HP Slate Officially Launches for $799

We all but gave up on the Slate, but Hewlett-Packard’s tablet computer was destined to reach the market after all, albeit in a slightly different flavor than it was originally envisioned.

The HP Slate 500 is a Windows 7-based tablet PC with a 8.9-inch, 1024×600 resolution screen, a 1.86GHz Intel Atom Z540 processor, a Crystal HD accelerator that should ensure smooth playback for HD (1080p) videos, two gigabytes of RAM (recent rumors predicted 1 GB), and a 64GB SSD.

It has a USB port and two cameras: a 3-megapixel one on the back, and a VGA camera on the front for making video calls. It also has Wi-Fi but, quite disappointingly, no 3G connectivity.

These specifications make the Slate one of the most powerful tablets on the market, but its $799 price tag also makes it more expensive than its chief rival, the iPad. However, HP has envisioned the Slate as a device aimed at business customers.
“It’s really like a full-function PC, it runs Windows, it will run your office applications, it just so happens to be in a slate form factor,” said Carol Hess-Nickels, director of business notebook marketing at HP.
What do you think about HP’s decision to make the Slate a Windows 7-based tablet, aimed at business customers? Is the price right, and is there a place on the market for such a device? Please share your opinions in the comments.