HP Slate 500 Windows 7 Tablet - 8.9 in. Capacitive Touchscreen and Digital Pen

The HP Slate 500 Windows 7 Tablet PC is the device long awaited by tablet PC enthusiasts. At a mere 1.5 pounds and an ultra portable screen size of 8.9 inches the HP Slate 500 is still powerful enough to satisfy users on the go with battery life of approximately 5 hours. The rubberized back makes it easy to handle and the multiple ports provide the opportunity to expand its functionality when needed. The 64GB SSD (Solid State Drive with no moving parts) travels well with little worry of a crash and the fully functioning preloaded OS is Windows 7 Professional.

Real work can be done on real productivity software already use on laptops and desktop computers. Familiar features such as the capacitive multi-touch screen (1024x600), the digitized pen and the front and rear facing cameras position the HP Slate 500 to be an easy transition for users of the iPad or Android tablets.

To be truly useful the HP Slate 500 Tablet has to give users the tools that they are accustomed to. The ability to connect wirelessly to home networks, office networks and hotspots is essential. Integrated 802.11 b/g/n wireless LAN lets the user connect to the Internet from anywhere that offers WiFi. Bluetooth connection enables devices to connect to other close-by devices. The HP Slate 500 sports the improved Bluetooth 3.0 + HS which give what is normally a slower data transfer rate a boost by supporting Bluetooth over WiFi data transfer rates.

Storage space is essential due to the extreme amount of data that we use. Digital photos, music, videos and movies can fill up a hard drive in short order. Include the space needed to accommodate the OS (operating system), the files needed to run the device and numerous software programs and external memory becomes an important accessory. SD (Secure Digital) Cards are available in huge capacities that will take the load off of the 64GB SSD. Simply slip the SD Card into the SD Card slot on the side of the HP Slate 500 and you are good to go. Need more data space – just purchase another SD Card.

All computers and Tablets need a way to control certain functions. The HP Slate 500 has the normal USB Port (1), and an SD Card Slot (full size). The headphones share the same jack as the microphone. Also shared is the power and dock connector. There are 5 buttons located around the sides of the HP Slate 500 and several of them share functions. The power button also controls the screen orientation (disables the accelerometer). A single button minimizes all open windows and when held down for several seconds the screen’s backlight will go off. The remaining buttons include a Control-Alt-Delete button, a volume rocker, and a toggle button (controls Windows Input Panel).

The HP Slate 500 comes with a digital pen (metal with some plastic parts). What is a digital pen? It is an input device – much like a mouse. In fact there is a right click button on it.

Speed and the power of the Processor is another essential feature that will make using the HP Slate 500 enjoyable. Windows 7 OS is a large piece of software that needs an adequate Processor and an adequate amount of RAM to operate smoothly. The HP Slate 500 has an Atom Z540 1.86 GHz Processor. The Atom Z540 is at the high-end of Atom Processors which were originally developed for mobile devices. They pull less power so that battery life is improved. Although the Atom Z540 Processor is a single core – HyperThreading is supported. HyperThreading is an Intel proprietary technology and simply put – increases the speed of multi-tasking performed by the processor. The RAM is important for the overall speed of a computer. The HP Slate 500 has 2GB DDR2 RAM inside. There is a lot of technical information about what DDR2 RAM is but the information that most of us are interested in is that it is twice as fast as DDR RAM. RAM (Random Access Memory) is the part of a computer’s memory that provides quick access to files needed by software to operate efficiently.

The HP Slate 500 Windows 7 Tablet PC has two cameras. One faces forward (VGA) and is used for Video Conferencing and can be used for business or for Social Networking. Although a VGA camera is considered to be very low-end cameras they work fine for a device this size and will have sufficient resolution to use as a Web-Cam. The second camera is a 3 Megapixel Web-Cam/Still Shot camera and faces out the back-side of the HP Slate 500.

Business people are going to love the HP Slate 500 – maybe more than someone that simply uses their computer for entertainment. If you need the software and files that typically reside on your laptop or desktop – the HP Slate 500 make is much more portable. You can accomplish most anything on the HP Slate 500 that you can on either a desktop or desktop computer. If looks are important to you – the HP Slate 500 should please you. The back is rubberized and has pyramid shaped design that improves the cushioning of the system. It will not slip from your hands and will not slide across a desk or airline tray.

The HP Slate 500 accessories include a docking station that will increase the number of available ports. You will gain 2 USB ports, another headphone/microphone jack, another power connector and you will gain an HDMI port as well. There is little effort needed to place the HP Slate 500 Windows 7 Tablet PC into the docking station. Removing it is just as easy. There is a business-like style portfolio case that provides open cutouts for necessary ports and buttons and a handy strap that keeps the digital pen attached. Carrying the entire package will only add about 3 pounds to your daily stuff. Everything you will need will be included - HP Slate 500, the digital pen, the docking station, the portfolio and even the AC Adapter.