HP's SlateBook Is A 14-Inch Touchscreen Laptop Running Android (For Some Reason), Coming In July And Starting At $399

We got a brief glimpse of the HP SlateBook back in April. We were a bit confused as to why the consumer PC giant would cram Android into a form factor almost exclusively dominated by Windows and OS X machines. Now the 14-inch, Android-powered laptop is official, and we're no less puzzled. HP made the announcement today, though the laptop won't go on sale until July 20th in the US. The starting price for the 16GB model will be $399.

First: this is a conventional laptop, not a tablet with a removable dock, like previous Android-powered members of the "Slatebook" line. It runs on ARM hardware, so the Android build isn't x86 as you might guess. Underneath the matte black shell with yellow trim lies an NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor - plenty fast and powerful, but a bit long in the tooth since Tegra K1 devices will be hitting the market soon. It's paired to 2GB of RAM and 16, 32, or 64GB of storage, depending on the configuration, plus a MicroSD card reader. Since the press release says $429.99 and the promotional page says $399, I assume that the bumps in storage will start at a $30 premium. Also, the 16GB and 64GB models are marked "WiFi only," so a 32GB variant may be equipped with a SIM card slot and a mobile broadband radio at some point.

 

At .63 inches thin and 3.75 pounds, the SlateBook is neither svelte nor bulky, though the striking yellow trim has a certain charm. The 10-point 14-inch touchscreen has a full 1080p resolution, which is practically a must for a 14" Android device, but a definite perk if you're looking at it as a laptop alone. 270 nits of brightness is about average for current laptops. Four Beats-certified speakers and an HD webcam round out the media options. Ports include a pair of USB 2.0, one USB 3.0, and HDMI 1.4, and the laptop is equipped with Miracast for wireless displays. HP says the SlateBook will run for 9 hours on a charge.

The software is Android 4.3, and yes, it includes access to the Google Play Store. It seems HP has left the interface alone for the most part, including, strangely, the standard virtual navigation buttons on the touchscreen. It looks like there are quite a few pack-in items as well: HP's promo page shows an alternative game store, HP's cloud printing app, and several other icons.

 

The real question is, why would anyone pick up the SlateBook over a similarly-priced laptop running Windows or even Chrome OS? HP alone makes several models in the same price range or lower, and this laptop would seem to compete directly with Samsung's new 13" Chromebook, also running on ARM hardware with a 1080p screen. True, there are more Android apps available than Chrome apps (which are essentially just web apps anyway), but very, very few of them are made to take full advantage of a keyboard or screens larger than 10 inches.

The SlateBook isn't the first laptop to run Android, but it is the first one to come from a major manufacturer with plans for wide distribution. It will be interesting to see how the market reacts - high sales will probably mean more SlateBook laptops at different price points, while low sales will mean this model becomes a footnote in Android's diverse history.

Source: HP

source: androidpolice