Tablet buffs sift HP site for traces of lost Slate Claims that HP may have killed of its Windows 7-based 9in tablet, the Slate 500, may have been wrong. PCWorld is lauding the device's apparent return to the HP website. It has found half a dozen entries for the machine - listed as the 500-1001tu, 500-1002tu, 500-1003tu, 500-1004tu, 500-1005tu and the 500-1006tu - in HP's e- …
At first I followed that link (before finishing the article) and saw...a mouse?! Of course, when I finished the article, I knew that I hadn't been led astray. Those on lesser computers may wish to plan their visits accordingly...loading a list of 100+ computers doesn't exactly happen instantly.
Anyway.
I'm not really very interested in Windows 7, but this device looks really sharp to me. I hope it does manage to emerge, because I would at least like to see one.
Ive been trying to keep track of the HP Envy 17 for the last 2 weeks - it appeared 2 weeks ago, was gone a week later and has now reappeared today, but without specs...
The HP website seems to enjoy doing this sort of thing, so its no surprise that the Slate 500 has had an on-again off-again relationship with the website...
PS Any chance of getting a review of the Envy 17 when it finally arrives for real?
Windows has been on, "tablet," laptops with rotational screens for a while. It was the usability that let it down, IMHO.
Unless WIndows 7 changes that experience, they'll just go the way that the XP/Vista versions went. Downhill.
I, for one, will be watching the reviews of these units with interest.
I have a HP rotational tablet running Windows 7 and while touch is better there is no customisation for when it is in tablet mode, it still works the same as laptop mode, just gives you a pop-up keyboard/wirting input.
Trying to launch an app through the start menu with touch isn't easy and I still use the stylus a lot of the time. What is interesting is that it is bundled with some applications from the surface computing project and you can see the difference in something designed for touch as opposed to using touch as an extra input option on an existing app.
What they need is tablet edition which uses a different interface to desktop windows, try hitting a systray icon accurately with your finger every time, and that doesn't even take into account trying to use a right click to access options..
If they did that, then they wouldn't be able to bang on about "the familiarity of Windows" now would they? After all, that is hoe Microsoft was able to "win" the netbook market back right?
If they let their users become accustomed to using something other than their tired old "Start Menu" interface then customers may be emboldened to try another Operating Systems altogether.
If that happened it would be a complete and utter CATASTROPHE!
Therefore, MS will retain the clunky Start Menu and wonder why they continue to FAIL in the tablet market.
I for one think that this is a good thing.
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