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Gadgets Hewlett Packard

HP Slate 500 Pricing Details Announced

HP Slate, the tablet computer from the company that was supposed to be the primary rival to the Apple iPad before that spot was taken away by the Samsung Galaxy Tab, appears to be well on course to be launched during the holiday shopping season. The company has announced that the initial launch of the new HP Slate 500 will happen in the United States and further expansion elsewhere will happen after the success of the device is measured.

Like we had already noted in the HP Slate Vs. Apple iPad article back in April this year, the device will come with an 8.9″ WVGA hybrid capacitive multitouch display, an Intel Atom 1.86GHz Z540 processor, a 2GB RAM, 64GB SSD, a 3-Megapixel rear camera along with a VGA front camera besides other specifications. The device will run on Windows 7.

Clearly, the device is not aimed at the media consuming population alone. The tablet computer will also come with a HP Slate digital pen, HP Slate Dock and HP Slate Portfolio that all seem to suggest that the company is targeting the media creators as well. With Windows 7 running, this is pretty much a productivity tool.

That utility is also clear in the pricing. HP Slate 500 is tagged at a price of $799 that includes the tablet and all the aforementioned accessories. No word on whether this device will come subsidized on carrier contracts. Also, wait for some more time before the official launch date is announced.

Meanwhile, this announcement also quashes one another rumor – that the HP Slate is going to be called PalmPad.

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Gadgets

Apple iPad Vs. HP PalmPad Vs. Blackberry PlayBook – Features Comparison

With rumors about the imminent launch of the new iPad 2 doing the rounds, it does not seem entirely justifiable to pit a product that is half-a-year old to a tablet that does not launch until later this year. Nevertheless, assuming that these are the three devices that will see competition during the holiday shopping season this year, here’s a brief rundown on the features and specs. This is NOT a comprehensive review by any means.

Platform : The new iOS 4.2 is likely to be big with the introduction of multitasking functionalities on the iPad. Also, if you also own an Apple TV, the iPad will bring features like AirPlay. On the other hand, the QNX built Blackberry Tablet OS is completely untested at the moment and so there really cannot be a comparison between platforms until we get to know more. HP PalmPad should however be popular among those who are fans of the WebOS.

Screen Dimensions : Is the iPad too big at 9.7″? If so, you should go for a smaller tablet like the Blackberry Playbook that comes with a 7″ screen. The size is significant for a media consumption device like a tablet since users will not only want a screen large enough to view content clearly, but will also need a device small enough for an easy hold.

Processor : Things are still not clear on the HP PalmPad front. The other tablets though will come with a 1GHz processor. The Blackberry PlayBook though is expected to come with a dual core processor that is equipped with hardware acceleration to support Adobe Flash.

Storage Capacity : Apple does not really encourage microSD support. So do not expect to store anything more than the standard 16GB, 32GB and 64GB variations even on the upcoming version. On the other hand, Blackberry Tablet and HP PalmPad are expected to come with 16GB and 32GB variants with support for a microSD slot.

Camera : Now this is a contentious issue right. With FaceTime here, Apple is most definitely going to offer a front-facing camera on the next generation iPad. But is that going to be enough. Blackberry PlayBook is a clear winner here. The device will have a 3-megapixel frontal camera and another 5-megapixel rear facing camera. Expect the camera to be available on the PalmPad, but no idea on whether there would be just one or two.

Connectivity : The iPad cannot tether. But it does have Wi-Fi and 3G variants available. The Blackberry PlayBook on the other hand does not have 3G but can tether to a Blackberry phone besides connecting to Wi-Fi. The PalmPad is expected to have both Wi-Fi and 3G though that is not entirely clear.

What is your choice?

[via WirelessGround]

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Gadgets

Get Free Repair For Distorted Videos On MacBook Pro, Dell, Compaq & HP Notebooks

Seeing those distorted videos and blank screens on your MacBook Pro? It’s not your fault. Rather, it appears to be because of a problem with the NVIDIA GeForce 8600M graphics chip that is embedded on the notebook. Following a class action lawsuit filed against NVIDIA, the company has agreed to offer free repair to any user that has an 8600M embedded notebook and is facing these issues. The litigation website is here and you may check if your notebook model is covered on this website. Basically, the list includes the MacBook Pro, Inspiron, Latitude, Precision, XPS, Vostro, Presario and Pavilion notebooks.

Do note that the replacement does not start immediately. The website notes,

“The Court will hold a hearing on December 20, 2010 at 9:00 a.m., to decide whether to approve the settlement. If Judge Ware approves the settlement, the processing of replacements is expected to begin shortly afterwards. Reimbursements will be paid after all claims are filed.

Please be patient.”

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Gadgets Hewlett Packard

HP Tablet To Be Called PalmPad?

The headline of this post can be a little misleading in the sense that this is not actually a new thing. Hewlett Packard filed for the trademark for ‘PalmPad’ back in July this year that have got us speculating that this could be one possible name for the upcoming webOS tablet. However, the rumors just got a major boost when Todd Bradley, an Executive Vice President at HP seemed to confirm the news. In a statement over the company’s upcoming products, Bradley said,

We’ve already announced the expansion of our future product portfolio well beyond smartphones. We’ll have a webOS-powered PalmPad that will be set for release early in 2011.”

Of course this is not a confirmation of rumors since PalmPad has been prominently been used to reference the upcoming tablet and hence Bradley may simply be playing to the gallery. Nevertheless, with an official acknowledgement of this name, it only makes sense to hold this as the most likely name until HP announces otherwise.

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Gadgets Hewlett Packard

New HP Pavilion DM3 Laptop Features Reviewed

Hewlett Packard have unveiled a brand new version of their 13.3″ Pavilion DM3 notebook that comes with an Aluminium finish and integrates a CoolSense technology that will help in better heat management. Also, the redesigned model cuts down on a lot of flab and measures less than 1-inch in thickness and weighs not more than 3.99 pounds.

There are a good few enhancements on the specifications as well. The 13.3-inch display notebook runs on a 1.2 GHz dual core Intel Pentium processor that is supplemented by Intel’s HD Graphics chip. It is however reported that an alternative ULV Core i3 processor could be offered as an alternate processor down the line. In addition to this, other features include a 4GB DDR3 RAM, a 320GB Hard drive, a 7,200 RPM hard disc and connectivity offered by Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

The highlight is definitely the CoolSense technology that can control the fans depending on whether the laptop is actually on your lap or is elsewhere. The notebook comes with a 6-cell battery that can power your device for a good 7.5 hours.

HP Pavilion DM3 is now available at a starting price of $550.

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Gadgets Hewlett Packard

HP eStation Zeen Printer Tablet On Android – Launch In September

Hewlett Packard has been in the process of launching a new tablet computer that is bundled with a printer and this news has been doing the rounds for sometime now. The HP eStation Zeen Printer tablet is said to be a 7-inches touchscreen display device that comes packed with 800×600 pixels and is said to run on Android.

Skeptics have been questioning the authenticity of these rumors considering that the company is moving towards building webOS based tablet devices post the acquisition of Palm. However, we are now hearing that this Android tablet is actually in the works and the reason it’s on Android is because the project was concieved by the HP Printer department which finalized the project before the Palm acquisition.

The tablet PC is expected to launch in September at a price of $399. Not bad at all if you consider that this is actually a 2-in-1 device.

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Gadgets

HP Mini 5103 Netbook Review Of Features, Price And Launch

Hewlett Packard has been quietly churning out a number of HP Minis in recent times. Just in the past few weeks, we have written about HP Mini 100e, HP Mini 210 and HP Mini 110. Now, it looks like yet another Mini is on the works. This time, it is a revamp of the older HP Mini 5102.

The new HP Mini 5103 is expected to come with a choice between the 1.66GHz Intel Atom N455 and 1.86GHz Intel Atom N475 processors. Other specifications include a powerful 2GB DDR3 SDRAM, a storage capacity of up to 320GB, integrated 2-megapixel webcam and a 10.1-inches LED backlit screen with a choice between WSVGA widescreen and a HD display.

Other features that the new HP Mini 5103 is reported to contain include an accelerometer to shut the computer off in the event of a fall, a magnesium alloy case, an optional touchscreen display, optional solid state disk and a choice of OS platforms that include Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Starter and SUSE Linux. The device is also expected to offer an optional Broadcom HD video accelerator to support full high definition playback of videos.

The device is presently going to be available only in the European market. Price range is noted to be between €482 and €597 in Italy. No word on launch outside in regions including the United States and Asia.

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Gadgets

New HP Mini 110 Technical Specifications Revealed

Remember the Hewlett Packard Mini 110 netbook that was supposed to be launched last year? Well, that never made it to the stores because the company soon replaced it with a much thinner model named HP Mini 210. We had discussed the tech specs of the Mini 210 not so long ago.

Now, it is being learned that the HP Mini 110 is once again back in the news – and that it is not the same as the original Mini 110 that was supposed to be launched last year. The new HP Mini 110 sports a much thinner look than the original though it is still thicker than the new Mini 210. Also, the Mini 110 comes with a matte display and a solid colored glossy lid.

Here are the tech specs that has been revealed so far. You will notice that things are not very different from the 210. The netbook comes with a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor that is ably supported by a GMA 3150 graphics chip. The device is equipped with a 1GB RAM and a display that renders content at 1366×768 pixel resolution. There are two choices to make as far as the OS platform is concerned. You may either pick the older Windows XP or the newer Windows 7 Starter edition.

The price is attractive too. The HP Mini 110 is being positioned as an entry level device and comes at a cost of $279.99.

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Gadgets

HP Slate To Be Called PalmPad?

Most of you would know, and possibly awaiting, the new tablet PC from the stables of Hewlett Packard. So far, we have only heard it being referenced plainly as the HP Slate. However, it now appears that the company may be looking at calling the new webOS tablet as the PalmPad.

Folks at PreCentral have dug out information from the USPTO files that reveals that the computer manufacturer has filed for the trademark for “PalmPad“. Describing the product, the applicants write,

Computers, computer hardware, computer software, computer peripherals, portable computers, handheld and mobile computers, PDAs, electronic notepads, mobile digital electronic devices”

The upcoming HP PalmPad (or Slate) has been frequently in the news of late. Earlier this month, there were reports that Hewlett Packard may have tabled their plans to launch multi-platform tablet devices and may have instead chosen to go ahead with a WebOS based tablet alone. While these rumors are yet to be confirmed, the latest trademark filing just gives us hope that we may be nearing the launch date pretty soon.

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Gadgets

HP Slate Launch Date – Deferred To Next Year?

The Hewlett Packard Slate has taken a long time coming. It was one device that could truly challenge and in fact outdo Apple’s famed iPad that does not carry several rudimentary features, including a camera.

It is hence disappointing to learn that the Hewlett Packard Slate may not be launching their tablet PC by the end of this year. According to reports on the Wall Street Journal’s All Things D blog, the company may have “tabled the tablet” for now.

There is no definitive reason offered for the delay. However, it is being speculated that HP may be reconsidering their multiple-OS strategy to instead focus on a single platform. As you know, HP had announced the acquisition of Palm earlier this year. With that announcement, it is likely that HP may do away with its Android and Windows 7 tablet plans and instead focus solely on WebOS.

This is still speculation, though. And so greet this with skepticism.