HP Slate 500
| Company type | Product |
|---|---|
| Industry | Consumer electronics |
| Founded | October 22, 2010 |
| Headquarters | Palo Alto , United States |
| Products | Tablet computer |
| Website | www |
The HP Slate 500 is a Windows 7 tablet computer equipped with multi-touch functionality, first revealed at CES 2010 and officially released on 22 October 2010.
History
Originally conceived as an e-reader, HP redirected its development efforts to produce a device aimed at delivering an immersive experience for web browsing, media playback, and entertainment purposes.
HP's Chief Technology Officer, Phil McKinney, identified 2010 as the optimal time for launch, emphasizing the alignment of affordable, energy-efficient processors with a touch-optimized operating system such as Windows 7.
Hardware
The Slate 500 is equipped with an 8.9-inch capacitive multi-touch display featuring a resolution of 1024×600 pixels. It also supports input via a digitizer and stylus for improved precision. Under the hood, it runs on a 1.86 GHz Intel Atom Z540 CPU, accompanied by 2GB of DDR2 memory and 64GB of solid-state drive storage.
For imaging and video capabilities, the device includes a rear-facing 3-megapixel camera alongside a front VGA webcam. It supports Full HD video playback through Intel GMA 500 graphics combined with a Broadcom Crystal HD accelerator and provides connectivity options including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Power is supplied by a two-cell, 30WHr lithium-polymer battery, offering up to approximately five hours of active use suitable for mobile tasks and multimedia consumption.
Software
Operating on Windows 7, the Slate 500 incorporates built-in touch support. Both HP and Adobe Systems confirmed that it delivers a comprehensive web experience, capable of running hardware-accelerated Adobe Flash content as well as Adobe AIR applications.
When upgraded to Windows 8, the device faces limitations with the Modern UI due to its native screen resolution; however, installing an Intel driver allows adjustment to 1024×768 pixels—the minimum necessary for the tiled interface.
Release
The HP Slate 500 was introduced to the market on 22 October 2010 at a price point of US$799. Within a month, HP announced a six-week backlog attributed to "extraordinary demand." Industry insiders revealed that HP had initially planned to produce only about 5,000 units but received orders totaling roughly 9,000, which contributed to the fulfillment delay.
Reception
During CES 2010, the Slate 500 attracted considerable attention; CNBC described it as "HP's Slate has been the big buzz." Early assessments praised its lightweight construction, robust chassis, and refined industrial design while noting hardware advantages over the iPad. The primary drawback identified was the absence of a dedicated touchscreen interface, relying instead on Windows 7 Professional’s standard environment, which constrained productivity enhancements.