The very first PC tablets were made with the business customer in mind. Unfortunately, early versions of the technology were heavy, slow, and mainly existed as convertible laptops built by now-defunct manufacturers like Compaq.
Of course, these days you can’t walk more than a couple steps without tripping over a mountain of devices made for every conceivable level of the consumer market, meaning business systems often feel like an afterthought. Today, HP has revealed its plans to eschew the norm with its newest line of tablets and ultrabook hybrids targeted at the enterprise elite.
The first part of this fresh effort is the HP Pro Tablet 408 G1, a slate that’s made to power up your productivity at a reasonable price. It comes with a 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z3736F processor and 2GB of DDR3 SDRAM.
The tablet will be standard with an eight inch IPS screen rated at a resolution of 1200 x 800, which works out to 180 pixels per inch. Front and rear camera are included, with a 2MP HD lens on the front, and an 8MP shutter on the rear. The 408 G1 also rocks a fully functional version of Windows 8.1 Pro, so all your applications and cloud needs will be taken care of from the moment you flip it on.
Connectivity is fleshed out by one micro HDMI port, one micro-B USB 2.0 slot, and a single 3.5mm headphone/microphone jack. The tablet will also be WiDi capable, which means it can throw your quarterly presentation up on the projector in a pinch.
Next on the the roster is the company’s new ultrabook/tablet combo, the Elite x2 1011 G1, a device pays homage to its earliest convertible brethren, but in a fresh new way. Much like the Microsoft Surface, the Elite x2 is a tablet and an ultrabook in one, with a screen that easily detaches from the keyboard if you have the urge to use it on the go.
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The system will ship with several versions of the new 5th-gen Intel Core M processor inside, from the M-5Y10c up to the M-5Y71, which can easily clock itself up to 2.9 GHz using Intel’s Turbo Boost Technology. Display options include 1366 x 768 and 1080p resolution, both of which will occupy the 11.6” eDP ultra-slim LED IPS screen.
One of the great things about this new trend of ultrabook hybrids is the connectivity they offer. The Elite x2 comes decked with one USB 3.0 port, one USB 2.0, a headphone/microphone combo jack, and one DisplayPort 1.2 for video out. There’s a keyboard dock with a battery available, or users can opt for a thinner keyboard case without a battery. The dock is specifically designed to balance the device well, which means it won’t tip over easily like many previous convertibles.
The Pro Tablet 408 is available for purchase today at $299, while the Elite x2 1011 will hit shelves later this month at $899.
