Mobile Technology

Smart Jacket adds versatility to HP's new ElitePad 900 tablet

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The HP ElitePad 900 aims to capture the enterprise market through its clever use of peripherals
The HP ElitePad 900 aims to capture the enterprise market through its clever use of peripherals
The device features a stylish aluminum form factor
The ElitePad 900 is 9.2 mm thick
The docking station makes the design much more versatile, making it more practical for business applications
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HP has announced a new business-orientated tablet that combines enterprise-ready features with a decidedly rugged form factor. In addition to the increased security features and durability, HP is relying on the new Smart Jacket peripherals to set the device apart from the crowd. The ElitePad 900 will run Windows 8 and is set for a January 2013 release date.

The ElitePad 900 takes some design tips from Apple's iPad with its a premium machined aluminum design, and there's a matt black rubber panel along the back and top. It features a 10.1 inch 1280 x 800 IPS display, comes in at 1.5 pounds (680 g) and measures 9.2 mm in thickness.

Crack open the ElitePad 900's casing and you'll find an Atom-based Intel processor, 2 GB RAM and a choice between 32 and 64 GB storage options. The tablet also features an 8 megapixel rear camera and a 1080p front-facing offering for video chat.

A glance at the competition will tell you that these specs aren't anything to get too excited about. Admittedly, the ElitePad is a little lighter than Microsoft's Surface Pro tablet, but there are lighter Windows 8 slates out there, such as the Lenovo ThinkPad 2. The thickness is about on par with Lenovo, Dell and Microsoft's full Windows 8 offerings. The CPU is a mixed bag, offering extended battery life (around 10 hours), but not packing quite the same punch as similar devices running more powerful Core i5 chips.

The device features a stylish aluminum form factor

However, while an initial glance at the spec sheet might make it tempting to relegate the ElitePad to also-ran status, its security features and extra functionality might just make you look twice. Like the tablet's namesake PC line, the ElitePad exhibits military-grade durability and significantly enhanced security features.

The former of these means that the device will easily stand up to occasional drops and scrapes, and is even capable of dealing with extreme temperatures, vibrations and high altitude. On the security side, users get data, device and identity protection in the form of HP Client Security, as well as access to Device Access Manager, Computrace and Sparekey programs.

The other big draw of the device comes in the form of the new HP Smart Jackets, which provide a range of additional functionality. The Productivity version includes an integrated keyboard, extra ports and an SD card reader, while the Expansion Jacket adds USB, SD and HDMI functionality, as well as the option for a secondary battery which promises to nearly double the battery-life of the device. The former of these provides notably similar functionality to Microsoft's TypeCovers, designed for use with its Surface tablet line, though Redmond's solution is perhaps a little more elegant.

The docking station makes the design much more versatile, making it more practical for business applications

Other accessory options include a tablet pen, rugged protection case and a docking station. The dock is the most interesting option here and aims to create a desktop-like experience by providing support for a second monitor, full-sized keyboard an array of extra ports. This significantly improves the functionality of the device and is likely to prove popular with the enterprise market.

Users and corporations that are interested in picking up HP's answer to the Microsoft Surface tablet will have to wait until the January 2013 launch window, and no announcement has yet been made on pricing.

Source: HP

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3 comments
Bill Bennett
I thought they quit the tablet market they sure don't support my year old very bitchin' HP tablet that I love
Sonya Jones
I understood these were just going to be sold to business enterprise type customers. I do not know if HP is going to sell them to the ordinary people unless they make a ton of them and the economy collapses with them wanting every penny they can get.
Foxy1968
I have been using one of these with the smart jacket since last year. The hardware is excellent. I have no negative comments other than the access to the sim slot could have been a bit easier. Having to use a tool or a pin to access the micro sd and sim area is a pain.
As long as you don't run too many apps at the same time it runs better than my PC which is brand new 8 gigs of ram and an i7 CPU.
The elite pad loads word or excel faster than my desktop.
The bigest letdown is Microsoft Windows 8. Did they get two dudes in a garage to code it up over a weekend and slap it on top of Windows 7 or what. How to be the hand brake that slows down the progress of the entire planet. Good one Microsoft.