developers will start taking advantage of the higher performance available now.
First Tegra 4 device for sale?
Off the official specs page:
“Processor
NVIDIA® Tegra® 4 T40S with Intel HD Graphics (1.8 GHz, 1 MB L2 cache)
Graphics
Intel HD Graphics 4000”
That’s an interesting CPU/GPU combo if true. Mostly likely a result of lazy copy-and-pasting.
It must be because im pretty sure it uses Nvidia GPU
It seems to be for real. A Tegra 4 SoC with Intel GPU. Interesting…
very interested….HP where will this retail at in a physical store?