HP has already announced a slew of touch-capable Windows 8 products targeted at consumers, but today it has unveiled hardware for the business set. The HP ElitePad 900 is a 10" Windows 8 tablet running Intel's Clover Trail-based Atom processors, and features business-class security features along with a sturdy aluminum frame reminiscent of the company's business-class EliteBook laptops.
The ElitePad 900 isn't slated to ship until January, but we know a fair amount about its specifications already: it will include 2GB of RAM and either a 32GB or 64GB solid-state drive, 802.11n and Bluetooth 4.0, an 8 megapixel rear camera and 1080p front camera, a card reader, NFC, GPS, and optional mobile broadband connectivity. The tablet also sports a 1280×800 display, giving it a relatively rare 16:10 aspect ratio, where many other Windows tablets have stuck with 1366×768 or 1080p displays with 16:9 ratios. The tablet's battery life is said to be about ten hours, and this can be roughly doubled by the addition of a secondary battery.
The new tablet appears to be a solid upgrade over the HP Slate 2, the company's current Atom-based Windows business tablet, though its specifications certainly aren't pushing the envelope. The tablet will be differentiated somewhat by its accessories: the ElitePad Productivity Jacket adds a keyboard to make the tablet more laptop-like; the ElitePad Expansion Jacket adds USB and HDMI ports as well as a secondary battery; a docking station adds USB, HDMI, Ethernet, and VGA ports and will allow users to plug the tablet into a second monitor and other accessories at their desk; and an "Executive Tablet Pen" will allow for writing on-screen, though with no mention of an active digitizer in this tablet, the pen is likely of the less-accurate capacitive variety.
As with most of the Clover Trail-based Windows 8 tablets we've seen so far, we have no pricing information at this time—we'll know more about the pricing as the January launch date draws nearer.
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