HP Slate 7 is an inexpensive Android Tablet PC, presented by the Hewlett-Packard company in April 2013. The price of that cost-effective device on a developed market is less than $150, the gadget possesses good beats audio sound and gives its respond to Amazon Kindle Fire and Google Nexus 7. Still what are the chances for the device in our region, the region, where sellers are going to use the famous brand in order to increase their profit, while the low-price market segment for which Slate 7 is meant is occupied with a great deal of Chinese devices with almost the same specs?
The 7-inch cost-effective Android tablet PCs have already changed the situation on the market for such kind of devices. After the success of the Kindle Fire and the Nexus even Apple had to go against Steve Job’s traditions and release the iPad mini.
HP, as well as Dell, is getting to that market segment comparatively late. It is interesting whether this giant managed to learn by its competitors’ experience and whether Slate 7 offers any advantageous solutions that are able to attract the buyer. Moreover, HP Slate 7 is being promoted as a cost-effective model from a renowned brand. What is going to win – the image or the price?
Design
HP Slate 7 has quite a usual tablet PC design. The industry has already worked out a silent standard, emerging from the initial purpose of the device. The manufacturers do not take risks to change it limiting oneself just to playing with colors, materials and control elements.
Eventually, we get quite a regular rectangle with rounded angles, mirrored front panel and matt plastic back cover. The tablet PC shape doesn’t arouse any special emotions. Yet, it is worth mentioning that the manufacturer selected quite an appropriate width for the devise – it fits conveniently in an average-sized man’s hand.
One may definitely attribute the device’s matt steel edges to an advantageous solution of HP designers.
The back cover is made from red color soft touch plastic. A grey color model is also available on sale. Both of the variants create favorable impression, still we find that the grey one looks better. The device back cover has stylish sparkling HP logo.
Unfortunately, although the designers offer quite interesting suggestions one may not say that the eventual result is breathtaking.