Apple iPad 2 versus the HP Slate 500
Apple iPad 2 versus the HP Slate 500
While the Apple iPad 2 is probably the most advertised and well-known from the newest generation of pc tablets, the device (as of 2011) has lots of competition.
While the Apple iPad 2 is probably the most advertised and well-known from the newest generation of pc tablets, the device (as of 2011) has lots of competition. In a previous review we took a look at theand concluded that the two devices were nearly equal when it comes to features and usability. The visible difference was the price: the Xoom less expensive. This is not the case while using HP Slate 500, however, because device New website software costs about $800, about the same as the iPad 2.
Therefore the HP Slate 500 isnt the cheapest tablet available. But can it be worth the cost? And just how does it stack up near the similarly prices Ipad 2? For both tablets, $800 will buy the top-of-the-line version with 64 GB of space for storage. Both tablets also come in 32 GB and 16 GB varities that retail for less expensive costs. While even 64 GB of space for storing seems increadibly small in todays world of 20-megapixel cameras and HD video, sharing space with another computer through WiFi should (for most consumers) largel negate this limitation. A minimum of in the storage space arena, the HP Slate and ipad 2 are equals.
Apple fans and enthusiasts much like the way Apple products look. And most casual consumers would go along with them. The ipad 2, like all recent Apple merchandise is very design-driven, and a good deal of thought is put into aesthetics. It is no surprise then that, with each successive generation, the ipod and iphone, iPhone, and now iPad are becoming lighter, sleeker, thinner and brighter. Out of all these physical features, one that is perhaps the most immediately noticeable will be the devices thickness and weight. The ipad2 is both somewhat larger in area along with a bit lighter as opposed to HP Slate, a product or service of the iPad 2s suprising thinness at just 0.34 (8.8) mm thick. The HP Slate, by comparison, is 0.58 inches thick. Whilst the iPad 2 has 69.4 sq. inches of floor, and weighs 1.33 pounds, the HP Slate 500 has about 54.4 sq. inches of surface area and weighs 1.5 pounds. While the extra 0.2 pounds is hardly noticeable over the short period of time, it may somewhat be noticeable after a full-days worth of use when your arms commence to tire. High marks must see Apple here for creating a very sleek and attractive tablet that will not weigh you down.
Despite being slightly lighter and slimmer compared to HP Slate, the iPad 2 has a larger display. The iPad 2s display is 8.7 inches, compared with just 8.9 inches for the HP Slate. Besides the size, however, both displays may be similar: they both have a 1024×768 resolution, are touchscreens, and still have LED backlighting. Both displays look bright and sharp with relatively wide viewing angles.
Regarding performance, the Ipad2 is equipped with Apples new 1 GHZ dual-core A5 microprocessor and 512 mb of RAM. This is the modest upgrade through the first generation iPad, which ran with a single-core Apple A4 processor and 256 mb of RAM. The HP Slate uses the fairly comparable 1.86 GHZ Intel Z540 Atom Processor and, like the iPad 2, 512 mb of RAM. Yet again, the iPad 2 probably includes a slight advantage here, because dual-core A5 processor enables faster multi-tasking. Wed, however, like to see more RAM on both devices. It is likely that this(due out perhaps early 2012) will come equipped with 1 GB of RAM.
The HP Slate 500 carries a 3-megapixel camera in the back, whilst the iPad 2s rear-facing camera is only 1.3 megapixels. Although this is a surprisingly low resolution camera, the ipad 2 does make up for this somewhat with 720p high-definition video capture. Finally, the car battery life on the Slate is predicted to be about 5 hours maximum with minimum use. The Ipad2 may last approximately 10 years with minimum use, although 8 hours is probably more realistic. Regardless, the iPad 2 would probably out-last the HP Slate with comparable usage.