Bye Bye HP Slate. Bye Bye Microsoft
My company is a Microsoft shop, like many other small business. Our accounting, project management, and CRM software run on Microsoft SQL Server, Internet Explorer, .NET, and, of course, Office. I wanted a tablet that was half the size of a laptop (i.e. a screen without a keyboard) that I could use in the evenings and on the road to access these apps.
I also wanted a lightweight reader. I get forwarded a lot of info that I like to read in the evenings. The screen is just too small and PDFs are just too hard to read on my iPhone. I subscribe to dozens of blogs, emails list, and YouTubers. I get tired of a hot, heavy laptop and lap desk on my lap.
The rumor came on the heels of HP's announcement to purchase Palm. It is speculated that HP wants Palm's WebOS. Reading between the lines, and purely my opinion, HP dropped Win 7 because of price, not performance. I've using Win 7 for several months and it is speedy. It's boots in seconds from sleep mode.
I thought Microsoft was brilliant by making an OS with touch functionality. The HP Slate was going to be the first product to showcase this. But HP just can't keep the price point at $550 AND pay Microsoft what they want for Win 7. I looked forward to a touch tablet with USB and SD ports so I could upload my Garmin and camera pics.
Regardless of my opinion, that puts iPad back in consideration for me. The only other options are Android devices such as Dell Streak or wePad, which aren't due to ship till late 2010 or early 2011. As with many early adopters, we'll just figure out a workaround to get everything we want. I'm thinking LogMeIn for iPad might just do the trick.
Finally, this puts Microsoft way behind in the slate market. So far behind that I just don't think they will be able to catch up. Dell, HP, Google, and Apple have drawn a clear line in the sand. Consumers want a device that is between the smartphone and laptop. They want it to function closer to a smartphone primarily for content consumption, not creation. And they do not want a laptop replacement like the IBM convertible tablet PC.
For more read, The Real Reason Why Steve Jobs Hates Flash. "The PC revolution is almost coming to an end, and everyone's trying to work out a strategy for surviving the aftermath."
