HP Fansite

New HP Slate pricing and features list (?!) compares it to Apple iPad

Engadget has uncovered supposedly an internal HP document that compares the upcoming HP Slate versus the recently launched Apple iPad. Well, it looks somewhat like that Apple iPad vs HP Slate comparison of our own made in January when both devices were announced… except this comparison sheet is in simplified point form has a couple of new details and tech specs.

Things that we already know about the HP Slate: the 8.9 inch 1024 x 600 multi-touch capacitive display that supports pen input, HD video playback, SD slot, USB 2.0 port, HDMI output port and Windows 7 with a HP-created UI injected into the mix (ie, what they currently do with their Touchsmart PC’s)

New info revealed by the Engadget-found document about the HP Slate include:

• The HP Slate will use a single-core 1.6 GHz processor (specifically the Intel Atom Z530)
• Not only will it play HD video, it will play full HD 1080p video (beats the iPad with its standard definition video playback “magic”!)
• The HP Slate will come in 32 GB and 64 GB flavors
• That SD slot on the Slate will support standard SD cards, SDHC cards and recently announced SDXC format (the latter coming in monstrous capacities measuring 48 GB and above); this allows you to more than double the amount of memory you carry with the HP Slate
• There’s a dock connector on the HP Slate, so it will probably be bundled with a dock (or have one available as an optional accessory). This also opens up the door to a broad range of potential accessories: from speaker docks to physical keyboard attachments
• The HP Slate is slightly smaller than the Apple iPad (also thanks to its 8.9 inch display which is a little smaller than the iPad’s 9.7 inch screen)
• The HP Slate will have dual cameras: a VGA unit on the display side for “webcam” purposes (ie Skype and video conferencing) and a 3 megapixel camera on the back for snapshots

What’s interesting is the HP Slate will have a built-in (read: not directly accessible) “long life cycle” battery that’s rated to last about 5 hours. HP (or whoever made the comparison document) proves that the HP Slate is superior to the Apple iPad in almost every way imaginable in terms of specifications, save for screen resolution, battery life and the fact that they can’t really undercut the 16 GB non-3G iPad.

However, they did manage to accomplish their little mini-mission (if the document is correct) to undercut their Apple iPad equivalents of similar capacity – it’s likely the 32 GB HP Slate will go for $549 while the 64 GB version will go for $599; that’s $50 and $100 cheaper than the 32 GB and 64 GB iPad’s respectively.

HP back in camera business, now also selling camcorders

Say what now?! After a few years of abandoning the camera market, it seems that HP is making a come back this year with five new digital still cameras and three new camcorders. I’m surprised that none of them have HP’s old “Photosmart” moniker – they could’ve used one, instead of the confusing numbers and letters each model has right now. The five new cameras (with the confusing names: CW450, CW450t, SW450 PW460t, PW550z) are all sub-$150 entry-level offerings and will sell only though certain channels. The camcorders (with names just as confusing: V1020h, V5061u and V5560u) are sub-$200 models, two of which are able to record full HD 1080p video and have regular “camcorder” form-factors, while the cheapest (And slimmest) of the three will record 720p regular HD video.

Not sure why HP is suddenly making a come back this spring, neither is it known what their plan in the digital imaging (still and video cameras) business is for the long term. Well, HP, if there’s one place where a “comeback” (and a big, bad-ass comeback, at that) is needed from you is the handheld/mobile phone line. While I’m sure many appreciate HP toying with and testing the waters of different device markets, the iPaq line has long been in need of a nice refresh with awesome new models (something we haven’t seen in quite some time now…)

HP’s undercover gaming laptop – the Elitebook 8540w

It’s a weekend and I’ve been busy with spring cleaning, vacuuming the place and sorting things out, tossing out unused junk… and I’ve also been eying Assassin’s Creed 2 for PC, which is coming out in March 2010! Alienware (by Dell) recently came out with a very interesting 11 inch ‘gaming’ notebook this CES and I’ve been visiting their site to check out their M11x and M15x notebooks (not that I’m considering either, I’m just curious to learn more about various manufacturer offerings).

Okay, while I was on Alienware’s website looking at their M15x gaming notebook, I couldn’t help but to compare it to the recently launched Elitebook 8540w! No, don’t go “what the…??” just because the Alienware M15x is a dedicated gaming notebook and the Elitebook 8540w is a professional mobile workstation. I kinda figured that the HP Elitebook 8540w, despite being a business notebook and looking nothing like one suited for hardcore gaming, can in fact double as a pretty powerful and potent gaming notebook (and to a certain extent, and can put up a fight against Dell/Alienware’s heavy weight performer. Here’s why…

• The Alienware M15x has various Intel Core i7 Quad and Core i5 Dual core processor options. The Elitebook 8540w does too (except the i7 Extreme option, at the moment).
• The Alienware M15x can be fitted with a full HD 1080p widescreen display. Well, so can the Elitebook 8540w (with points for having a matte display; reviews of the M15x mention it has a glossy one).
• The Alienware M15x has two DDR3 RAM (1333 MHz) slots so you can have up to 8 GB of memory… the Elitebook 8540w has a whopping four DDR3 RAM (also 1333 MHz) slots for double the memory: 16 GB max.
• Both notebooks have 7200 RPM hard disks standard (up to 500 GB), and optional solid state drives (up to 256 GB)
• Both notebooks have optical drives with optional Blu-ray. The Elitebook 8540w has an advantage here of being able to swap out the optical drive for a second 500 GB 7200 RPM hard disk.

The Alienware M15x and Elitebook 8540w also have the exact same variety of ports (except USB). The Elitebook 8540w’s five USB ports (three USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0) beats three USB 2.0 ports that the Alienware has. But the Alienware M15x is a better entertainment notebook with two headphone jacks (versus one on the Elitebook).

The Elitebook 8540w comes with an 8-cell battery standard, with the option to add on a secondary 8 or 12 cell battery via the secondary battery connector on the notebook’s underside. On team Alienware, the M15x comes standard with a 6 cell battery, with the option to go for a 9 cell battery option (this battery sits in place of the 6 cell, and is not an add on battery). In theory, if one was to “game on the go”, you could swap batteries on the Elitebook more easily without having to power off/hibernate the notebook at all.

Sure, the advantages that the Alienware M15x has include: better built-in speakers, extremely customizable AlienFX keyboard backlight/overall lighting system, system/cooling designed specifically for gaming, gaming-specific Nvidia GeForce graphics and a striking exterior design that’s bound to intimidate your opponents at a LAN party. I mean, how’s an innocent looking Elitebook gonna have any psychological effect on the other team at a gaming tournament/gathering, at all? Well, you gotta know the Alienware M15x is also 50% heavier, 50% thicker and slightly wider/longer than the Elitebook 8540w as well!

The Alienware M15x’s current graphics card options are: the 512 MB Nvidia GeForce GT240M and 1 GB Nvidia GeForce GTX260M. Granted the Elitebook 8540w is NOT a dedicated gaming notebook and comes with workstation-class graphics, its 1 GB Nvidia Quadro FX880M and 1 GB Nvidia Quadro FX1800M graphics offerings (equivalent to Nvidia’s new GeForce GT330M and GT335M cards, I think) still hold up pretty well… you could still use them for gaming.

There’s also the HP Night Light on the Elitebook 8540w… and while it won’t hold a candle against Alienware’s advanced Alien FX lighting system, at least it still does its job of providing keyboard illumination while you’re gaming or working in the dark!

If the Elitebook was a Wall Street guy in a business suit and tie, the Alienware would probably be Arnold Schwarzenegger during his bodybuilder days. As I mentioned, the Alienware M15x and Elitebook 8540w are two completely different animals, that nobody would even think of comparing. Yet somehow, my creative mind has come up with this fairly fair and square comparison of the two. No, I don’t expect gamers to be switching over to CAD workstations used by professionals anytime soon, or vice versa… but today’s comparison does bring up an interesting revelation: the Elitebook 8540w has more ‘gaming genes’ under its hood than one would probably expect. While it wasn’t built from the ground up for gaming, I think the Elitebook 8540w packs quite a punch for a business notebook; enough to allow graphic designers, CAD professionals, students, etc (whatever you plan to use it for) to unwind with a game of Need for Speed Shift or Crysis 2 (almost) maxed out in full HD after a day’s work.

*Note to self: I should really make a video of ‘gaming and gameplay using an Elitebook’, bet that’ll be interesting…

HP launches new Elitebook 8440p, 8440w, 8540p and 8540w business notebooks

HP announced four new high-end business notebooks today. The Elitebook 8440 and 8540, with their respective p-”professional” and w-”workstation” variants, are HP’s latest 14 and 15 inch notebooks respectively. The Elitebook 8440 comes with a 16:9 wide 14 inch matte display that goes up to a spectacular resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels (available as an option on the w- variant), partial-chiclet full-sized keyboard, new Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processor options, two DDR3 RAM slots, single hard disk bay and optical drive bay (optional Blu-ray available). HP Fansite has been trying out the Elitebook 8440w extensively for several weeks now and we have a review online for you to find out more.

The Elitebook 8540, on the other hand, is a 15.6 inch 16:9 widescreen (matte display standard) sporting notebook. Screen resolution options go as high as full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) for vast on-screen working space. And the notebook has a partial-chiclet full keyboard with a built-in numeric pad on the right side. Like the smaller Elitebook 8440 series, you’ll get to choose from Intel’s latest 2010 Core i5 and Core i7 processors. What makes the Elitebook 8540 different besides its super-sized keyboard are its FOUR (!!!) DDR3 RAM slots so you can boost memory up to 16 GB and it is one of the first few notebooks in the industry to have the latest USB 3.0 ports (Elitebook 8440 apparently has USB 2.0 only).

The p- variants of the two notebooks will have Intel integrated graphics to conserve power while the more powerful w-variants will feature Nvidia workstation class graphics (including the newly announced Nvidia Quadro FX380M and Nvidia Quadro FX780M cards).

Did I mention a solid metal chassis, spill-proof keyboard, HP keyboard Night Light,  3 year warranty,VGA and Display Port out all come standard with HP’s Elitebooks. And the starting prices? Glad you asked… from their mouth-watering specifications, it’s obvious these notebooks are not going cheap but for those who can afford them, you’ll be pleased with both the low-profile business design and sheer performance of the Elitebooks (well, at least the ones with dedicated Nvidia/ATI graphics)

• 14 inch HP Elitebook 8440p starts at $1100
• 14 inch HP Elitebook 8440w starts at $1300
• 15 inch HP Elitebook 8540p starts at $1250
• 15 inch HP Elitebook 8540w starts at $1500