News - Hewlett Packard unveil the Slate 7 Android tablet

[HEXUS]

It will cost as little as $169 (£110), but is there anything special about it?

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[RAJA666]

The key to my buying decision is software update, without it there is no reason for a Android device to exist. Take for example, Lenovo should not be selling tablet when their software update and support is almost non-existence, I mean Lenovo does not even care to fix the countless bugs within their tablet range.
I hope HP will do a good job as we need a formidable competitor to Apple and Samsung.

[Biscuit]

So they went for the 'me too' approach. Sigh...

[Djini]

$30 less, at that resolution with 1GB RAM?

/unimpressed

[sykobee]

Well, it's cheap for a brand name, although it is HP so maybe more of a warning than an attraction.

1GB RAM is rather last year for a tablet.

The resolution is definitely old news - but that's probably where the bulk of the cost saving comes from.

And finally, Beats Audio - burn it, BURN IT!

[Tpyo]

Um... So other than the SD slot, their selling point is that it is $30 less than a nexus 7. Given this is not available until April, and the world is waiting to hear about the follow-up to the 7 (with a likely drop in price for the remaining stock of the old model), that isn't exactly a large window for sales.

re: 'The support you expect from HP'. A whole batch (all the same model#) of HP PCs in my current office used to have terrible issues. The only way to stop them from running at a crawl/taking 15 min to get to a usable desktop was to disable the HP management tools suite. Every time there was an update, it all happened again. Eventually IT just bit the bullet and deleted it - so not exactly a perceived value from my end.

[Biscuit]

Um... So other than the SD slot, their selling point is that it is $30 less than a nexus 7. Given this is not available until April, and the world is waiting to hear about the follow-up to the 7 (with a likely drop in price for the remaining stock of the old model), that isn't exactly a large window for sales.

re: 'The support you expect from HP'. A whole batch (all the same model#) of HP PCs in my current office used to have terrible issues. The only way to stop them from running at a crawl/taking 15 min to get to a usable desktop was to disable the HP management tools suite. Every time there was an update, it all happened again. Eventually IT just bit the bullet and deleted it - so not exactly a perceived value from my end.

I have had real problems with the HP maintenance tools aswell, utter balls. Constantly stall windows and you have to force quite the process in task manager.

[crossy]

I have had real problems with the HP maintenance tools aswell, utter balls. Constantly stall windows and you have to force quite the process in task manager.

You want to try the tools that they offer for their workforce!

Then again, young'un here got an Envy laptop for Christmas - and once I'd swapped McAfee for the bundled Norton it was quite nippy. Only had one issue and that was with the HP Updater widget for Windows 8 Metro having update issues ("an unknown problem has occurred"), but even that has resolved itself, (kind of ironic that the Updater couldn't update!). And I remember having so much "fun" with the Dell support software on my wife's Inspiron - so maybe crappy bundled software isn't purely an HP preserve?

Getting back on track - I'm actually quite pleased with Slate7, but only if it's at that bargain basement price. Remember, all you naysayers, that at £110 it's punching against those no-name Chinese knock offs. Plus, and this is crucial in my mind at least, this is their first attempt so you'd expect it to be a bit pants.

I'll give 'em the benefit of the doubt for the moment - but will quite happily slag it off if it turns out to be a "one update and you're done" deal. I judge Android makers very much on their update policy - so LG are a no-no for me, whereas I'm favourably inclined towards Asus. Samsung and HTC I'm not so sure of.

[Biscuit]

Im not sure why we should expect HP to have a pants first entrance? I would expect, with their knowledge and expertise, something that should stand out to a moderate degree.

Yeah strike HTC off that list, i have had my 4.1 update for the one x and im not expecting anything more. They make a habit of promising things and not delivering them. What makes it worse is that because of their fancy camera electronics, if you root and put a new ROM on then you're camera wont work aswell

As much as i love the screens that they use, i wont be buying anything more from HTC unless they REALLY pick up their game this year and drop a LOT of updates for ALL the phones that can handle them.

[kingpotnoodle]

I'm not sure why people expect major and moderate version upgrades on their phones and tablets indefinitely for FREE? It does cost these companies money to test and validate when they have used a custom OS image to enable value-add features beyond stock Android, why should they be preparing this years latest Android images for last years hardware? And then of course people will all complain the hardware is too pricey... what do you want then, cheap or endless support?

One or two updates, get it up to the latest version that was around or released within a few months of the hardware yes, but even that's quite generous. You only get bug fixes and minor version updates on Windows, Mac, etc. What is it that means should phones be any different?

[Biscuit]

I'm not sure why people expect major and moderate version upgrades on their phones and tablets indefinitely for FREE? It does cost these companies money to test and validate when they have used a custom OS image to enable value-add features beyond stock Android, why should they be preparing this years latest Android images for last years hardware? And then of course people will all complain the hardware is too pricey... what do you want then, cheap or endless support?

Maybe if they didn't use custom OS images to enable these so called 'value add' features it wouldnt cost them so much? I don't really understand you're argument though...

One or two updates, get it up to the latest version that was around or released within a few months of the hardware yes, but even that's quite generous. You only get bug fixes and minor version updates on Windows, Mac, etc. What is it that means should phones be any different?

When we are talking the jump from android 2 to android 4, yeah ok i can see its a fairly big ask, but going from version 4.1 to version 4.2. I would class that as typical windows 'bug fix and minor feature' style updates. If Samsung, Asus and Sony can get it almost right, why would i want to go with a company that doesn't even seem to try (HTC im looking at you with you're broken promises)?
This is fairly simple consumer choice, if one company provides a good service then use them and let the ones who cant dig them self into bankruptcy.

Look at the success of Nexus devices and the iPhone, this is what consumers want and what they pay for, its not up to us to make it work, its up to the companies to do it if they want to stay in business.

[crossy]

Im not sure why we should expect HP to have a pants first entrance? I would expect, with their knowledge and expertise, something that should stand out to a moderate degree.

I'd have expected a less-than-barnstorming first product from HP because while they have plenty of experience in tablets, to go for the "budget" end of the market is pretty brave. Especially when, as was pointed out by others, you can pay a bit more and get one the established players ... Kindle Fire, Nook or Nexus 7.

Also remember that this is HP's first proper Android tablet, (and yes, I know about the Zeen, in fact there's one sitting about two feet away from me), so it'd be uncharitable to expect them to get it 100% right first time.

What will interest me more is any "Slate 10" since there you've got more real estate and - most importantly - more budget to work with. Personally speaking, I'd make that one as easy to slot into a corporate infrastructure as the old Touchpad reputedly was - and that's HP's USP.

(Although with Ms Whitman's current "design led" approach - more power to her in that - I'd also expect the Slate 10 to be a handsome beast).

One or two updates, get it up to the latest version that was around or released within a few months of the hardware yes, but even that's quite generous. You only get bug fixes and minor version updates on Windows, Mac, etc. What is it that means should phones be any different?

Take for example my current Galaxy S3 - that shipped with ICS, and is now running Jelly Bean. If I get a Key Lime update around the time of the S4 shipment then I'm going to be a happy bunny and will regard Samsung in a positive light. Without the KL update I'd be merely "content".

As was said on XDA, expecting products to be support actively (i.e. full OS updates) for 24 months from first ship date is not excessive. And personally speaking I'd be more inclined to 30 months, especially for phones.

As an aside though, it's a darned shame that someone in the HP division concerned couldn't see their way clear to doing an official Android ROM for the old Touchpad's. That's be a nice "differentiator" wrt support - especially as webOS, while being excellent, now appears to be on the scrap heap.

[iamlorro]

So they went for the 'me too' approach. Sigh...

here's hoping they don't change their mind in a month or two like last time.

[directhex]

Oh holy hells a Rockchip RK3066

This tablet is no better than a £50 dodgy Chinese one from Maplin.