When The Solution Isn't So Obvious

HP Slate 500

If you’ve been looking for a tablet that can be managed in your Active Directory environment just like your desktops, laptops and convertible tabs….you’re wait is over. The FedEx truck brought me an HP Slate 500 on Friday and this tablet truly is a business class tablet.

By business class, I mean this tablet will integrate just fine into an Active Directory environment.

The HP Slate 500 comes loaded with Windows 7 Professional on board a 64gb solid state hard drive, 2gb of memory, front and rear facing cameras, a 2.0 USB port, an SD card slot,Integrated 802.11b/g/n + Bluetooth 3.0, an integrated combo headphone/microphone jack, integrated microphone and integrated stereo speakers. It also comes out of the box with a leather case, battery operated stylus, and a docking station that sets the Slate upright to utilize it’s 8.9″ diagonal screen as a monitor and allows you to connect a full size keyboard and a mouse.

It appears as if HP thought this through by making the Slate 500 merely a laptop without a keyboard. In other words, I was able to plug in a flash drive, an external DVD drive, and a USB printer and the Slate 500 saw everything just fine under Windows 7. In fact, after doing all of my Windows updates, the usual procedure when booting Windows for the first time, I connected a USB DVD drive and installed Microsoft Office Pro.

If you are used to working with one of HP’s convertible tablets, the Slate 500 is a seamless move for you. Using the stylus within Microsoft’s One Note has the same response time and action as it does on any of HP’s convertibles. Of course if you want that physical keyboard offered by the convertibles, you merely place the Slate 500 in it’s docking station and use an external USB keyboard with it. Keep in mind that it docks in portrait mode instead of landscape, which is great if you’re penning a word document…but makes for a lot of scrolling if you’re working on an Excel file.

From a practical application and mobility standpoint, a Windows 7 OS running Windows applications with access to Wifi makes this a great device for roaming around inside the business walls, classrooms, or at home.  What makes this different from other tablets is it’s lack of standard 3G capability. That said, I’m sure I could tether this to my Blackberry via USB for internet access from the pool.

If you want to use Slate 500 on the go as a presentation your one hope is that the projector connects via Wifi or Bluetooth. Or you could drag the dock along with you and hope the projector you are going to use has an HDMI port (there is no VGA or DVI out on the dock or the tablet). While most newer projectors have these options, an older projector is going to leave you without a connection.

While I’m a huge fan of the Android OS and it’s versatility, there is a ton to be said for a tablet that is designed to work in a Microsoft world. Not the least of which is that the IT Department doesn’t need to learn and/or manage another OS. They love it when permissions can be controlled on all devices and troubleshooting issues doesn’t require cracking open a book.

The Slate 500 has ample space on the solid state drive and the 2gb of memory is just what Win7 needs. The forward and rear facing cameras are quite adequate and it records video and takes photos like a champ utilizing the HP Slate Camera application. HP Slate 500 Tablet – Video Test

Overall, this tablet fits nicely in the hand. The 8.9″ screen is a good size. HP is doing a wonderful thing by including a dock and a stylus in the price of the tablet. And….it’s a big AND….it runs Windows 7. Granted Win 7 isn’t designed as a touch application, but the included stylus will work just fine if you tend to fat finger buttons. Unlike a lot of other tablets, the HP Slate 500 didn’t start out as a cell phone and develop into a computer. It started out as a computer and maintains its status as a pure tablet PC.  I believe this tablet will find it’s home inside corporations, school corporations and colleges.

As I show this around to businesses and schools over the next few weeks, I will come back to update this on how it’s received in different environments.