Hewlett Packard (HP) officially launched the HP ElitePad 900 in India yesterday, a business-centric Windows 8 tablet running the Pro version of the OS. The company had announced availability of the tablet last week. Lately, there has been a trend for manufacturers to push out tablets aimed at those who like to take engage in their business even on the go.
The HP ElitePad 900 isn’t the only Windows 8 Pro tablet in the market, given that there is also the HP Envy X2, Dell’s Latitude 10 and Microsoft’s own Surface Pro. Business users do have several options now, but first off, what exactly is a business tablet? We would expect that a business tablet would differ from a regular “for-entertainment” tablet in the sense that the former would have more connectivity options, better battery life and definitely a good keyboard.
A stylus is definitely a bonus if it’s included. So given that, we’ve done a quick feature comparison of the existing tablet that can satisfy most business users. We’ve got the ElitePad 900, the HP Envy X@ (even though it’s not a business tablet per se), the Dell Latitude 10 and the Microsoft Surface Pro.
| Features | HP ElitePad 900 | HP Envy X2 | Microsoft Surface Pro | Dell Latitude 10 |
| Processor | Intel Atom 1.8 GHz | Intel Atom 1.8 GHz | 3rd Gen Intel Core i5 | Intel Atom 1.8 GHz |
| Storage | 64GB eMMC SSD | 64GB SSD | 64/128 GB | 64GB |
| RAM | 2G2GB 533MHz LPDDR2 SDRAMB @ 533MHz | 2G2GB 533MHz LPDDR2 SDRAMB @ 533MHz | 4GB DDR3 @ 750 MHz | 2GB DDR2 SDRAM @ 800 MHz |
| Display | 10.1 inch at 1280×800 pixels | 11.6 inches at 1366×768 pixels | 10.6 inches at 1920×1080 pixels | 10.1 inches at 1366×768 pixels |
| Rear Camera (MP) | 8 | 8 | Unknown (720p) | 8 |
| Front Camera | 1080p HD | 1080p HD | 720p | 720p |
| Dimensions (Inches) | 10.28 x 7.0 x 0.36 | 11.92 x 8.1 x 0.7 | 10.81 x 6.81 x 0.53 | 10.8 x 7.0 x 0.4 |
| Weight | 764 grams | 690 grams / 1.39 kgs | 907 grams | 725 grams |
| Ports | MicroSD | 2 USB 2.0 1 HDMI | USB 3.0, MicroSD, Mini DisplayPort | USB 2.0, SD Card, mini-HDMI |
| Included Accessories | – | included keyboard dock | stylus | – |
| Price (Rs.) | 43,500 | 57,133 | 48,950/ 54,389.46 ($899.99 and $999.99) | 39,990 |
Looking at the above specs, the first thing that really sticks out is that there doesn’t seem to be much of a difference between the ElitePad 900 and the Envy X2. They’re both running off of the same Intel Atom processor (Z2760) coupled with the same 2GB 533MHz LPDDR2 SDRAM. The only immediately noticeable difference between the two happens to be the smaller screen size on the ElitePad 900 (10.1 inches vs. 11.6 inches on the Envy X2) along with the difference in resolution (1280×800 on the ElitePad 900 vs. 1366×768 on the Envy X2).
Bringing the Dell Latitude 10 into this picture, we realize that the hardware specs for all three tablets remains exactly the same. Factoring the Microsoft Surface Pro into this mix and we have a machine running a far superior processor, a 3rd gen Intel Core i5 processor along with 4GB of DDR3 RAM. It also sports a full HD display, a feature none of the tablets can boast of as of now. Looking from a productivity point of view, each tablet runs the desktop version of Windows 8, so running legacy apps should be exactly the same across all four of them.
So Which Tablet is Right For You?
For the Performance Junky: Microsoft Surface Pro:
With a Core i5 processor and 4 whole gigs of DDR3 RAM, the surface Pro has the other tablets beat hands down when it comes to pure processing power. Not to mention, it also rock a FULL HD display along with HDMI Out.
For the Space Conscious:
If you’re the sorts who worries about bulk a lot, then the HP ElitePad900 is definitely your best bet. It matches the other HP and Dell in specs, but beats them out thanks to its slightly slimmer form factor.
For the Casual User Looking for One-Size-Fits-All Solution:
The Envy X2 is your best bet here. It’s the most expensive of the lot, but HP throws in the whole kitchen sink here. It’s got the specs to boot, but also comes with a bundled Keyboard dock, which we’ve used and found to be extremely good. In fact, many business users might like the keyboard a LOT on this one, but might be deterred a little because of the 11.6 inch size.
For the Cost Conscious:
The Dell Latitude 10 is the cheapest tablet of the lot and does offer a decent performance package. It’s also got a USB 2.0 port for added storage, a standard SD card reader slot and a Display Out port in case you want to enjoy content on a bigger screen.
For the Business Executives:
This is tough one, but it looks like the HP ElitePad 900 might be your best bet. It is cheaper than the Envy X2, but you will end up spending about the same if you invest in an external keyboard dock, stylus or even the Battery jacket. The ElitePad 900 offers the most extensive portfolio of accessories, each of which is designed keeping business users in mind. There is the external jacket, which serves as a protective case and also has a built in battery to extend life. There is a stylus, a Bluetooth keyboard and an entire docking station designed just for the ElitePad 900.