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When it comes to Android tablets with detachable keyboards, one name comes to mind: Transformer. There's no denying that ASUS has carved out a pretty specific niche in the Android tablet/laptop convertible category. HP is looking to change that with the SlateBook x2, a 10.2-inch Android tablet with a keyboard dock that essentially converts it to an Android-powered laptop. It's small enough to fall into the "netbook" category, but that's a dirty word I try to stay away from.Here's the thing though - this feels nothing like ASUS' offerings. When I heard about the SlateBook x2, I just assumed it would be an ASUS knockoff - a copycat of an already-successful product. But it's not. It's actually kind of strange; the Transformer series has always felt like a tablet with an attachable keyboard dock, whereas the SlateBook x2 feels like a small Android laptop with a detachable tablet. I guess what I'm saying here is that where the Transformers have always felt like tablets first and foremost, the SlateBook feels more like a laptop from the ground up. Maybe this is because traditional PCs are what HP is most familiar with. Whatever the reason, it's actually much better at being an Android laptop than the Transformers have ever been.But let's not get too complimentary right out of the gate – it's far from perfect.
HP's return to the tablet market hasn't exactly set the world on fire just yet, with only the budget-focused Slate 7 filling in the spaces on retail shelves. Today the company aims a little higher with the StateBook x2, a riff on ASUS' Transformer series with high-end specs and a high-end price to match them. The tablet comes bundled with a keyboard - there's no tablet-only option - for $479. HP will sell you one on the company website now, and it should arrive at online and brick-and-mortar stores soon.
HP Announces The SlateBook x2, A Transformer Clone Packing A Tegra 4 Processor, Android 4.2, And A 1080p Screen For $480
Hey HP, we know you're new to the Android game, so here's a tip: if you've got a hot new piece of hardware, the absolute worst time to announce it is a
Hey HP, we know you're new to the Android game, so here's a tip: if you've got a hot new piece of hardware, the absolute worst time to announce it is a few hours before Google I/O. That said, the new SlateBook x2 might garner some interest thanks to its internals alone - it's one of the first devices after NVIDIA's own Shield to use the Tegra 4 SoC. Throw in a 10.1-inch 1920x1200 screen and a very familiar-looking keyboard dock, and you've got the makings of a serious competitor. Well, you might, if it weren't for the high price tag and cheap-looking build.